Amber Davies to join Strictly Come Dancing as Dani Dyer replacement after ankle injury

Amber Davies will appear on Strictly Come Dancing tonight, stepping in to replace Dani Dyer after Dyer fractured her ankle in rehearsals. Davies, 28, who won Love Island in 2017, will have had just one day of training with professional Nikita Kuzmin before going live.

Dyer, 29 and a mother of three, had been expected to go far in the competition, but the heartbroken star announced her departure on Tuesday after an MRI scan. Bosses had hoped she would make a deep run, but the injury forced a change in casting just days before the first live show.

Davies’ background spans West End stardom and reality TV. The Welsh performer, 28, won Love Island in 2017 and has since landed lead roles in musicals including Pretty Woman, Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5, and The Great Gatsby. She trained at the Urdang Academy in London, graduating in 2016, and earlier in her career performed as a dancer at Cirque Le Soir and sang backing vocals for The X Factor. She also competed on ITV's Dancing On Ice last year, finishing in fourth place, and later took on a string of West End parts, including a stint opposite Olympian Louis Smith in Bring It On. Her next role is set to be the lead in Legally Blonde, according to theatre announcements, underscoring the breadth of her stage experience.

On social media, Davies described the decision to join Strictly as 'the craziest 24 hours of my life' and said she has watched the show with her family since she was young, calling participating a dream come true. 'I'm going to give it my all and I am sending Dani well wishes for a speedy recovery. I hope I do her proud,' she wrote, and shared a photo from a rehearsal with Kuzmin as they worked on a waltz.

Industry observers noted that Davies’ late entry could bolster her prospects. Bookies quickly installed her among the favorites to win, citing her level of training and recent stage experience as potential advantages even with limited prep for the live rounds. The live show schedule remains intact, with Davies set to perform alongside Kuzmin in a program that will be watched by fans of Love Island and Strictly alike.