Dani Dyer is making her Strictly comeback.
The TV star has been confirmed as the second celeb to take part in the 2026 series of Strictly Come Dancing one year after she was forced to quit the 2025 run after fracturing her ankle during rehearsals.
Dani said on Thursday: ‘I am so excited to be back in the ballroom this September!’
‘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!’
Upon her exit last year, BBC bosses confirmed the door would be left open for ‘heartbroken’ Dani to return for the 2026 series as they said they ‘hope to welcome her back to the ballroom in the future’.
Dani was the second star to pull out of last year’s series before the first live show has even aired, as Game Of Thrones star Kristian Nairn withdrew from the lineup due to ‘unexpected medical reasons.’
Dani Dyer is making her Strictly comeback, after having to quit the show last year due to an injury. The TV star has been confirmed as the second celeb to take part in the 2026 series
Dani was devastated at having to quit, saying at the time: ‘To say I’m heartbroken is the biggest understatement… Apparently doing the quickstep on a fracture is not advisable.’
She was paired with Nikita Kuzmin who is one of the professional dancers confirmed to be returning to the show for 2026.
This year has already seen Dani win Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, as well as co-star alongside her father in the hit series The Dyers Caravan Park.
Dani won Love Island in 2018 and has since amassed 3.7 million social media followers. She married footballer Jarrod Bowen, who plays for West Ham, in May last year.
On Wednesday Lacey Turner was confirmed as the first 2026 contestant.
The EastEnders star, 38, is currently on an extended break from playing her iconic character Stacey Slater in the soap and is keen to use her time to train for the BBC competition, which will start in September.
The news was officially revealed on Wednesday on Instagram, which is early for the BBC show, but producers have teased that more stars will be announced over the summer.
In a video shared to Instagram, Lacey admitted she is ‘terrified’ to be taking part in the BBC show, which will return to screens in September, and can’t wait to ‘learn a new skill’.
She said: ‘Hello it’s Lacey Turner I can’t quite believe that I’m actually saying this but I want to let you in on a little secret.
‘This September I will be taking my little toes onto the dancefloor to do Strictly Come Dancing.
‘I can’t believe it. I’m so excited and terrified at the same time but I’ve had so many friends do Strictly and I thought it was about time that I plunked up the courage and made my way onto that dance floor.
‘So, there you go the secret is out, see you there in September.’
Lacey also shared an official statement with Strictly adding: ‘I am so excited to be making my way to the dance floor this year to be a part of Strictly Come Dancing!
‘I am a huge fan and can’t quite believe I will be taking part and not watching at home this year! I look forward to meeting everyone and learning a new skill!’
Back in 2017, Lacey revealed she had turned down an offer from Strictly and admitted she didn’t ‘have the guts’ to do it.
The new series will return in September with a number of huge changes as part of the competitions re-vamp.
Emma Willis, 50, Johannes Radebe, 39 and Josh Widdicombe, 43, are taking taking over the dance programme following hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman quitting.
The popular duo fronted Strictly together since 2014 and speculation was rife as to who would land the coveted roles.
It comes as Janette Manrara confirmed her exit from Strictly Come Dancing and spin-off It Takes Two as she revealed the BBC show has ‘changed hugely’.
The TV star, who was a professional dancer on the BBC series from 2013 to 2020, has hosted the spin-off show It Takes Two alongside Fleur East since 2021.
Several of the well-known professional dancers have also been axed, including Luba Mushtuk, Gorka Marquez, Karen Hauer, Nadiya Bychkova and Michelle Tsiakkas.
