AJ Odudu may have been robbed of performing her Showdance during this year’s Strictly Come Dancing final, but she’s finally getting the chance to dance it live.
It has been confirmed that AJ and her dance partner Kai Widdrington will perform the unseen routine set to Naughty Boy and Beyoncé‘s track Runnin’ (Lose It All) during the 2022 Strictly Live Tour.
The couple are joining fellow finalists Rose Ayling-Ellis and Giovanni Pernice and John Whaite and Johannes Radebe on the arena tour, having had to pull out of the final of the BBC ballroom show at the 11th hour due to an injury to AJ’s foot.
Strictly judge Craig Revel Horwood, who directs the tour, 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!”
This year’s finalists will be joined by fellow 2021 contestants Rhys Stephenson and Nancy Xu, Tilly Ramsay and Nikita Kuzmin, and Sara Davies and Aljaz Skorjanec on the tour, as well as 2020 contestant Max George, who has been teamed up with Katya Jones.
The full list of dances the couples will be performing are as follows...
- Rose & Giovanni: Couples Choice; Argentine Tango
- Sara & Aljaž: Quickstep; Foxtrot
- Max & Katya: Jive; American Smooth
- AJ & Kai: American Smooth; Show Dance
- Tilly & Nikita: Couples Choice; Waltz
- Rhys & Nancy: Charleston; Argentine Tango
- John & Johannes: Paso; Show Dance
The tour – which will see Bruno Tonioli return to the judging panel alongside Craig and Shirley Ballas – kicks off in Birmingham on 20 January and will visit Leeds, Newcastle, Manchester, Sheffield, Liverpool, Glasgow, Nottingham and London.
Speaking after it was announced AJ would have to withdraw from the final, she told It Takes Two: “We’re gutted because we were ready to smash it. This isn’t the way that we wanted to go out, obviously, but even just looking back at all of those moments, it’s been an absolute pleasure dancing with Kai every single week, so thank you.”
For more information and to book tickets, visit: www.strictlycomedancinglive.com