Amber Davies steps in as Dani Dyer exits Strictly Come Dancing 2025 with ankle injury

Amber Davies made her Strictly Come Dancing debut on Saturday night, stepping in as Dani Dyer was forced to withdraw from the competition after fracturing her ankle during rehearsals. Davies teams with pro dancer Nikita Kuzmin for the live show, while hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman opened the program by sending their well wishes to Dyer and acknowledging the sudden change in the lineup.

Davies was visibly nervous as she took the floor for her first performance, but her appearance comes amid a media swirl over the turnout of this year’s contestants. The former Love Island winner replaces Dyer who had been billed to compete before her injury was confirmed. In a rare moment of timing that drew notice from viewers, the opening credits appeared to feature Dani while omitting Amber from the title sequence, a miscue that quickly circulated on social media and among press coverage.

Behind Davies’s newly highlighted profile lies a substantial track record on stage. The 28-year-old West End performer has led roles in musicals such as The Great Gatsby and 9 to 5, and has previously worked as a dancer at London venues including Cirque Le Soir. She holds a Diploma in Professional Musical Theatre and Dance and trained at the Urdang Academy, continuing to build a portfolio that includes work on Dancing On Ice in 2024, where she finished fifth with skating partner Simon Proulx-Senecal. Her pre-Strictly background contrasts with the show’s premise of celebrities learning dance from seasoned professionals, and it has fueled conversations about how experience may influence the competition.

The premiere also showcased the competitive mix of the 2025 lineup, with other couples taking to the ballroom in the opening round. England rugby captain Chris Robshaw and Nadiya Bychkova performed a Samba to Unbelievable by EMF, earning 14 points. Actor Alex Kingston and Johannes Radebe delivered the Viennese waltz to Cry Me a River by Michael Bublé and received 21 points. Nitro, real name Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, and Karen Hauer added a twist to their Cha Cha Cha to Push It by Salt-N-Pepa, scoring 19 points. The evening highlighted a blend of dance backgrounds among contestants, from Olympians to television actors, a dynamic that is likely to influence the season’s pacing and scoring as the series continues.

The show’s transition was not without controversy. A source told The Sun that inside the production circles, there was chatter about the increased presence of seasoned dancers in the lineup and concerns that two such contestants being finalists could be perceived as unfair. BBC Studios, however, pushed back on the claim, saying there was no evidence to support the anonymous quotation attributed to someone connected with the series. The network’s behavior and responses were part of the broader conversation about fairness and competitive balance amid a cast with varied dance pedigrees.

Dyer’s injury prompted an official statement in which she explained that she fell during rehearsals, rolled her foot, and subsequently fractured her ankle. She said the doctors advised against dancing on a fracture and that she was heartbroken to miss the chance to compete with Nikita Kuzmin. BBC Studios paid tribute to Dyer’s spirit and energy, expressing optimism that she might return to the dance floor in the future, while the brandically theatrical nature of Strictly continues with Davies stepping in to carry the early rounds.

The wider Strictly Come Dancing 2025 lineup includes a mix of athletes, actors, and media personalities, many with prior dance experience. Among them are Balvinder Sopal from EastEnders, La Voix, Thomas Skinner, Vicky Pattison, Karen Carney, George Clark, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Ellie Goldstein, Chris Robshaw, Stefan Dennis, Ross King, Lewis Cope, and Amber Davies. Each contestant has spoken about the challenge and excitement of joining a national entertainment staple, with several highlighting the opportunity to bring energy, resilience, and a sense of sport to a ballroom setting. Davies’s addition adds a new dynamic to the cast as the show progresses, potentially shifting early narratives and fan expectations for the season.

As the competition unfolds, viewers will watch how Davies balances the demands of a high-pressure live format with the experience she has accrued on stage and screen. Her collaboration with Kuzmin will be a focal point in the coming weeks, particularly as audiences gauge how quickly she adapts to Strictly’s tempo and technical demands. The production team will likely monitor audience reception and judge feedback as they move through the season, a process that often influences commentary, storyline arcs, and the overall narrative surrounding the contestants.

Overall, this week’s episode underscored the show’s evolving dynamics and the tensions between star power and athletic polish. Davies’s debut marks a notable moment in Strictly Come Dancing’s storied history, illustrating how the program negotiates last-minute changes while continuing to deliver polished performances, high-stakes competition, and a spectacle that has kept audiences engaged for more than two decades.