Danny Dyer’s Adorable Reaction To Daughter Dani’s Strictly Debut Has Fans Melting
Danny Dyer melted Strictly Come Dancing viewers as he proudly watched daughter Dani Dyer finally make her live ballroom debut.
The EastEnders star was in the audience for Saturday night’s opening live show, where Dani performed a Samba with professional partner Nikita Kuzmin.
Dani, who had previously been forced to withdraw from the competition shortly before the launch show after suffering a fractured ankle, finally got her chance to step onto the famous dance floor.
And her dad’s reaction quickly became a talking point of its own.
Danny Gives Dani Standing Ovation
Dani and Nikita performed their Samba to Zara Larsson’s Lush Life in front of the judges and a packed studio audience.
The routine earned an overall score of 22 points.
But cameras also captured Danny watching proudly from the crowd alongside Dani’s sister Sunnie.
As the routine came to an end, Danny rose to his feet and gave his daughter a standing ovation.
Sunnie appeared emotional as she watched, with the family moment quickly attracting attention online.
One viewer wrote on X: “That was a wonderful dance from Dani Dyer. Danny Dyer looks like a proud father…”
Another joked: “Danny Dyer in the audience klaxon!”
A third viewer playfully imagined another familiar face joining him, writing: “Danny Dyer in the audience. Can’t wait for Ray Winston’s joining him. The judges will be terrified! #strictly.”
Dani Finally Gets Her Strictly Moment
The performance marked an emotional return for Dani after injury previously denied her the chance to properly begin her Strictly journey.
She had been due to compete before suffering a fractured ankle shortly before the launch programme was recorded.
This time around, she and Nikita have been determined to reduce the risk of another setback.
The pair have already revealed just how seriously they are taking injury prevention during rehearsals.
“Oh, we are doing a lot of strapping,” Nikita explained.
“We are strapping everything. Absolutely everything.”
Dani added: “I’ve got, like, my tape and everything, haven’t I?”
Nikita then detailed the precautions they have been using.
“We have tape, then we have an ankle brace, then we have a shoe, we do exercises. We are going full out,” he said.
Dani Even Tapes Her Feet Away From Training
The precautions have apparently become part of Dani’s everyday routine as well.
She admitted she recently attended a wedding and still taped her feet because she knew she would be wearing heels.
“Yeah, we really do,” she said of the measures.
“I had a wedding on Saturday and I taped my feet… Yeah, because I had to wear heels and I was like, I’m taping my feet.”
She joked that she may have taken things a little far, adding: “So, yeah, a little bit OTT.”
Family Moment Wins Over Viewers
For Dani, the opening show represented a chance to finally experience the moment she had missed after her previous injury.
For Danny, it was clearly a proud family occasion.
His standing ovation and delighted reaction showed just how much the performance meant to him, while Sunnie’s tears added another emotional layer to the night.
Dani still has plenty of work ahead as the competition continues, but her first live routine ensured her comeback began on a memorable note.
And while she and Nikita were the ones performing on the dance floor, Danny’s beaming reaction from the audience proved almost as popular with viewers.
