Strictly Come Dancing fans spotted a famous face on the show over the weekend as Kai Widdrington’s footballer father Tommy Widdrington made an appearance.
The camera panned to Kai’s father applauding in the audience while Kai and his celebrity partner AJ Odudu were being interviewed by Claudia Winkleman.
Tommy, 50, began his football career at Southampton in 1990 before moving to Grimsby Town in 1996.
Famous parent: Strictly Come Dancing fans spotted a famous face on the show over the weekend as Kai Widdrington’s footballer father Tommy Widdrington made an appearance
He ended his playing career at Salisbury City before becoming a manager for clubs including Southend United and Hemel Hempstead Town.
As a player, he was promoted four times and lifted the Football League Trophy twice.
Taking to Twitter after Tommy was shown on screen, one fan wrote: ‘I love aj and kai so much that Charlestown was brilliant, they’re so hot, plus his dad works for my football team so we have to stan them for that !!’
Another wrote: ‘Mad how Kai’s dad looks the same age as him,’ while another said: ‘Mr 66% Tommy Widdrington featured on Strictly. Fantastic dance by Kai & AJ’.
Proud: The camera panned to Kai’s father applauding in the audience while Kai and his celebrity partner AJ Odudu were being interviewed by Claudia Winkleman
Family: Kai (left) pictured with his father Tommy and his brother Theo (right)
Another said: ‘The wait is finally over… Tommy Widdrington in the house on Strictly Come Dancing’.
It comes after AJ burst into tears as she topped the leaderboard with her rumoured beau and partner Kai during Saturday’s episode.
The presenter, 33, and her professional dancer, 26, performed the Charleston to Don’t Bring Lulu by Dorothy Provine and scored an incredible 39 after making it through to the half-point in the competition.
Judges Shirley Ballas, Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke and Craig Revel Horwood gave gushing feedback with hard-to-please Craig simply saying: ‘Amazing!’ after the performance.
One fan wrote: ‘I love aj and kai so much that Charlestown was brilliant, they’re so hot, plus his dad works for my football team so we have to stan them for that!!’
Sporting success: As a player, Tommy was promoted four times and lifted the Football League Trophy twice (pictured in 2006)
An excitable Motsi said in her comments: ‘Oh my goodness, I feel so proud of you! It was authentic, the acting was great, you came in at a high level but you have sat on that high level and gone even further!’
Shirley added: ‘I don’t have a paddle big enough for you that was amazing!’, while Anton said: ‘It was incredible I loved it!’
The pair scored three tens and topped the leaderboard with an incredible 39.
Breaking down in tears in her chat after the dance, AJ said: ‘This week has been so hard, when you fall a lot it’s so hard, you lose confidence in yourself, but Kai manages to pull the confidence out of me and I’m so happy.’
Overwhelmed: An emotional burst into tears as she topped the leaderboard with her rumoured beau and partner Kai
Woah! The presenter, 33, and her professional dancer, 26, performed the Charleston to Don’t Bring Lulu by Dorothy Provine and scored and incredible 39 after making it through to the half-point in the competition
It comes after insiders claimed to The Mail On Sunday that AJ and Kai are an item.
A source on the BBC One show said the pair made no effort to keep a secret of the fact that they had fallen for each other during intense, gruelling training sessions.
The source said: ‘Kai thinks A. J. is sexy. They have this lovely romance going on, things have definitely changed in the last week or so and they are inseparable, not just as dance partners but away from that, too.
‘It’s nice to see a Strictly romance where there is no curse, just two people who have fallen head over heels for each other.
‘Those involved in the show have been watching this closely over the weeks and have thought this was always on the cards. It’s lovely.’
Success: Judges Shirley Ballas, Motsi Mabuse , Anton Du Beke and Craig Revel Horwood gave gushing feedback with hard-to-please Craig simply saying: ‘Amazing!’ after the performance