Overview

• Dani Dyer withdrew after an MRI confirmed a fractured ankle, with hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman announcing the change on air minutes into the live show.
• Amber Davies was installed as Dyer’s replacement within days, trained roughly 24–48 hours with Nikita Kuzmin, and delivered a waltz that earned 27 from the judges.
• Karen Carney topped the opening leaderboard with 31 while Ross King finished last on 10, with no eliminations in week one as scores carry into next week.
• The BBC confirmed voting moves to online-only from next week, prompting complaints from some viewers about accessibility and the loss of phone lines.
• Industry sources portrayed the show as strained by recent scandals and warned of licence-fee risks, though others close to production rejected talk of crisis.