Dani Dyer Joins Strictly Come Dancing Lineup After Previous Withdrawal

Dani Dyer has joined the line-up for Strictly Come Dancing, a year after she was forced to withdraw from the BBC show when she broke her ankle.

The media personality and daughter of actor Danny Dyer appeared in the launch episode last year, but was then injured in training and pulled out before the competition began.

That incident has not put her off trying again. "I am so excited to be back in the ballroom this September!" she said in a statement.

"I just cannot wait to get my dancing shoes back on and hopefully this time around I can actually make it to week one! I'm just over the moon and cannot wait to find out who else is doing it!"

The 29-year-old, who first found fame on Love Island in 2018, fractured her ankle when she "landed funny" in rehearsals with dance partner Nikita Kuzmin before the competitive episodes began last September.

She was replaced by actress Amber Davies, another former Love Island winner, who went on to reach the Strictly final.

After recovering, Dyer went on to be joint winner of Channel 4's Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, and appeared with her dad in TV show The Dyers' Caravan Park.

She has 3.7 million Instagram followers and is married to West Ham striker Jarrod Bowen.

"Welcome back @danidyerxx," posted head judge Shirley Ballas on Instagram.

Comedian Josh Widdicombe, part of the show's new hosting trio, wrote: "YES DANI!!!!"

Widdicombe will present the new series alongside Emma Willis and Johannes Radebe, following the departures of Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.

Dyer is the second celebrity to be announced for the 24th series of Strictly, which is expected to begin in September.

EastEnders actress Lacey Turner was the first on Wednesday. She said she was "so excited to being making my way to the dance floor", adding that she was a "huge fan" of the show.

Turner is best known for her role as Stacey Slater on the BBC One soap, which she joined in 2004.

She has won a British Soap Award and National Television Award for her role, and has also starred in TV dramas including the BBC's Our Girl.

In a video posted on Instagram, Turner said she was "so excited and so terrified at the same time" to be taking part in the show.

"But I've had so many friends do Strictly, and I thought it was about time that I pluck up the courage and made my way on to the dance floor."

Shirley Ballas 'wowed' by line-up

The first line-up announcements have come significantly earlier than usual - the BBC usually confirms the line-up in August.

Speaking to ITV's Good Morning Britain on Wednesday, Ballas said: "There are going to be some people on there that will make you go 'wow'."

Asked about the new presenting trio, Ballas said she was "very excited to see what they bring" to the show.

"I know they took lots of chemistry tests, as did everybody, and those chemistry tests have brought those three people together, and I believe it's absolutely unbelievable,"

Ballas described the number of new elements on this year's show as "quite extraordinary", but added that it will still feel familiar to viewers.

"There are new dancers, new presenters, I heard a lot that there was supposed to be a new set, but don't believe everything you read,"

"I don't think they'll change the show too much, maybe tweaks here and there, but no major changes."