Dani Dyer’s Strictly replacement ‘revealed’ as BBC star – and she’s been on show before

Dani Dyer ‘s replacement on Strictly Come Dancing may have been decided already. Dyer announced on Tuesday that she had been forced to withdraw from the BBC show, after suffering a horror injury.

Dyer told her fans that she had fractured her ankle during rehearsals and had to withdraw on medical grounds, leaving her “heartbroken”. Dani, 29, was set to dance with professional star Nikita Kuzmin on the programme, which will air its first live show this weekend.

However, it looks like Waterloo Road Tillie Amartey is reportedly already in talks to join the programme.

The actress, 22, who appeared on the Strictly 2023 Christmas special, is said to have been making trips from her home in Leeds to London to meet with executives.

She previously told Express.co.uk that she was “desperate” to appear on Strictly after getting an impressive 39/40 on the show, saying she “needs to get the full marks” and would jump at the chance to make a full debut, joking for people to “start a petition”.

Tillie added: “Strictly gave me a new confidence, Neil supported me through it all, it was the best experience. I would love to do it again with him, just for the moral support as he was so great with me.

“People say a lot about Strictly with scandals and chaperones, but come back and talk to me when I’ve done a series. It was such a whirlwind and a once in a lifetime opportunity, but I would love to top the last time.”

A source told The Sun: “The feeling is that if she is filling the shoes vacated by Dani, the programme needs another young, glam woman to take her spot.

“There is already an imbalance in the genders among the celebrities as there are nine men taking part and six women. It’s essential the number of females taking part doesn’t drop further, and they want to try and maintain a similar balance in terms of the variety of ages too”, reports the Mirror.

Tillie, the niece of Spice Girls star Melanie Brown MBE, first appeared on CBBC’s 4 O’Clock Club back in 2016. Following her stint on the programme, Tillie has subsequently featured in the likes of Doctors, The Teacher and Moving On.

However, Tillie is most recognised for portraying determined Stacey Neville on the BBC revival of Waterloo Road, which she joined in 2024. It was for this performance that she secured Best Breakthrough at the I Talk Telly Awards.

When contacted regarding Tillie’s potential involvement in the programme, a BBC Spokesperson stated: “We don’t comment on speculation.”

After the announcement, Sarah James, Executive Producer, BBC Studios, commented: “Dani has brought so much passion, joy and enthusiasm to Strictly, and her partnership with Nikita was off to the most sensational start.

“Everyone on the show is incredibly sad that she’s no longer able to compete in this year’s series. We send her all our love and best wishes for a swift recovery, and we very much hope to welcome her back to the ballroom in the future.”