Dani Dyer has admitted it is “a juggle” as she tries to lift the Strictly Come Dancing Glitterball and spend enough time with her kids.
The TV star, 30, is mum to her son Santiago, 5, from a previous relationship and twin daughters named Summer and Star, both 3, with her husband, footballer Jarrod Bowen. The married pair have devised a special calendar so the children are well looked after and they get the work life balance right.
‘My kids are so super proud of me’
Dani said: “Do you know what, it is a juggle, but you know my kids are so super proud of me. I've got my childcare calendar, who’s having my kids where and when. But again, it's such an opportunity, and I know I'm really, really busy. But they love it.
“Like every morning they say like ‘you go dancing, you go dancing again’. It’s so sweet, they really love it. They've met Nikita, and they love dancing. So it is a juggle but it's such an opportunity, and we just manage it, don't we?”
And Dani is still making sure she has quality time with them in-between rehearsals. She added: “They’re all so little as well. As long as I am home to read Santi’s book with him, he is happy.
“Basically, he gets his book bag and he's like, ‘right, it's book time’. I'm like, yeah, that's fine. It's a special time, and it's really good because my family is so supportive. So they are like just go out there and have the best time ever.”
Jarrod’s first dance nerves
Last night Dani was performing a Foxtrot to Beauty And The Beast with partner Nikita Kuzmin as West Ham star Jarrod watched on in the audience with his mum Nat.
But there is not much rehearsing going on back home as Dani says Jarrod is not much of a dancer, even trying to avoid it ahead of their wedding day in May last year.
She said: “We did have a first dance, we practiced it the night before. He landed from his stag do two days before our wedding because of timings with football and stuff. And I remember we put a film on and I was like, ‘No, Jarrod, we have to do a first dance’.
“And he's so super shy. So I was like, ‘Maybe you can just twirl me and like pick me up’. And it was really lovely. It was really beautiful.”
Second attempt at Strictly
It is Dani’s second attempt at taking part in Strictly Come Dancing and her on-screen partner says she has two things which could make her go far in the competition.
The TV star has been paired with Nikita for the second year in a row after she was forced to pull out before the start of the 2025 series with a fractured ankle.
Praising her effort, Nikita revealed: “Two things that I can say in rehearsal room about Dani. Number one, she's a ray of sunshine. She's constantly joyous and loving life. Number two, she loves to repeat things. Every single thing we need to repeat about the billion times, which is great. It's all I can ask for.”
Unsurprisingly she also has the backing of her dad, actor Danny Dyer who was seen cheering her on in week one sat with Dani’s sister. Danny also appeared to take issues with some of Craig Revel Horwood’s comments. Laughing, Dani said: "I think that's just him, isn't it? That is just my dad.
“He loved it, he was super proud. He rang me the next day to tell me. There was no one I could have wanted more than them in the audience. It was the best having them there. They were so super proud of me. I got flowers and biscuits. It was gorgeous.”
It was Dani and Nikita's second performance on the show last night doing the foxtrot and she was determined to try to be more technical in her performance. She admitted she got a bit overexcited in week one when they performed a fun Samba.
Dani said: “It's week one. I'm not a professional dancer at all, and Nikita said to me before we went out there ‘just go out there and just enjoy it and just have a big party’. And yes, my feet could have been a little bit better. I will admit, but I just forgot. I said to Nikita, I completely forgot that this is like a dance, and I have to like get my feet right.
“I just started partying and was like, ‘oh, I actually need to put my feet close together’. But you know what? I was just so happy to be there. So yeah, hopefully, as the weeks go on, I get a bit better.”
And if they avoid going home tonight, the pair do hope they can get far in the competition. Dani said: “I’ve loved rehearsals. Certain little movements. I'm like, I need to do that again because my brain is not getting it.
“But it's just so fun. Like I wake up every day. I'm so excited, and it's such an amazing opportunity to do it.
“The thought of eliminations is horrible. You are all really close so quickly. You bond. I've just really tried not to think about the elimination side of things at all. I try not to put my mind there. I'm so grateful to be back. I am so happy to have this partnership again, it is so special. I just want to take it week by week that is my mindset, and have the best time.
“You just never know when it is going to end and you don’t get to have this opportunity again, so I am loving it.”
Strictly Come Dancing continues tonight, Sunday October 4, at 7.10pm on BBC1 and BBC iPlayer.
