Overview

• Dani Dyer confirmed a fractured ankle in rehearsals and withdrew, with the BBC expressing hopes to welcome her back in a future series.
• Amber Davies joined with less than two days’ notice and opened with a waltz scored at 27, with Anton Du Beke awarding a six while the other judges gave sevens.
• The BBC says the current Strictly team has no record of Davies being rejected in the past, and Davies told fans she had never met with the show before.
• Coverage shows sharply split public reaction and tabloid claims of backstage frustration, which remain anonymously sourced and unverified.
• On It Takes Two, Nikita Kuzmin said Dyer urged him to enjoy the new partnership, while Davies described the rapid “crash course,” noted no prior ballroom or Latin training, and said they are preparing a samba next.