Strictly Come Dancing Odds: Dani Dyer Replacement Amber Davies In Contention
It's been a chaotic week on Strictly Come Dancing, after Dani Dyer became the second celebrity of the series to pull out with injury.
West End star Amber Davies has been confirmed as her replacement, and she is in early outright contention on betting sites.
Despite only being confirmed on Friday, Amber will take to the dancefloor with pro Nikita Kuzmin in Saturday's first live show of the series.
It comes after former Emmerdale star Lewis Cope replaced actor Kristian Nairn in August, after the former Game of Thrones star quit the show due to medical reasons.
Love Islander Swap
In the show's latest move, Strictly has replaced one former Love Island winner with another after drafting in Amber for Dani.
The news hasn't gone down too well with the majority of the Strictly faithful, though.
Not because of Amber's winning stint on the ITV2 dating show - but due to her wealth of past dancing experience, including lead roles in theatre productions Pretty Woman and 9 to 5: The Musical.
She is also no stranger to strutting her stuff on TV, after taking part in Dancing on Ice 2024, on which she finished fifth.
Strictly voters have developed a reputation for preferring to back a contestant with a fairytale journey for the Glitterball Trophy, rather than a trained dancer, even if such stars haven't learned ballroom before.
Last year, former Love Island star and dancer Tasha Ghouri joint-top scored in the final, but she lost out to comedian Chris McCausland, despite scoring 119 out of a possible 120 points available across the finale's three dances.
It was a similar story in 2023 when West End star Layton Williams also made the final, but he was defeated by Coronation Street actress Ellie Leach.
Like Tasha, Layton top-scored in the final - also with 119 points out of 120 - but he was denied Glitterball glory by the viewers.
Strictly Come Dancing 2025 Odds: Series Winner
Bookmakers expect a similar outcome this year, because Amber is in contention on betting apps - but she isn't favourite to win.
She is a best priced 13/2 with BoyleSports for victory, and as short as 11/2 with some UK bookmakers.
But that is some way behind favourite Lewis.
Clarke And Nitro Receive Punters' Boost
While Lewis' price has remained the same this week, despite second favourite Dani exiting the competition before the first live show, punters have piled in on YouTuber George Clarke.
At the beginning of the week, he was a best priced 10/1 with William Hill for Strictly victory, but with Dani gone he is now 6/1 second favourite with the same bookmaker.
Former Geordie Shore star Vicky Pattison has also shortened.
She was 8/1 at the start of the week, but the reality TV star and former I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! winner is into 13/2 with BoyleSports.
But the big money has come for Gladiators star Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, aka Nitro.
He has been the most backed celebrity of the week, following Saturday's launch show.
Nitro was as big as 20/1 with some firms, but he is now into 8/1 with Bet365 and some others, and as short as 5/1 with William Hill.
Elsewhere, Ellie Goldstein is looking increasingly unlikely to strike Strictly gold, if her price increase is anything to go by.
The trailblazing model, actor and influencer - who made history in 2023 as the first model with Down syndrome to grace the cover of British Vogue - is 10/1 with Bet365, from 7/1 at the beginning of the week.
However, she is as short as 7/2 with one bookmaker.
"...the big money has come for Gladiators star Harry Aikines-Aryeetey..."
Thomas' Price Skinnier For Exit
At the other end of the market, journalist Ross King and former England rugby union captain Chris Robshaw are still huge prices to win this year's Glitterball Trophy, at 100/1 and 80/1 respectively.
But one star has drifted more than most.
Former Apprentice contestant Thomas Skinner is out to 50/1 with William Hill, and his price to be the first celebrity eliminated from the programme has been cut.
Strictly Come Dancing 2025 Odds: First Elimination
Contestant | Odds | Bookmaker |
Ross King | 11/4 | |
Chris Robshaw | 4/1 | |
Thomas Skinner | 5/1 | |
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink | 6/1 | |
Stefan Dennis | 7/1 | |
La Voix | 12/1 | |
Balvinder Sopal | 20/1 | |
Alex Kingston | 20/1 | |
Karen Carney | 33/1 | |
Harry Aikines-Aryeetey | 50/1 | |
George Clarke | 66/1 | |
Vicky Pattison | 80/1 | |
Ellie Goldstein | 100/1 | |
Lewis Cope | 100/1 |
(Odds correct at time of publication - 4pm 26/9/25)
He is 5/1 with Coral, from a best price of 8/1 with Bet365 earlier in the week, when it was advised here that the 8/1 odds on him being eliminated first looked far too big.
However, Thomas and co will definitely make it through this weekend - because there is no elimination in the first week of live performances.
That may also be welcome news for the likes of former Chelsea footballer Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Neighbours actor Stefan Dennis, who are 6/1 and 7/1 respectively to be booted off the dancefloor first.
* Reminder: Some of these are hypothetical odds provided by industry experts.
Who do you think is first for the chop on Strictly Come Dancing? And who looks a likely winner in the first couple of weeks? Let us know by posting your comments below!
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