Kai Widdrington spotted at event with Strictly star post-split from Nadiya Bychkova

Strictly Come Dancing's Kai Widdrington has been spotted enjoying a day out at a significant event with his Strictly partner and good friend Angela Rippon, amidst his break up with Nadiya Bychkova.

The duo's bond was formed when they were paired together on last year's Strictly series, and they have both expressed their mutual respect for each other. Following Kai's unexpected split from Strictly professional Nadiya, 34, after two years of dating and having met her daughter Mila, 7, things appeared to be going smoothly for the couple before news of their separation emerged, with insiders attributing stress and conflicting schedules as the primary causes.

In the wake of the split, Kai has been spending quality time with his friend Angela, 79, attending the State Opening of Parliament on Wednesday, following the general election earlier this month.

Sharing some charming photos on Instagram, along with a clip from the event, Kai expressed: "Thank you to Mr Speaker for the invitation to the State Opening of Parliament. Swipe right to see @theangelarippon 's delight at the amount of beautiful horses there were."

Despite his relationship with Nadiya sadly coming to an end, his friendship with Angela remains strong, with him praising her at every chance. Earlier this year, he spoke about his admiration for "national treasure" Angela, who were the eighth couple to be voted off Strictly 2023, reports the Mirror.

Speaking to Bella magazine, Kai gushed about his former Strictly Come Dancing partner Angela Rippon, alongside his then-girlfriend Nadiya Bychkova, saying: "I'm still very much in touch with Angela. I think the whole nation loves her even more now after her Strictly stint.

"Everyone will be pleased to know that she's even nicer off-camera. If anyone deserves to be a bit of a diva behind the scenes, it's her she's been in the business for over half a century but she couldn't be nicer to everyone she works with."

He affectionately added, "She hates me for saying it, but she really is a national treasure."

The romance between Nadiya and Kai blossomed at the end of 2021, shortly before Nadiya announced her separation from her former fiance, footballer Matija Skarabot, and father to her daughter Mila.

The couple initially kept their relationship under wraps, aware of the media storm it could unleash.

However, the strain of touring proved too much, leading to what has been described as a "heartbreaking" breakup.

An insider revealed to The Sun: "After a tough few weeks, they sat down together and decided to call it quits. They remain incredibly close and are determined their split will not have any impact on the next series of Strictly - they remain consummate professionals, and nothing will change that."