Jarrod Bowen's alternative marriage offer and saucy chant about Dani Dyer

· Mirror

West Ham legend Jarrod Bowen had an unusual marriage request shortly before tying the knot with Strictly Come Dancing star Dani Dyer

West Ham hero Jarrod Bowen actually had a wildly different proposal before marrying Dani Dyer in 2025. Reality TV star Dyer, 30, is back on screens on Saturday for Strictly Come Dancing.

The daughter of acting icon Danny Dyer shot to fame after winning Love Island in 2018. Fast forward three years, and she met Hammers striker Bowen, 29, in 2021.

Danny was clearly ecstatic at his daughter's choice of partner, being a West Ham fanatic. When the duo announced their engagement in 2024, after having twin daughters Star and Summer a year earlier, The Football Factory star jokingly claimed that Bowen should be marrying him instead.

Ahead of the pair's nuptials, he told Closer:

> "I think I'm in love with him. He plays for West Ham and he's unbelievable, this guy. He comes in my house, I take his shoes off for him and I give him the remote control, and I say, ‘Mate, this is your house now.’ He's an incredible person.

> "I can't wait to give Dani away, but I still think that he's marrying the wrong Danny Dyer. Honestly, I feel sorry for my other daughter, who's nearly 18, because she could never bring home a man to match what Jarrod’s done for me.

> "She could bring home a heart surgeon or somebody who cures cancer and I’ll go, ‘Well, really? Jarrod's got the winning goal in a European final.’ I couldn't have written a better script. He's just such a beautiful man."

Danny's love for Bowen is shared by the Irons' faithful. Sections of the crowd often serenade the forward to the explicit chant: "Bowen's on fire, and he's s\\\g Dani Dyer" - to the tune of dance hit Freed from Desire.

Danny himself slightly restructured the song to make it more family-friendly during his father-of-the-bride speech at his daughter's wedding. On videos shared on social media, he could be heard urging guests to sing "Bowen's On Fire – and he's married Dani Dyer."

After Bowen scored the late winner in West Ham's heroic 2-1 Europa Conference League final victory against Fiorentina in 2023, supporters once again sang the song. This time, Bowen was filmed jumping up and down to the chant.

Despite West Ham's relegation from the Premier League last season, Bowen signed a new deal with the East London club. He's started the Championship season in fine form, too.

Yet Saturday night will see Dani take the stage after her stint on the BBC ballroom show was cut short last year due to injury. Such was its severity that she was ruled out of the show before the live shows even began.

Dani is now being given a second shot at being part of the BBC One dance show. She said:

> "If I'm really honest, my biggest fear is getting injured again. I'm going to do everything I can to look after myself, stay positive and just enjoy every moment of the experience."

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