Reality television star and actress Dani Dyer — also known as Dani Dyer-Bowen since her marriage to soccer player Jarrod Bowen — has been forced to withdraw from series 23 of ‘Strictly Come Dancing‘ before the live shows have even begun.
Dyer, 29, the daughter of ‘Eastenders’ and ‘Human Traffic’ actor Danny Dyer, has suffered an unfortunate injury in training and will no longer be able to compete in the 2025 edition of the show.
Partnered with Nikita Kuzmin, the former ‘Love Island‘ contestant was considered to be the second-favorite to win this year’s Glitterball Trophy, with ‘Emmerdale’ actor Lewis Cope — someone who has previously received dance training in his time as a West End star — widely considered the favorite. Having had her chances of winning so cruelly torn away from her will undoubtedly be a hard pill to swallow.
‘Heartbroken’ Dani Dyer Has Fractured Her Ankle
In a statement posted on the official ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ Instagram account, in which Dani Dyer was tagged, the TV star began, “I had a fall on Friday in rehearsals and landed funny.”
She continued, “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.”
Dyer went on, writing, “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.”
The star finished by saying, “To say I’m heartbroken is the biggest understatement. I am so going to miss dancing with Nikita but will of course be watching closely and cheering all the couples on.”
Dyer becomes the second celebrity to pull out of the series 23 of ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ before the live shows start. ‘Game of Thrones‘ actor Kristian Nairn withdrew due to health reasons prior to the launch show and didn’t even get to step foot on a dancefloor.
Strong Support From ‘Devastated’ Co-Stars
GettyThe post, which was captioned “Unfortunately due to an injury Dani Dyer is no longer able to compete in #Strictly 2025. She’ll be sorely missed and we wish her a speedy recovery ❤️,” garnered a sympathetic response for Dyer from far and wide — including many from her ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ co-stars.
Fellow 2025 participant Vicky Pattison wrote, “Absolutely devastated for you Dani 😔🩷 I’m going to miss you so much… Love you loads x.”
Model Tasha Ghouri, who finished as a runner-up on last year’s series, said, “Sending love to you @danidyerxx !! I hope you have a speedy recovery 💕🩷💓.”
Professional dancer Dianne Buswell, who won last year’s series with her comedian partner Chris McCausland, wrote, “😢 I’m so sorry dani and Nikita ❤️ we will miss you so much xx.”
Former ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ professional Gorka Márquez tagged Dyer and her partner, Nikita Kuzmin, and wrote, “So gutted for you guys! @danidyerxx @nikita__kuzmin. Hope you get well soon 😘💛.”
Fellow ‘Love Island’ alum Shaughna Phillips commented, “Noooo! Gutted for you! Same time next year 🩷🩷🩷”
In previous years, some injured celebrities have been allowed to return to the show in subsequent series — ‘Made in Chelsea’ star Jamie Laing, for instance. It remains to be seen if Dani Dyer will be afforded that same opportunity, but it would be a welcome move by the BBC. We wish her well in her recovery.
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