Dani Dyer has opened up about the emotional toll of being forced to quit Strictly Come Dancing after fracturing her ankle during rehearsals.
The former Love Island winner announced last week that she would no longer be competing in the BBC dance contest after doctors warned her the injury could worsen if she continued.
Speaking on her Live and Let Dyers podcast, the 28-year-old said: “The doctor said to me, if I continue dancing on this foot, it’s not going to heal, it’s going to get worse and worse and worse.”
Reflecting on how much she had been enjoying the experience before her fall, Dyer admitted: “It’s so hard because I was just having the best time of my life. I was so happy, I was so excited. The photoshoots, they’re the fun part, but I got my partner, I got Nikita.
“We were all just so devastated about it, and I think because everyone was so devastated about it, it made it really hard for me. Everyone around me was pure devastation, and that’s why I couldn’t leave the house, because I knew if someone said to me ‘are you okay Dani’ I’d just cry. Everyone is so kind and lovely and I could probably stand in the street and cry. But for me mentally, it’s just been really testing my mental health.”
Her famous dad, EastEnders star Danny Dyer, also weighed in with his typically blunt words of support. “What you’ve got to do is, which you have, is pull up them big girl knickers, and we f****** get on with it, because up to this point it’s been an incredible year. You’ve done some amazing stuff,” he told her.
Despite her disappointment, Dani hasn’t ruled out another shot at the glitterball trophy. “I would love to come back. I would absolutely love to come back. Listen, it’s a year away, but my door is open. My door is open, if they want their door to be open, then I’ll walk through their door,” she said.
She also revealed that the setback has brought her closer to her husband, footballer Jarrod Bowen. “We’ve really bonded over this injury because Jarrod can actually… he gets it. With your feet, and sending me for scans, he really wants my foot to heal in the correct way.”
In the meantime, Dani’s place on Strictly has been taken by fellow Love Island alum Amber Davies.
The casting has sparked debate among viewers, with some questioning the decision given Davies’ professional stage background.
Since finding fame on the ITV2 reality show, she has become a leading lady in the West End with roles in 9 to 5: The Musical and Back to the Future, meaning she enters the competition with significant dance experience.
Live And Let Dyers is available to listen to now on Global Player, or wherever you get your podcasts.
