By Minnie Wright

Published: Wednesday, 22 December 2021 at 12:00 am


AJ Odudu will resurrect her ill-fated Showdance when she and her Strictly partner Kai Widdrington join the line-up for the live UK arena tour next year.

Though AJ sadly never got to perform her showpiece routine in the final, the number, set to the tune of Naughty Boy’s Runnin’, will see the light of day at least when the Strictly Come Dancing tour hits the road next month.

AJ and Kai were forced to withdraw from the Strictly final after she tore a ligament in her ankle.

Heartbroken, she instead had to watch from the sidelines as fellow finalists John Whaite and Rose Ayling-Ellis battled it out for the Glitterball trophy, the latter ultimately being crowned the winner of Strictly 2021.

Craig Revel Horwood, who will be judging on the tour alongside Bruno Tonioli and Shirley Ballas, said: “I was hugely disappointed that AJ and Kai missed the Strictly final. But audiences on the arena tour are in for a big treat, as they will get to see the show dance that AJ and Kai would have performed on Saturday night.

“Plus all the other celebs and pros have some A-MAZ-ING dances planned – it’s going to be FAB-U-LOUS!”

In addition to their never-before-seen Showdance, AJ and Kai will dance their American Smooth on the tour.

The tour line-up also features: Rose and Giovanni Pernice (dancing their Couple’s Choice and Argentine Tango); Sara Davies and Aljaz Skorjanec (Quickstep, Foxtrot); Tilly Ramsay and Nikita Kuzmin (Couple’s Choice, Waltz); Rhys Stephenson and Nancy Xu (Charleston, Argentine Tango); John and Johannes Radebe (Paso Doble; Showdance); and Strictly 2020 contestant Max George and Katya Jones (Jive, American Smooth).

For more information and to book tickets for the Strictly tour, visit: www.strictlycomedancinglive.com. If you’re looking for something to watch, check out our TV Guide. Visit our Entertainment hub for all the latest news.

This year’s Radio Times Christmas double issue is on sale now, featuring two weeks of TV, film and radio listings, reviews, features and interviews with the stars.