Strictly star opens up on 20kg weight loss after 'extreme' decision (2025)

Strictly Come Dancing pro Kai Widdrington has opened up about his incredible body transformation, revealing that he lost an impressive 20kg in weight

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Christopher Sharp Trendswatch Reporter and Samantha Mallac

14:47, 16 Apr 2025

Strictly Come Dancing pro Kai Widdrington dropped an incredible 20kg after a simple yet drastic motivation technique.

The dancer confessed on the Monday Mile with Aimee Fuller podcast that after struggling with his weight, he needed a wake-up call to get fit again.


Kai revealed that not being dedicated a partner on the last season of Strictly Come Dancing was a turning point for him, and he realized he had to take charge, reports Edinburgh Live.

To motivate himself, Kai took a photo of himself at the start of his fitness journey, but didn't share it publicly.

He explained: "The biggest thing for me, and maybe it's a bit extreme, I took a photo of myself after a gym session in September and I haven't put it out there.

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"I'm between 15 and 20 kg heavier than I am now. Point is I had accountability, so I looked back and I was like 'C'mon you can't go on like this, you need to hold yourself accountable and at the end of the day we can cry and we can moan'."

The 29 year-old star was clear about his dedication, saying: "It is down to you, it stops with you. No-one else is going to do it for me so I might as well do it myself."


Kai also revealed: "It's one of those where I was so fit as a kid. I'm not ashamed to say that I was the guy in school that was the county champion at running, captain of the football team, swimmer, played everything, was good at everything.

"I was so fit and then I basically stopped dancing for a year when I was 18 and I put a little bit of weight on. It kind of never went, I couldn't get it off and I couldn't find a way to get it off.

Strictly star opens up on 20kg weight loss after 'extreme' decision (3)


"After last year, I didn't get a partner on Strictly [Come Dancing] so I had a bit of a reflection moment, it was the best thing that could have happened to me. Setbacks are just set-ups for comebacks."

In addition to weight training, Kai shared that he embraced healthier eating habits and cut down on junk food. He said: "I had a look in the mirror and I was like 'I'm not really happy with this'.

"The main thing I did was diet. I really just ate good, looked after what I was putting in my body basically and I was like 'I'm a dancer, I want to look like a dancer, I want to feel good in what I'm wearing'. It's about being comfortable in your own skin."

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Kai's sporting prowess could be down in part to genes - his dad is former Premier League footballer Tommy Widdrington. Kai was even planning to follow in his dad's footsteps in becoming a footie star, but at age 12 chose dancing instead.

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Strictly star opens up on 20kg weight loss after 'extreme' decision (2025)
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