Dani Dyer has told fans her husband, West Ham and England striker Jarrod Bowen, "has nothing to fear" over the so-called "Strictly curse" as she prepares to appear on BBC One's Strictly Come Dancing.
The 29-year-old reality star said she is using the show as an opportunity to reclaim a feeling of sexiness after becoming a mother of three, and that she plans to "push the boundaries" with her costumes. Dyer, who first rose to public attention on Love Island in 2018, said motherhood had left her questioning her own sense of glamour but that Strictly feels like the right platform to change that.
Dyer, who married Bowen in May, said her husband will likely be more nervous about being filmed in the audience than about any risk to their marriage. The couple have been married around three-and-a-half months, she said. Dyer is mother to son Santiago, four, from a previous relationship with Sammy Kimmence, and one-year-old twins Summer and Star with Bowen.
"I can't wait to feel a bit sexy! I've been a mum, you know what I mean, I've been so deep in motherhood, my eldest is four now and the sexy thing, I'm like, am I sexy?" she told The Daily Mail. She added that, looking back at her time on Love Island, she regretted not being bolder with her wardrobe choices and intends to wear more revealing outfits on Strictly.
Dyer said the show represents one of the biggest television projects she has undertaken since Love Island. She acknowledged nerves but said she planned to "channel" them and to treat the live broadcasts as if they were not live in order to enjoy the experience. She noted some early dance training as a child but stressed it was limited: "I was little when I did dancing... the only thing I remembered during rehearsals was the step ball change."
Her father, actor Danny Dyer, who won a BAFTA TV Award earlier this year, is expected to attend and has backed his daughter's decision to compete. Dyer said her father was "over the moon" and hopeful that seeing her perform might encourage him to show off his own moves.
Rugby veteran Chris Robshaw, another celebrity contestant on this series, also dismissed concerns about the show's reputation for sparking off-screen relationships. The former England captain, 39, who retired from professional rugby in 2022 and is married to opera singer Camilla Kerslake, said trust in existing relationships was essential and compared dance partners to teammates. Robshaw said the live element of Strictly provides a competitive "buzz" similar to that of professional sport.
Strictly Come Dancing has in recent years generated media attention over relationships that formed off-camera, often referred to in popular coverage as a "curse." Contestants and their partners routinely stress the professional nature of rehearsals and the need for trust with existing partners.
Dyer's participation follows her continued presence in British entertainment since appearing on Love Island, and comes at a moment when she is navigating public life alongside family commitments and a high-profile marriage. She said she hopes to balance those pressures while enjoying the chance to perform and to reveal a "hidden, raunchier side" to viewers.
The series is due to return to BBC One this autumn with a mix of returning fans and new celebrity contestants. Dyer and Robshaw are among those who will compete live, rehearsing with professional partners in the weeks ahead.