Dani Dyer: Everything you need to know about the 'heartbroken' star who has quit Strictly Come Dancing
Anita Markoff | 9:20am Wed 24 Sep | Updated 9:31am Wed 24 SepDani Dyer was hoping to light up the Strictly Come Dancing ballroom this year – but she’s been forced to pull out of the show following a painful injury.
The reality star, who was gearing up for this weekend’s first live show, has quit Strictly 2025 following a fall during rehearsals.
Dani was whisked to see medics and an MRI scan has confirmed she has fractured her ankle. She has now withdrawn from the BBC show as a result.
Devastated Dani 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, it turns out I have fractured my ankle.
“Apparently doing the quickstep on a fracture is not advisable(!!) and the doctors have said I am not allowed to dance so l’ve had to pull out of the show. To say I’m heartbroken is the biggest understatement. I am so going to miss dancing with Nikita but will of course be watching closely and cheering all the couples on.”
‘Hopes for the future’
Sarah James, Executive Producer, BBC Studios, has wished Dani a “swift recovery”. She has also said the door is open for the star to return to Strictly Come Dancing in the future.
Sarah said: “Dani has brought so much passion, joy and enthusiasm to Strictly, and her partnership with Nikita was off to the most sensational start.
“Everyone on the show is incredibly sad that she’s no longer able to compete in this year’s series. We send her all our love and best wishes for a swift recovery, and we very much hope to welcome her back to the ballroom in the future.”
This means Strictly fans won’t get to know Dani over the coming weeks. Instead, we have done a deep dive for you on who she is; including who she’s married to, who her famous dad is and her Love Island past.
Who is Dani Dyer? Where is she from?
Dani Charlotte Dyer was born in Newham, London, on August 8, 1996. This makes her 29 years old. She is the daughter of Joanne Mas and actor Danny Dyer. Dani has a younger brother, Arty, and younger sister, Sunnie Jo.
As a teenager, Dani attended Roding Valley High School in Loughton, Essex. But growing up with a famous father wasn’t easy. Danny’s breakthrough role came in the 1999 movie, Human Traffic, when Dani was just three.
He went on to star in Mean Machine and The Football Factory, all while Dani was in primary school. She was even given a number of small film roles in movies including Doghouse, Run for Your Wife and Vendetta. But there were positives and negatives.
In 2013, Danny joined the cast of BBC soap EastEnders as Mick Carter. Dani was 17.
Dani said: “I lived in East London until I was 12 and no one cared about my dad. But when I moved to Essex, I got it quite a lot. I found it hard. Sometimes you get a little bit of, ‘She’s only famous because of her dad’.”
Dani was working as a barmaid when fame came knocking in the shape of ITV2 reality show, Love Island.
Who was Dani Dyer with in Love Island?
Dani shot to fame in 2018 when she entered the Love Island villa for its fourth season. She was paired with Jack Fincham, and the pair quickly became a fan favourite couple. They shared a similar sense of humour, came from similar backgrounds, and seemed genuinely comfortable in each other’s company.
Viewers loved how down-to-earth they both seemed and how naturally their relationship developed. Bookies quickly tipped them as favourites to win – and they did.
After leaving the villa, Jack and Dani tried to make their romance work in the real world. They moved in together, appeared on talk shows, and even introduced each other to their families. Dani’s famous dad, Danny, initially gave Jack his seal of approval. But the pressures of everyday life started to get to them.
Dani and Jack split just nine months after leaving the show. They briefly reunited, but parted ways for good in 2019.
Who is Dani Dyer married to?
After her split with Jack Fincham, Dani rekindled her romance with her ex-boyfriend, Sammy Kimmence. They had a son together, Santiago, but split when he was seven months old.
Dani found love again with footballer Jarrod Bowen. She began dating the West Ham and England in late 2021, and their romance quickly blossomed. Dani has praised him for how seamlessly Jarrod stepped into the role of stepdad to Santiago.
In May 2023, Dani and Jarrod welcomed twin daughters, Summer and Star. Dani has admitted that adjusting to life with three children was “as hard as I thought it was going to be”. However, it has also brought her a lot of joy to see her blended family grow.
Dani and Jarrod announced their engagement in 2024.
Where did Dani get married?
Dani and Jarrod tied the knot in Buckinghamshire on 30 May 2025. Their big day was a family affair, with their children taking part in the ceremony and her dad Danny Dyer walking her down the aisle. Santiago was a pageboy and the twins were flower girls in matching white dresses.
The couple got married at The Langley, a five-star hotel and spa near Slough. The property is set in 150-acres and was originally built as a hunting lodge for the third Duke of Marlborough. It costs up to £500-a-night to stay there.
The hotel is just a 40-minute drive from London. Previous A-list guests include Tom Cruise, Angelina Jolie and Jeff Goldblum.
Dani is married to footballer Jarrod Bowen [Credit: Brett D. Cove]
What is Dani Dyer worth?
Dani Dyer has reportedly netted herself a small fortune since her days as a barmaid in Essex. According to Finance Monthly, she is worth £7.1million.
The mum-of-three has earned her money through multiple canny ventures since Love Island. One of the first lucrative deals she had after leaving the villa was with laundry brand, Surf. In 2019, she became an ambassador for the company and was known for the catchphrase: “Perf with Surf.”
Dani has since appeared on Celebrity MasterChef, Celebrity Gogglebox with her dad Danny and even had a guest role in EastEnders. The cameo saw her play a pregnant cab drive called Janette, who picked Danny’s character Mick up before going into labour.
Dani has fronted her own documentary, Channel 4’s Is This Anxiety?. The one-off show explored maternal mental health. Dani also co-hosted the travelogue Absolutely Dyer: Danny and Dani Do Italy.
These days, Dani is best known for hers and Danny’s joint podcast, Live and Let Dyers. The father and daughter chat about life, their career and share heartfelt family moments with listeners.
Dani Dyer on Strictly Come Dancing
Dani was unveiled as part of the Strictly Come Dancing 2025 line-up on August 11, 2025. She said her dream dance would be to The Greatest Showman hit, Rewrite The Stars.
During last Saturday’s Strictly launch show, fans learned Dani had been paired up with professional dancer Nikita Kuzmin.
The reality star was supposed to be joining 14 other celebrities on the famous dance floor. They include ER and Doctor Who star Alex Kingston, rugby captain Chris Robshaw and drag performer La Voix, EastEnders actress Balvinder Sopal is also taking part, along with model and disability campaigner, Ellie Goldstein.
Retired footballer Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, is dancing this year, along with social media star George Clarke, Gladiators favourite Harry Aikines-Aryeetey (aka Nitro). Emmerdale’s Lewis Cope completes the glittering cast.
But Dani’s Strictly dream is now over before it had barely begun. Sob!
What time is Strictly on?
Strictly Come Dancing returns this Saturday for the first live show of the series. It airs at 6.55pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. All of this year’s couples – minus Dani and Nikita – will be performing for the first time.
There is no public vote in Week 1. Instead, the judges will give their scores and the marks will be carried over to Week 2. Fans will then be able to vote for their favourites.
