Overview

• Hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman addressed Dani Dyer’s injury exit at the top of the programme and sent well wishes on air.
• Amber Davies was confirmed as Dyer’s replacement with Nikita Kuzmin and was scheduled to perform a waltz to Adele in the first live show.
• The judges launched the episode with a pre‑recorded ‘through the decades’ routine, featuring multiple costume changes and ensemble numbers.
• Betting markets were swiftly re‑priced, with several firms listing Davies around 5/1 among early favourites following her late call‑up.
• Reports of cast unhappiness over Davies’ prior dance experience were disputed, with the BBC saying it had seen no evidence to support those claims.