‘QUALIFIED DANCER’: Strictly 2025 SET-UP controversy as Dani Dyer boast resurfaces

Dani Dyer once boasted she would put ”qualified dancer” under the list of qualifications on her CV – as she gets ready to waltz on to the upcoming series of Strictly.

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The Love Island star, 29, who is the early favourite to win the show, laid bare her experience on the dance floor, admitting she started training aged just two. It’s set to call into question whether she has an unfair advantage over her fellow novice celebrities.

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Last year trained dancer Tasha Ghouri faced a backlash for her training, with some fans branding her inclusion a ‘fix’. It comes as three more celebrities were named for this year’s series, including model Ellie Goldstein.

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The reality star and podcaster spoke of her excitement ahead of the series on The One Show
Writing in her 2019 book, Dani shared how she went to theatre school at weekends from two to 14 and it was there her talent for dancing emerged. “It was called O’Farrell’s Stage School and I was a really good little dancer,” she said. “I’m not a bad singer but it was the dance stuff I loved more – jazz, tap, ballet, modern. I’d get home and prance around the house.”

Elsewhere in the book she writes up a mock CV and under qualifications states: “Qualified dancer and pretty good at singing (especially Dua Lipa or Ariana Grande at the top of her voice while cleaning the kitchen).”

Last year Strictly found itself caught up in a fix row after it signed Love Island’s Tasha, 27, who had dance training. Actress Sarah Hadland and JLS’ JB Gill were also accused of having a head start thanks to their experience. None of them went on to win the show, instead it was won by the first blind contestant Chris McCausland.

Elsewhere in her book she said that she shared her dreams of one day appearing on the BBC show. She gushed: “If Strictly Come Dancing want to give me a call I’d also be happy to be whisked around the dance floor.”

Daughter of actor Danny Dyer, Dani says her dad has been a huge encouragement throughout her life(Image: Instagram/danidyerxx)

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Dani added at the time that “the only thing I’d be worried about would be the curse” as she was with Love Island co-star Jack Fincham at the time.

She also revealed she will have an ally on this year’s show as she bonded with judge Shirley Ballas on a trek for Comic Relief. She said she was “just the most graceful, lovely person”.

Dani’s performing career got off to a tough start, she opens up in her bestselling book What Would Dani Do? My Guide to Living Your Best Life. Aged nine, she auditioned to be one of the dancers in the stage adaptation of Billy Elliot – and was rejected.

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But it was thanks to her dad Danny, 48, who has starred in films The Human Traffic and Football Factory as well as EastEnders and Rivals, who gave her her first break.

“It was so nerve-wracking and when I didn’t get the part I was beside myself,” she wrote. “I cried all the way home. Mum bought me chunky chips and barbecue sauce to cheer me up, and I ate them with a plastic fork out of the container.

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Dani, married to footballer Jarrod Bowen, previously quipped about the Strictly curse when with ex Jack Fincham(Image: Jed Cullen/Dave Benett/Getty Images)
“Neither she nor my dad wanted me going for auditions for a few years after that. Dad clearly saw something in me though, because a few years later he asked me to play a part in a film he was doing called Vendetta.

“It was a bit random and out of the blue because I was at college (I studied musical theatre for a year but then dropped out) and he rang me up the day before filming to say that the actress who had been due to play the part had pulled out – she was meant to do a scene where she’s dragged out of a car, but she’d found out she was pregnant so now didn’t want to do it.

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“So, Dad said it was mine if I wanted it. ‘Babe, I don’t know if you fancy it but I’ve got this little role at the beginning of my film Vendetta?’ Obviously, I did!”

Dani then went on to win Love Island in 2018 with Jack Fincham. They split six months later. In May Dani married West Ham footballer Jarrod Bowen, 28, in a lavish ceremony. The pair have twins Summer and Sky, two. Dani has son Santiago, four, from a previous relationship.

Dani is the 4/1 favourite to lift the Glitterball Trophy of the nine celebrities to be announced. YouTuber George Clarke is the second-favourite at 6/1.

Cal Gildart of Ladbrokes said: “Dani Dyer is the current pick of this year’s Strictly pack, but with contestants still to be announced, we could soon see someone waltz past her to the head of the betting.”