STRICTLY fans fear another hugely popular male professional dancer will be left without a celebrity partner after Kai Widdrington was ‘benched’.
This year, the Strictly line-up has the fewest female contestants in the BBC show’s history, with just six women against nine men.
This means some male dancers will be watching from the sidelines.
And some fans of the show are convinced that Johannes Radebe could be one of them.
Taking to Reddit, one fan said: “One of either Neil or Johannes will be benched.”
Another said: “I suggest Johannes because I think he’s preparing to star in Kinky Boots next year? And may be busy rehearsing.”
It comes after fan favourite Kai Widdrington was announced to not be paired with a celebrity partner in the upcoming 2024 series.
A source said: “Kai has become the first casualty of this year’s male-heavy line-up.
“With so few female celebrities it was inevitable that some of the professionals would miss out on a pairing, but it’s a real blow that Kai is one of them.
“He had a great run last series with Angela and is a fan favourite.
“But, just like last year with Nadiya when she wasn’t given a partner, bosses have to look at a number of factors when choosing which dancer to pair with which celebrity.
“They look at everything from height through to chemistry tests to see who will work best together and it’s meant Kai has missed out.
“He will be part of the group dances alongside other males who haven’t been selected this year.”
The Strictly 2024 line-up comprises nine male celebrities and six female famous faces.
The male bias this year has sparked fears that the show’s bullying scandal has put off women from signing up.
The pressure is on the BBC to deliver successful pairings after accusations against Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima threw a spotlight on training regimes.
Graziano was sacked over allegations of abuse against Made in Chelsea star Zara McDermott.
Colleague Giovanni Pernice is being investigated following a similar complaint from his Sherlock actress partner Amanda Abbington.
WITH Strictly's 20th anniversary special airing in September, The Sun takes a look at which celebs have been confirmed for the new series:
