Last night, Love Island star Dani Dyer made the heartbreaking announcement that she had to withdraw from Strictly Come Dancing due to a fractured ankle.
Fans were left wondering whether BBC bosses would source a replacement for the star, as per normal protocol. Last month, Game of Thrones star Kristian Nairn withdrew from the showjust days after the line-up was announced due to struggling with "a high level of stress and a little bit of grief".
His replacement, Emmerdale star Lewis Cope, was announced shortly after - but it looks like a replacement for Dani may be off the cards. Strictly sources have revealed that any stand-in is ‘very much up in the air' this last minute.
READ MORE: Strictly's Shirley updates on Dani Dyer replacement 'It's a scramble behind the scenes'
READ MORE: Strictly Come Dancing update on Dani Dyer as she's handed a lifeline
"As of this evening, nobody had been confirmed to replace her on the show and producers may not decide to, as any prospective contestant would miss out on a fortnight of training," the Daily Mail reports.
However, they claimed that if a new celebrity was to step into Dani's dancing shoes, they wouldn't wouldn’t appear on this weekend’s show where there is no public vote.
In 2019,when Jamie Laingwas forced to withdraw after sustaining a foot injury during the pre-recorded launch show.
With his withdrawal, the BBC confirmed that he would still be appearing in the pre-recorded launch show but would not be able to participate in the series.
However, as Jamie's withdrawal was weeks before the show went live, he was replaced with Emmerdale star Kelvin Fletcher. If Dani is not replaced, it will be the first time the BBC show hasn't replaced a celebrity who has pulled out before the live shows have started.
Celebrities who withdraw during the live shows aren't usually replaced, although if a professional dancer is forced to withdraw, their celebrity is given a replacement for the rest of the series.
Dani, who had been paired with Celebrity Big Brother star Nikita Kuzmin, sustained the injury on Friday, just one day before the pre recorded launch show aired. After a scan on Monday, doctors confirmed she had a fractured ankle, and was told she wasn't allowed to dance by doctors.
"To say I'm heartbroken is the biggest understatement," the 29-year-old said in a statement. "I had a fall on Friday in rehearsals and landed funny.
"I thought I had rolled my foot but it swelled up badly over the weekend and after an MRI scan yesterday, it turns out I have fractured my ankle.
"Apparently doing the quickstep on a fracture is not advisable (!!) and the doctors have said I am not allowed to dance so l've had to pull out of the show."
She added: "I am so going to miss dancing with Nikita but will of course be watching closely and cheering all the couples on."
Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Threads.
You may also like
Rs 66,500 crore deal for 97 Tejas jets, largest ever, may be inked today
Dozens of Britain's most prized pubs for beer have closed in the past year - see the full list
Princess Kate's pretty pink jumper is now half price in the Boden sale
As the humble fish finger marked its 70th anniversary - Brits still munch through one billion a year
Rotting seagulls in roof and maggots raining down as state of Britain's courts exposed