Days before the live performances are scheduled to begin, Love Island winner Dani Dyer-Bowen cried out as she described her shock exit from the 2025 season of Strictly Come Dancing.
There is chaos behind the scenes of Strictly Come Dancing following the news that Dani Dyer-Bowen has had to pull out of the series.
The 29-year-old, who won Love Island in 2018 and took part in Celebrity MasterChef in 2023, said she was “heartbroken” to not be able to compete in the show, after fracturing her ankle during rehearsals.
She leaves the show the second time since Game of Thrones actor and DJ Kristian Nairn, who left last month for medical reasons. Due to the series’ launch show only being broadcast on Saturday, Strictly bosses are dealing with it somewhat. The live shows are scheduled to begin this weekend.
READ MORE: Sad curse of Dani Dyer after she quit another reality show following painful injuryREAD MORE: Richard Madeley halts GMB to make Dani Dyer plea after Strictly chaos
Dani, who was paired with the professional dancer Nikita Kuzmin, told her Instagram followers she needs to take a “few days off my socials” to process her shock exit.
She cried out in the video on Tuesday night, saying, “Hi guys, I’m going to do this, and try to do this without crying, but yeah, I’m so heartbroken, like I’ve not felt like this in such a long time.
I had the best time ever, according to the statement, “I’m just having a very, very annoying, devastating thing going on right now, but I’m probably just going to take a few days off my social media accounts just to process things.”
She said, “I had a fall on Friday during rehearsals and landed funny,” in a statement shared earlier on Tuesday. My foot swelled up severely over the weekend, and it turns out I’ve broken my ankle after an MRI yesterday.
READ MORE: More chaos for Strictly as pro dancer shares heartbreaking confession
“Apparently, it is not advisable to quickstep on a fracture (!!)” and I had to leave the show because the doctors had told me I was not allowed to dance.
She continued, “I’m going to miss dancing with Nikita, but I’ll definitely 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, and her partnership with Nikita was off to the most sensational start.
Everyone on the show is deeply moved that she is unable to compete, and we sincerely hope to see her return to the ballroom in the future.
Since Dani’s departure, there has been rumor about replacing her on the show. And on Wednesday, rumors started to circulate that Tillie Amartey, a 22-year-old Waterloo Road actress, might be stepping into her dancing shoes.
Tillie recently resigned from her Waterloo Road role to make room for “another big project,” which could change her career. In recent weeks, she has been traveling from her Leeds home to London to speak with TV executives.
The program needs another young, glam woman to fill Dani’s shoes, according to the sentiment.
However, when asked by the Mirror about a possible replacement for Dani, the BBC declined to comment.
Responding to the news of Dani’s departure on social media, Strictly professional Dianne Buswell wrote: “I’m so sorry Dani and Nikita. We will miss you so much xx.” Judge Shirley Ballas also sent a message saying: “I’m so so sorry. But health is most important. Get well soon Angel.” Dani’s dad, Danny Dyer, shared a broken heart emoji.
READ MORE: ‘BBC paired Thomas Skinner with Amy Dowden to keep him in longer’
Kristian Nairn, by contrast, had been Strictly’s fifteenth and final celebrity contestant. However, due to health issues, the DJ and actor, who primarily appeared in Game of Thrones’ Hodor, had to leave the upcoming season of Strictly.
Kristian described his backward step as “with a heavy heart.” I regret to disappoint anyone who was anticipating seeing me on the dance floor. “I was truly looking forward to the journey.”
He continued, “I’m grateful for your support, and I’ll be back on my feet soon, in every way. Love Kristian to everyone.
The actor has been replaced on the show, with Emmerdale star Lewis Cope now partnered up with Katya Jones.
Lewis, who made the West End role in Billy Elliot, has proven to be a controversial choice, and he even reached the final of Sky’s Got To Dance at the age of 18 in 2013.
READ MORE: Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two – when will it finally return?
But his partner, Katya Jones, has come to his defence, telling the Radio Times: “I think everyone’s aware that Lewis can move and I’m looking forward to turning him into a ballroom dancer. But unlearning habits is harder than blank-canvas learning.”
In response to the criticism, Mr. Cope responded, “I haven’t worn a pair of tap shoes in 17 years.”
Behind the scenes at Strictly, not just injury.
Outspoken contestant Thomas Skinner has caused a huge problem with details of his previous affair recently coming to light. BBC bosses have also reportedly been left frustrated by his Twitter rants, admitting they cannot control how Thomas behaves on social media.
But insiders believe he might go the distance given the public’s history of backing trouble-makers, and the support of Amy Dowden’s army of loyal fans.
One source said: “It’s a tricky one, he’s not BBC staff so there is nothing that can be done about his social media posts other than ask his management to have a gentle word, and they might not want to.
The public tends to favor controversial figures, at least at first, so it’s likely he’s one of the first to join and could end up there for a while. Amy is very fond of her, which will help him.
Source: Mirror
Leave a Reply