Amber Davies joins Strictly Come Dancing as Dani Dyer replacement
West End star steps in after Dani Dyer’s ankle injury; Amber Davies begins rehearsals with Nikita Kuzmin.
Amber Davies has joined this year's Strictly Come Dancing, replacing Dani Dyer after she fractured her ankle during a rehearsal and was forced to withdraw from the competition.
Davies, 28, from Denbigh in Wales, first gained prominence on Love Island in 2017. Since then she has built a stage career, making her West End debut in 9 To 5: The Musical and going on to appear in Bring It On, Back To The Future and The Great Gatsby. She also appeared on Dancing On Ice, finishing in fifth place. Davies has been cast in the 2026 UK tour of Legally Blonde as Elle Woods, continuing her transition from reality TV to professional theatre.
On joining Strictly, Davies said it has been the craziest 24 hours of her life and that she has watched the show with her family since she was young. She added that she would give the competition her all and sent best wishes to Dani Dyer as she recovers.
Davies has begun rehearsals with her professional partner Nikita Kuzmin and is scheduled to perform a Waltz on Saturday night. Dani Dyer’s departure from the lineup was confirmed by BBC Studios, which said the door would be left open for her to return next year if circumstances allow. Executive Producer Sarah James paid tribute to Dyer, saying she brought passion, joy and enthusiasm to Strictly and that the team was saddened by the injury, while expressing optimism about a possible future return.
The announcement comes as the show continues to fill out its 2025 lineup, which features a diverse mix of athletes, actors and entertainers. Kristian Nairn, known for his work on Game of Thrones, had withdrawn from the lineup earlier for medical reasons, underscoring the physical demands of the competition. For Davies, the move marks a high-profile return to prime-time family entertainment after a string of stage roles, including recent stage work in The Great Gatsby and the forthcoming Legally Blonde tour.
Ultimately, Davies’s emergence on Strictly reflects her evolving career path from early reality-TV notoriety toward a sustained, family-friendly performance presence on stage and screen. The audience will now watch to see how she translates her stage craft to a ballroom setting, alongside the rest of this year's contenders, as the season progresses.