Dani Dyer-Bowen has pulled out of Strictly Come Dancing after fracturing her ankle during rehearsals.
The 29-year-old reality TV star, 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 23rd series of the BBC One programme after a fall. The series broadcast its launch show on Saturday.
Dyer-Bowen, who was paired with the professional dancer Nikita Kuzmin, told her Instagram followers she will take a “few days off my socials” to process her departure and will return to the set to cheer on the remaining cast.
Holding back tears, she said in the video on Tuesday evening: “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.
“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 said everyone at Strictly “is absolutely amazing” and “I’m going to miss them all so much,” adding: “I will eventually obviously come along and cheer them all on.”
In a statement shared earlier on Tuesday, she 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.”
After the news was announced on the show’s Instagram account, the head judge, Shirley Ballas, replied: “I’m so so sorry. But health is most important. Get well soon Angel.”
The TV star’s father, the actor Danny Dyer, posted a broken heart emoji.
Dyer-Bowen is the second celebrity to withdraw from the show this series. The Game of Thrones actor and DJ Kristian Nairn pulled out from the series for medical reasons last month. The Emmerdale actor Lewis Cope was drafted in to replace Nairn.
