Dani Dyer-Bowen has been forced to withdraw from the current series of Strictly Come Dancing after fracturing her ankle during rehearsals. The 29-year-old, who won Love Island in 2018, described herself as “heartbroken” in a video posted to Instagram on Tuesday night. She said she needs “a few days off my socials” to process the shock exit.
In a statement shared earlier, Dyer explained that she fell in rehearsals on Friday and landed awkwardly. “I thought I had rolled my foot but it swelled up badly over the weekend and after an MRI scan yesterday, it turns out I have fractured my ankle,” she said. “Apparently doing the quickstep on a fracture is not advisable (!!) and the doctors have said I am not allowed to dance so I've had to pull out of the show.”
Dyer was paired with professional dancer Nikita Kuzmin. She added: “I am so going to miss dancing with Nikita but will of course be watching closely and cheering all the couples on.” Sarah James, executive producer at BBC Studios, said: “Dani has brought so much passion, joy and enthusiasm to Strictly… We send her all our love and best wishes for a swift recovery, and we very much hope to welcome her back to the ballroom in the future.”
Dyer is the second contestant to leave the series before the live shows begin. Earlier, Game of Thrones actor Kristian Nairn withdrew for medical reasons and was replaced by Emmerdale star Lewis Cope. Speculation has mounted that 22-year-old Waterloo Road actress Tillie Amartey could replace Dyer, though the BBC declined to comment when approached by the Mirror.
