Kai Strictly changed on Friday 13 November when Kai Widdrington was ruled out of this week's Strictly Come Dancing show because of illness, and Delta Goodrem had to rehearse and perform with Aljaž Škorjanec instead. The swap was explained before the live broadcast, then repeated at the start of Saturday's show, so the pairing change was not left to viewer guesswork.
Delta Goodrem and Aljaž
Ellie Taylor told viewers on It Takes Two that Kai was unable to perform on tomorrow night’s show due to illness, using the clearest version of the update before the weekend broadcast. Strictly Come Dancing's official Instagram page then set out the replacement directly: Aljaž would step in to dance the Argentine Tango with Delta.
Johannes Rabede on Saturday
At the start of Saturday's show, Johannes Rabede repeated the point in on-air form: Kai was unable to perform because of illness, and Aljaž was thanked for stepping in. The replacement mattered because Aljaž had already been partnered with Melanie Walters this season, and they had gone out in week 3, so the show's producers were turning to an eliminated dancer rather than reshuffling an active pairing.
Instagram story on Saturday night
Kai Widdrington complicated the picture later on Saturday night by posting an Instagram story that showed Johannes's explanation and added, 'Let's go!' He could not dance because of illness, but he still signalled support for Delta and Aljaž from the sidelines, which is exactly the kind of small off-stage cue that tells viewers the swap is temporary rather than a collapse in the routine.
For viewers, the practical takeaway is simple: Delta's performance this week belongs to a new pairing, with Aljaž filling the slot for one show after the illness update. Whether Kai Widdrington returns to dance next week has not been set out, and the show will have to carry the same question until the next lineup update lands.
