Dani Dyer, the former Love Island contestant turned podcaster and reality star, said she is looking forward to feeling "a bit sexy" again after signing up for BBC One's Strictly Come Dancing and insisted her husband, West Ham and England striker Jarrod Bowen, has nothing to fear from the programme's notorious reputation. Dyer, 29, said the show gives her an excuse to wear "barely-there" outfits and to show a raunchier side she held back from during her initial TV breakthrough.
Dyer told The Daily Mail that motherhood had taken precedence since she and Bowen married in May and that she is now keen to reclaim a sense of glamour after becoming a mother of three. "I've been a mum, you know what I mean, I've been so deep in motherhood," she said. "My eldest is four now and the sexy thing, I'm like, am I sexy? ... I'm going to push the boundaries."
Dyer, who has a son, Santiago, four, from a previous relationship and one-year-old twins Summer and Star with Bowen, downplayed any suggestion that the show's so-called "Strictly curse" might threaten her marriage. She said Bowen, 28, who she married this spring, is likely to be more uncomfortable being filmed in the audience than worried about on-screen partnerships. "He's such a shy person, Jarrod, so when he gets there and they put the camera on him..." she said. "I am absolutely nervous of course, it's normal to be nervous but it's like channeling your nerves."
The star framed Strictly as one of the biggest projects she has undertaken since appearing on Love Island in 2018, noting the difference between the protected environment of a reality villa and the live immediacy of the dance show. "For me, this is massive and I'm just going to try and pretend it's not live and enjoy it as much as possible," she said. Dyer also acknowledged having some childhood dance experience at a local school but stressed it was limited and that she felt no advantage over professional dancers on the programme.
Her father, actor Danny Dyer, who won his first BAFTA TV Award earlier this year, has already expressed enthusiasm for her participation. Dyer said he has previously attended Strictly to support contestants and is expected to be in the audience this series. "My dad is so excited for me," she said. "He loves the show. He absolutely loved my wedding day so much and watching me dance, he will really enjoy it. He loves to dance himself."
Rugby former England captain Chris Robshaw, 39, is also among the confirmed competitors and offered a similar response when asked about the show's reputation for affecting relationships. Robshaw said trust is fundamental in partnerships on the show and described the dance pairing as akin to a sporting teammate. "You have to fully immerse yourself and try and enjoy it," he said, adding that the live element recreates the competitive "buzz" he missed after retiring from rugby in 2022.
Producers of Strictly have long defended the format against suggestions that close partnerships on the dance floor lead to relationship breakdowns, saying the work is professional and supervised. Contestants routinely describe intense rehearsal schedules and close physical choreography as part of the process required to stage a live performance. Dyer acknowledged the pressure of live television and rehearsals while expressing excitement about the opportunity to perform on a high-profile primetime show.
Dyer's appearance on Strictly comes seven years after her Love Island debut and follows a period in which she consciously moderated a more racy public persona. In recent interviews she has described a change in approach since those early days, saying she plans to make bolder fashion choices on Strictly than she did while in the Love Island villa. Her joining the show adds to a roster of celebrities from sport and entertainment who have signed up for the new series, which continues to draw attention for both its choreography and the personal stories of its participants.
The new series will bring live Saturday broadcasts, audience reactions and the professional dance partnership format that has defined Strictly. Dyer said she intends to channel nerves into performance and to enjoy the process while balancing family life; she expects both Bowen and her father to attend studio shows when schedules allow. Robshaw said he is looking forward to competing and to the live theatrical element that distinguishes Strictly from pre-recorded reality formats.
Both Dyer and Robshaw emphasized trust in their relationships as they enter the competition, and both framed the experience as a professional challenge and a chance to reconnect with performing in front of a live audience. The series' start date and full line-up of celebrities will be confirmed by the BBC ahead of the first live shows.