Waterloo Road star Tillie Armatey has not ruled out the possibility of replacing Dani Dyer on Strictly Come Dancing after the reality TV star fractured her ankle during rehearsals
Dani Dyer’s exit from Strictly Come Dancing had the entire nation in shock as she had been one of the few tipped to make it all the way to the final. But sadly, after fracturing her ankle during rehearsals, the 29 year old daughter of renowned actor Danny Dyer, was forced to bow out of the competition while focusing on her recovery.
And since news broke of her departure many names have been thrown into the hat as her replacement, namely Waterloo Road star Tillie Armatey.
When approached at a recent fashion event and asked if the rumours had some weight behind them, the 22 year old actress refused to shut down speculation.
And this has left many believing that BBC bosses have been in talks with her to become a late addition. Tillie attended the SHEIN clothing event alongside former Love Island star Shaughna Phillips, Phoebe Tomlinson and Meryl Williams. Other guests included TOWIE’s Ella Rae Wise and Dani Imbert.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Tillie confessed: “It’s all sequins, sparkles and speculation at the moment but the Christmas special was very special for me. I had the best time.”
She added: “I would never say no to strictly. I will 100% clear my diary always, but I’m a great believer in leaving it to the universe and obviously the main priority is Dani having a speedy recovery!”
Tillie reportedly quit her role on the BBC drama, which if true, would leave her open to join Strictly at any given moment.
An insider had told The Sun: “Tillie recently quit her role on Waterloo Road telling pals it was to make way for ‘another big’ project, which could be a game changer for her career. She’s been making several trips from her Leeds home to London for discussions with TV execs in recent weeks. “
They added: “The feeling is that if she is filling the shoes vacated by Dani, the programme needs another young, glam woman to take her spot. There is already an imbalance in the genders among the celebrities as there are nine men taking part and six women.”
The source concluded: ” It’s essential the number of females taking part doesn’t drop further, and they want to try and maintain a similar balance in terms of the variety of ages too.”
However, according to the Daily Mail a decision has not been made over Dani’s position on the show. A source told the publication: “Tillie hasn’t had any contact with Strictly Come Dancing. Bosses still don’t know if they are replacing Dani yet.”
Tillie has played Stacey on the school drama since last year and was part of the line-up in the dancing show’s Christmas special, two years ago.
At the time of the Christmas special, Tilly was partnered with professional dancer Neil Jones and said: “I am feeling really overwhelmed, but so privileged to be part of such an amazing show. “
She added: “You can’t say no to Strictly. I want to prove to myself and other younger people, that you can do anything you put your mind too. Yes I’m an actress and a presenter, but why can’t I dance as well?!”
Addressing the fact she had a glimmer of dancing experience when younger, she continued: “When I was seven, maybe six, I did one dancing competition, because my mum was a dancer, and I did the competition, but then she asked me if I wanted to horse ride, so I took that instead as I didn’t do too well… so I’m going to say no!”
Sadly, Tillie was pipped to the post by former EastEnders actor Jamie Borthwick and his pro dance partner Nancy Xu. In a statement confirming the uncertainty over Dani’s return to the competition, it was made clear that the door had been left open for her.
Dani also addressed her fans by posting a video on social media. In her statement she said: “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.”
She added: “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. To say I’m heartbroken is the biggest understatement. I am so going to miss dancing with Nikita but will of course be watching closely and cheering all the couples on.”
Sarah James, Executive Producer for BBC Studios said: “Dani has brought so much passion, joy and enthusiasm to Strictly, and her partnership with Nikita was off to the most sensational start. Everyone on the show is incredibly sad that she’s no longer able to compete in this year’s series. We send her all our love and best wishes for a swift recovery, and we very much hope to welcome her back to the ballroom in the future.”
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