BBC Strictly star Nikita Kuzmin dealt crushing blow ahead of first live show

Strictly professional dancer Nikita Kuzmin has been dealt a crushing blow just hours before tonight's first live show. It comes after his celebrity partner Dani Dyner announced she had to withdraw from the competition after sustaining a painful injury during rehearsals with the 27-year-old dancer.

Yesterday, her replacement was confirmed as former Love Islander Amber Davies, who has been performing in the West End for several years. Ahead of the pairing changes, the bookies thought Nikita looked poised to take home the Glitterball Trophy with Dani, 29, but they say he looks set for a tougher competition ahead with Amber.

Speaking on behalf of Online Casino provider Slingo, a spokesperson said: "The announcement of Amber Davies stepping in to replace Dani Dyer has caused a major shake-up in the betting markets, with Amber quickly emerging as a strong contender.

"Now priced at 5/1 to win, she sits just behind frontrunner Lewis Cope at 7/4, and fan favourites Vicky Pattison at 2/1 and George Clarke at 9/2.

"It's a blow for pro Nikita, who looked poised to finally secure his first-ever Glitterball trophy alongside Dani. Partnered with Amber, the odds suggest the road ahead may be more competitive, but her profile brings a different kind of advantage."

They continued: "Since her Love Island win, Amber has built a fiercely loyal online fanbase of millions on Instagram, and that loyalty will be put to the test throughout the series."

The spokesperson added that if Amber's fans rally behind her, it could spell trouble for rivals such as George Clark, whose following is only a fraction of hers.

The current frontrunner to win this year's series is Emmerdale actor Lewis Cope who played Nicky Milligan in the ITV serial drama. However, it's recently come to light how he was a finalist on a Sky One dancing competition series in 2013 which was hosted by Davina McCall.

Other fan favourites include Geordie Shore star Vicky Pattison and YouTuber George Clarke.

Following the news he was joining the show, George shared: "Never thought I'd say this... but I'm doing Strictly! Honestly, I've got no idea what I'm doing but I'm excited to get stuck in... and potentially fall over a fair bit."

Strictly Come Dancing airs tonight at 6.55pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.