Dani Dyer has withdrawn from the 2025 series of Strictly Come Dancing after fracturing her ankle during rehearsals. The 29-year-old Love Island winner was due to compete with professional dancer Nikita Kuzmin, but doctors advised her not to dance on the injury.
In a statement, Dani said: 'I had a fall on Friday in rehearsals and landed funny. 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. 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.'
Her father, actor Danny Dyer, reacted on social media with a broken heart emoji. Fellow contestants and professional dancers also expressed their disappointment, with Vicky Pattison, Michelle Tsiakkas, Karen Hauer, Dianne Buswell, Johannes Radebe, Luba Mushtuk, and judges Motsi Mabuse and Shirley Ballas sending messages of support.
Executive producer Sarah James hinted at a potential return for Dani, saying: '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.'
Strictly Come Dancing continues with its first live show on Saturday at 6.55pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
