Former Love Island winner Dani Dyer has been forced to withdraw from the 2025 series of Strictly Come Dancing before she could even take to the dancefloor, following a serious injury sustained in rehearsals.
A Devastating Blow During Rehearsals
The 29-year-old reality TV star and wife of West Ham footballer Jarrod Bowen suffered a fractured ankle while practising with her professional partner, Nikita Kuzmin. The incident occurred just days before the first live show was due to air. An MRI scan confirmed the fracture, leaving doctors with no choice but to forbid her from dancing.
"I had a fall on Friday in rehearsals and landed funny," Dani explained at the time. "I thought I had rolled my foot but it swelled up badly over the weekend... Apparently doing the quickstep on a fracture is not advisable, and the doctors have said I'm not allowed to dance, so I've had to pull out of the show."
Amber Davies Steps In With 48 Hours' Notice
In a dramatic turn of events, fellow Love Island alumna Amber Davies was drafted in as a last-minute replacement. With less than two days to prepare, Amber and Nikita Kuzmin managed to perform a Waltz for their first live show. Despite facing the dance-off on several occasions, the judges repeatedly saved the pair, allowing them to progress all the way to the grand final.
Amber ultimately competed for the Glitterball Trophy against George Clarke and the eventual winners, sports presenter Karen Carney and her partner Carlos Gu. Following the final, an emotional Amber took to Instagram, calling it the "best night of my life" and thanking everyone for their support over the "last four months."
Dani Dyer's Recovery and Future on Strictly
Speaking recently to Heat Magazine, Dani Dyer provided a positive update on her recovery. "I've been having lots of physio and it's much better now," she shared. She also revealed she remains in contact with Nikita Kuzmin, sending her love to him and Amber for their incredible run.
When directly questioned about the possibility of a return for the 2026 series of Strictly Come Dancing, Dani remained diplomatic. "That's up to the bosses! We'll see what happens," stated the Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins participant, leaving her future on the BBC dance show open-ended.
The news comes as BBC executives address other rumours surrounding the show's future. BBC Chief Content Officer Kate Phillips, speaking on the Rest Is Entertainment podcast, confirmed that finding potential successors for long-standing hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman is not an immediate priority. The focus remains on delivering the current series.
