Dani Dyer Makes Triumphant Strictly Return After Ankle Injury Forced Her Out Last Year

Dani Dyer Gets Her Second Shot at Strictly Come Dancing

Dani Dyer is heading back to the ballroom. The television personality and social media star has officially joined the lineup for the upcoming 24th series of Strictly Come Dancing, twelve months after a painful ankle injury cut her participation short before a single competitive episode had aired.

"I am so excited to be back in the ballroom this September!" Dyer said in an official statement. "I just cannot wait to get my dancing shoes back on and hopefully this time around I can actually make it to week one! I'm just over the moon and cannot wait to find out who else is doing it!"

A Rocky Start Last Time Around

The 29-year-old first rose to national prominence after winning Love Island back in 2018 and has since built a substantial public profile, amassing 3.7 million Instagram followers. Last year, she appeared in Strictly's launch episode alongside her assigned dance partner Nikita Kuzmin, only to fracture her ankle after what she described as landing awkwardly during a training session. The injury occurred before the competition had even properly begun, forcing her to withdraw entirely.

Actress Amber Davies — herself a former Love Island champion — stepped in as her replacement and went on to reach the Strictly final.

A Busy Year Before the Comeback

In the time between her Strictly exit and this fresh announcement, Dyer has stayed firmly in the spotlight. Earlier in 2025, she was crowned joint winner of Channel 4's Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, a gruelling endurance competition that demonstrated her resilience. She also appeared alongside her father, EastEnders actor Danny Dyer, in the television series The Dyers' Caravan Park.

Off screen, she is married to West Ham United striker Jarrod Bowen.

The reaction from the Strictly family has been warmly enthusiastic. Head judge Shirley Ballas welcomed her back via Instagram with a simple "Welcome back @danidyerxx," while comedian Josh Widdicombe, one of the show's incoming presenters, posted an emphatic "YES DANI!!!!"

New Faces in the Strictly Presenting Lineup

Widdicombe will front the new series alongside Emma Willis and Johannes Radebe, forming a fresh presenting trio following the high-profile departures of long-standing hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman. The three were selected following extensive chemistry testing, according to head judge Ballas.

"I know they took lots of chemistry tests, as did everybody, and those chemistry tests have brought those three people together, and I believe it's absolutely unbelievable," Ballas told ITV's Good Morning Britain.

Lacey Turner Also Confirmed for Series 24

Dyer is the second celebrity confirmed for the new series. EastEnders actress Lacey Turner, best known for playing Stacey Slater on the BBC One soap since 2004, was the first announcement, made on Wednesday. Turner is a decorated soap actress, having picked up both a British Soap Award and a National Television Award for her role, and has also appeared in BBC drama Our Girl.

"I'm so excited and so terrified at the same time," Turner admitted in an Instagram video. "But I've had so many friends do Strictly, and I thought it was about time that I pluck up the courage and made my way on to the dance floor."

Notably, both casting announcements arrived well ahead of schedule — the BBC typically reveals its celebrity lineup in August, making these early confirmations a deliberate departure from tradition.

What to Expect from the New Series

Ballas described this year's edition as featuring "quite extraordinary" new elements while reassuring fans that the show's beloved format will remain largely intact. A new set has been widely rumoured, though Ballas urged caution: "Don't believe everything you read."

"I don't think they'll change the show too much, maybe tweaks here and there, but no major changes," she said.

The judging panel remains unchanged, with Ballas joined once again by Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, and Anton Du Beke.

Professional Dancer Changes

There will, however, be some notable absences on the dance floor. Professional dancers Gorka Marquez, Nadiya Bychkova, Luba Mushtuk, Karen Hauer, and Michelle Tsiakkas will not be returning for the new series. Meanwhile, fan favourites including Amy Dowden, Dianne Buswell, Katya Jones, Vito Coppola, and Aljaz Skorjanec are all set to return.

Strictly Come Dancing series 24 is expected to launch in September.