Eddie Kadi: Biography, Age, Family, Strictly Come Dancing 2023

Most people meet Eddie Kadi one of two ways: through a joke that lands in a packed arena, or through a Saturday-night dance floor on Strictly. Either way, the same question tends to follow — who is this guy, and how did he get here? Radio Times (UK TV guide) has already summed up one answer: he was the first Black British comedian to headline the O2 Arena. Here’s the verified version — the career, the family facts he shares, and the ones he keeps private.

Born: 18 May 1983 ·
Known for: Comedian, presenter, actor ·
Notable achievement: First Black-British comedian to headline the O2 Arena (2020) ·
TV appearance: Strictly Come Dancing 2023 ·
Residence: South-West London

Seven facts, one pattern: a career that keeps crossing formats — stand-up, presenting, acting, television — and a public record that is far fuller on work than on home life.

What is Eddie Kadi famous for?

Kadi is a Congolese-born British comedian, presenter and actor whose career came after university, not before — a combination his BBC profile for Strictly Come Dancing condenses into the job title “actor, comedian and presenter”, according to BBC (public broadcaster).

He studied Media Technology at Kingston University and graduated with a BSc Honours degree, according to Wikipedia (open encyclopedia).

Comedian, presenter, and actor

• Early career: presenting with the group Black Grape, then stand-up; he picked up a Best Newcomer nomination at the Black Comedy Awards in 2006, all documented by The Independent (UK news outlet)
• Education: BSc Honours in Media Technology from Kingston University, per Wikipedia (open encyclopedia)

First Black-British comedian to headline the O2 Arena

• First Black-British comedian to headline the O2 Arena, a billing confirmed by Radio Times (UK TV guide)
• His presenting résumé includes the Olympics, the MOBOs, the BET Awards, the National Comedy Awards and the “Man Like You” podcast, according to The Independent (UK news outlet)

The pattern: arena comedy, global presenting and a weekly podcast — three different audiences, all built from the same London base.

How old is Eddie Kadi?

Kadi was born on 18 May 1983. That made him 40 when he was profiled in October 2023 by The Independent (UK news outlet).

Birth date and age calculation

• Birth date: 18 May 1983
• Birthplace: Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
• Age in October 2023, per The Independent: 40

The implication: Kadi was already in his late thirties when he headlined the O2 Arena, which makes the milestone less an overnight success and more the payoff of a long London grind.

Where does Eddie Kadi live?

Kadi moved to the UK as a child, settled in Fulham, west London, and has been based in South-West London since 1992, according to The Independent (UK news outlet).

Residence in South-West London

• Home base: South-West London, since 1992
• Childhood neighbourhood after arrival: Fulham, west London
• London is also where his touring and TV work is based

What this means: Kadi’s comedy is London-bred in a literal sense — the city is where he arrived as a child, learned the craft, and later headlined its biggest indoor arena.

Does Eddie Kadi have a child?

Yes. Kadi has said in interviews that he is a father, and public profiles describe him as married with a daughter.

Children information

• He has spoken publicly about having a child
• Profiles consistently describe a daughter
• Her name and age have not been shared publicly as of 2024

The pattern: fans get the comedian, not the dad — and the public record mostly respects that line.

Has Eddie Kadi been on Strictly?

Yes. Kadi took part in the twenty-first series of Strictly Come Dancing in 2023, according to Wikipedia (open encyclopedia).

Strictly Come Dancing 2023 appearance

• Dance partner: professional Karen Hauer, per BBC (public broadcaster)
• Eliminated as the fourth couple of the series, per Radio Times (UK TV guide)

The takeaway: Strictly didn’t make Kadi’s career; it widened it. The arena headline had come three years earlier.

Who is Eddie Kadi’s wife?

Kadi is married, and he and his wife have a daughter. He has chosen not to name her in public, and as of 2024 no reliable public source confirms her name.

Marital status and partner information

• Married, with a daughter, per his own public statements
• Wife’s name: not publicly confirmed as of 2024
• Number of children beyond their daughter: unconfirmed

The trade-off: the less Kadi publishes about his marriage, the more the absence itself becomes a story — but that is his call to make.

Eddie Kadi’s timeline: from Kinshasa to Strictly

Four dates, one through-line: every milestone moved him onto a bigger stage — from a Kinshasa childhood to a London arena headline to a prime-time BBC show.

What the sequence shows: a slow build, then a sudden acceleration — a long run of stage and presenting work, followed by an arena headline and a prime-time TV run inside three years.

What’s confirmed, and what isn’t

Separating the record from the rumour: his career is well documented, while his personal life is deliberately thin.

Confirmed facts

• Born 18 May 1983 in Kinshasa, DRC, per The Independent (UK news outlet)
• Comedian, presenter and actor, per BBC (public broadcaster)
• First Black-British comedian to headline the O2 Arena (2020), per Radio Times (UK TV guide)
• Competed on Strictly Come Dancing 2023 with Karen Hauer, per BBC (public broadcaster)

What’s unclear

• Exact net worth
• Religion
• Wife’s name
• Number of children, if more than one
• Precise arrival year in the UK (reports say “as a child”; sources give slightly different dates)

The imbalance is worth noticing: for a man who sells out arenas, remarkably little is public about his home life — which is itself a statement.

What the sources say

Four outlets, four different angles on the same career.

“The first Black British comedian to headline the O2 Arena.”

— The Independent (UK news outlet)

Congolese-born British and, on Strictly, an “actor, comedian and presenter”.

— BBC (public broadcaster), Strictly Come Dancing profile

Eliminated as the fourth couple from the 2023 series.

— Radio Times (UK TV guide)

Studied Media Technology at Kingston University, graduating with a BSc Honours degree.

— Wikipedia (open encyclopedia)

What ties these together: the public record on Kadi is consistent — comedy first, presenting and acting alongside, Strictly as the moment his name reached a national audience.

The takeaway

Kadi’s is a slow-burn London story: a Congolese-born kid who moved to the UK as a child, built a comedy career from university stages, and went on to become the first Black British comedian to headline the O2 Arena. Strictly 2023 gave him a mainstream glow-up, while the personal details he withholds have only sharpened the public’s curiosity. For UK casting directors and comedy promoters, the signal is clear: Kadi’s drawing power is proven at arena scale, so the next tour or TV slot will be booked fast — or lost to whoever moves first.

Frequently asked questions

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