Dyer is ‘heartbroken’ to pull out of the competition with a fractured ankle. I bet she’s not as devastated as the producers are
Disaster has struck at Strictly Come Dancing. Thankfully, it’s not the brand of calamity we’ve become used to hearing about the once-wholesome dance competition (the allegations of bullying, the “inappropriate” sexual remarks, the police investigating alleged drug use) – but it is a problem, nonetheless. Dani Dyer has been forced to drop out of this year’s show.
In an Instagram post, Dyer revealed that she had “landed funny” after a fall in rehearsals. “I thought I had rolled my foot but it swelled up badly and after an MRI scan yesterday, it turns out I have fractured my ankle,” she wrote. “Apparently doing the Quickstep on a fracture is not advisable (!!) and the doctors have said I’m not allowed to dance, so I’ve had to pull out of the show.”
The star is “heartbroken” to be forced off the dance floor before she had a chance to show us what she’s got – but I’d wager she’s not as devastated as the Strictly bosses are.
Dyer, the eldest daughter of actor, descendant of Edward III and national treasure Danny Dyer, was a genius booking for Strictly. Not only would it bring her father into the Strictly studio to clap and – hopefully – tear up on the front row, but her 2018 Love Island win (which she cinched with an impressive 79.6 per cent of the public vote) has already proved her popularity with a certain demographic.
Since leaving the ITV2 villa she’s also conquered social media, attracting 3.7 million Instagram followers. Add in the countless West Ham fans rooting for her (Dyer is married to captain Jared Bowen, with whom she has three children) and the 29-year-old would have more than earned her keep. No wonder she was an early favourite to win the whole thing.
But the real coup for Strictly was that she could dance. To make the show watchable – and to keep it watchable for the three months (three months!) it’s on TV – the competition needs to be genuine. Sure, it’s hilarious to watch the non-dancers stiffly stomp their way through a Paso Doble in the early weeks, but there also have to be genuinely good dancers to provide the entertainment when we, the voting public, eventually decide that the joke is over and chuck the celebs with two left feet out.
Dyer is by no means a professional dancer, but – according to her 2019 book What Would Dani Do?: My Guide to Living Your Best Life – was “was a really good little dancer” while at theatre school. On last week’s launch show, interminable as it was, Dyer gave a glimpse of her dancing skills and – at least to my untrained eye – she proved she could move but still had room for improvement. In other words, she was about to go on the “journey” we love to see on Strictly, while avoiding any claims of a “fix”.
All eyes are now on a new bookies’ favourite, Emmerdale actor Lewis Cope, who – thanks to the revelation that he is a trained dancer – is at the centre of a “fix” row. Judging by the launch show, we’re certainly going to be seeing him in the final. But I wouldn’t count out Harry Aikines-Aryeetey – better known as Gladitators‘ Nitro – who has both the rhythm and the likeability to go all the way.
There’s a lot riding on this year’s Strictly. It has to prove that it’s still trustworthy and morally above board; a reliable BBC beacon. And Dani Dyer was going to help it do just that. This year’s line-up is disappointing – Lorraine‘s LA correspondent Ross King is truly scraping the barrel and the less said about Apprentice contestant turned Trumpian mouthpiece Thomas Skinner the better. Strictly can’t afford to lose such a sparkly personality like Dyer so early.
But injuries are inevitable when it comes to dance rehearsals. It’s such a shame that it had to happen before the competition had even kicked off. I hope she’s allowed back next year – for Strictly’s sake.
