Dani Dyer-Bowen quits Strictly after fracturing her ankle in rehearsals, leaving her ‘heartbroken’
Dani Dyer-Bowen has been forced to quit Strictly Come Dancing after suffering a fractured ankle during rehearsals, leaving the reality star “heartbroken” just days into the series.
The 29-year-old, who shot to fame as the winner of Love Island in 2018, had been paired with professional dancer Nikita Kuzmin for the 23rd season of the BBC’s hit ballroom show. But her hopes of competing were crushed when a fall in training left her unable to continue.
The accident happened on Friday. At first, Dyer-Bowen believed she had simply rolled her foot. Over the weekend, however, the pain and swelling worsened. An MRI scan on Monday confirmed the fracture and ended her Strictly dream.
Breaking the news to her Instagram followers on Tuesday evening, Dyer-Bowen struggled to hold back tears. “Hi guys, I’m going to do this, and try and do this without crying, but yeah, I’m so heartbroken, like I’ve not felt like this in such a long time,” she said.
“I was having the best time ever … It’s just a very, very annoying, devastating thing that I’m kind of going through right now, but I’m probably just going to have a few days off my socials just to, you know, process things.”
She added that the Strictly family had been “absolutely amazing” and promised she would return to the set to cheer on her fellow contestants. “I will eventually obviously come along and cheer them all on,” she said.
In an earlier written statement, Dyer-Bowen explained: “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.”
The Strictly team rallied around her. Head judge Shirley Ballas commented on the show’s official Instagram account: “I’m so so sorry. But health is most important. Get well soon Angel.” Her father, actor Danny Dyer, responded with a broken heart emoji.
The blow makes Dyer-Bowen the second celebrity to withdraw from this year’s series before the competition has even begun in earnest. Game of Thrones actor and DJ Kristian Nairn had already pulled out for medical reasons last month, forcing producers to draft in Emmerdale actor Lewis Cope as a late replacement.
For Dyer-Bowen, who has built a successful television career beyond her reality TV beginnings — including a run on Celebrity MasterChef in 2023 — Strictly represented a chance to reinvent herself once again in front of a prime-time audience. Instead, she is now facing weeks of recovery.
Her injury also throws a curveball at Nikita Kuzmin, a popular professional who had been hoping to make a strong run with his new partner. With the pair forced out before performing a single competitive routine, attention now turns to whether the show’s producers will bring in another last-minute replacement or carry on with one fewer celebrity.
Strictly has a history of dramatic exits, but two withdrawals before the season’s live shows have properly begun is rare. Fans expressed disappointment on social media, sending messages of support and urging Dyer-Bowen to focus on her recovery.
For now, the star says she is stepping away from social media to process the setback. But she has made it clear she will not abandon the dance floor entirely — at least not as a spectator.
“I’m going to miss them all so much,” she said of the Strictly cast. “I’ll be back to cheer them on.”
Her withdrawal underscores the risks faced by celebrities who throw themselves into the rigorous world of dance training. What was meant to be a glittering new chapter has ended abruptly in injury, leaving Dyer-Bowen sidelined before her Strictly journey could truly begin.