Amber Davies, a contestant on ‘Strictly Come Dancing,’ has strongly responded to criticism about her previous dance experience, explaining why she believes she deserves to be on the show.
The 29-year-old West End star shared with the Daily Mail before Saturday’s show that she’s worked incredibly hard to become successful in musical theatre, having appeared in popular productions like 9 to 5, Back to the Future, and Legally Blonde.
Amber’s journey to becoming a stage star was challenging. She had to work incredibly hard to get noticed in a very competitive industry, and her success was built on years of dedication and sacrifice from her parents, who came from a working-class background.
In 2017, Amber was the winner of the popular reality TV show, Love Island. It was a huge year for the series, becoming a national sensation and instantly making its stars famous.
Oh my gosh, I’m SO excited! She’s joining Strictly! It’s a bit last minute – she had to step in for Dani Dyer, who unfortunately broke her ankle – but I know she’s going to be amazing. I’m already obsessed and can’t wait to see her dance! I’m just hoping the Strictly audience loves her as much as I do!
Amber is doing well on Strictly, even reaching the top of the leaderboard while dancing with Nikita Kuzmin. However, this week’s routine is particularly challenging, and some late changes have made training quite tense.
Amber explained that she constantly faces the same criticism, and feels her struggles are always open to judgment because she works in musical theatre. She feels like her feelings don’t matter, as people will always have something to say.
I’ve worked incredibly hard to gain respect in the musical theatre industry, and it feels like all that effort is finally starting to pay off.
The musical theatre community is surprisingly tight-knit. If you’re dedicated, reliable, and a supportive colleague, you can quickly gain a good reputation and build a career.
Honestly, being in the public eye since I was little has really changed my perspective. It’s not about pleasing everyone else anymore, it’s all about *my* own happiness and what *I* think of myself. That’s what truly matters now.
Growing up in a working-class family, my parents sacrificed a lot to give my sister and me opportunities like singing and acting lessons. That work ethic is deeply ingrained in me, and I’m driven to always give my best effort. Ultimately, I just want to feel like I’m reaching my full potential.
Amber isn’t the first Strictly contestant with professional dance experience.
Layton Williams, known for his roles in Billy Elliot and Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, was a finalist in 2023. Amber shared that he was the first person to give her advice on ignoring negative comments.
She shared that she received a sweet message from Layton on her first Saturday. He advised her to relax, focus on herself, and fully enjoy the present moment.
I used to constantly search for things, even negative feedback, but I’m trying to break that habit. I’ve been very self-critical, and now I’m focusing on simply being present in the moment.
Everyone has opinions, and that’s just how things are. I’m focusing on making the most of this situation and hoping it will be a good experience. I’ve been working hard and trying to stay focused and not let negativity bother me.
This year, Amber became a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing, joining other celebrities like TV personality Vicky Pattison, YouTuber George Clarke, and former soccer player Karen Carney. She stepped in after Dani suffered a broken ankle and had to leave the competition.
She shared that she and Dani still talk often and that she’ll be rooting for Dani if she decides to come back to the show next year.
Oh my gosh, Amber is just the sweetest! She actually *texted* Dani a couple of times to check on her ankle – can you believe it? She was so worried about rushing things, she wanted to make sure Dani knew she wasn’t being pressured to come back. And the message! She told Dani how incredibly missed she is, not just by me, but by *everyone* in the building. Seriously, everyone is just heartbroken without her. It’s so sweet that Amber cares so much!
I danced the waltz on Saturday hoping to impress her. She’s a wonderful and encouraging person, and she’s getting better. I plan to support her by voting for her when she’s back next year.
Oh my goodness, Strictly! It’s been Amber’s absolute DREAM forever, and honestly, when she got the call, she was totally stunned! She just *had* to say yes, she jumped at the chance – it’s everything she’s ever wanted!
She remembers getting the call from her agent, who warned her to sit down before delivering the news. Just two days later, she found herself in the dance studio, beginning training with professional dancer Nikita.
Amber clarified that reports claiming she was rejected by ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ multiple times aren’t true. She explained she’s never even had a meeting with the show’s representatives.
My agent called and immediately told me to sit down – apparently, my dream of being on Strictly Come Dancing was coming true.
I honestly never expected this! Someone from Strictly called – they’re interested in me potentially taking over from Dani.
I met on Wednesday morning but didn’t receive any updates. Then, on Thursday around 11am, my agent asked me to return to the office for a psychological evaluation. They also want to send you to the Strictly Come Dancing physiotherapist just for a routine check-up.
I found out on Thursday evening at 7pm that I was starting rehearsals the next morning, and I’d be performing the waltz on Saturday. I was so thrilled, I thought I might explode with happiness!
Amber, who has been dating her former Back to the Future co-star, Ben Joyce, explained that unexpectedly joining Strictly Come Dancing has quickly strengthened her connection with her dance partner, Nikita.
Amber shared some advice Nikita gave her before their first live performance: ‘He told me to maintain eye contact the whole time.’ They had only met 24 hours prior.
Everything happened incredibly fast – it felt like we went from strangers to instant partners, needing to trust and connect right away. Luckily, we have a lot in common and hit it off immediately.
Amber is well-known for winning the reality show Love Island with her former partner, Kem Cetinay. Together, they won the £50,000 prize.
Before becoming known through reality television, Amber was a trained musical theatre performer. She earned a full scholarship to and graduated from Urdang, a performing arts university.
She moved to London from North Wales at 16 and balanced a three-year course of study with involvement in amateur theatre, seeking to build her performance experience.
Amber has often talked about how her parents strongly supported her ambitions, and she’s always shown her gratitude by working tirelessly and staying dedicated to her goals.
She’s worked hard and achieved great success! Her career began with a role in the West End production of 9 to 5, created by Dolly Parton, and she’s now appeared in six musicals in total.
Although many past contestants want to leave reality television behind, Amber says she still has good memories of being on the show.
People often ask if I regret being on Love Island, but I always say no. It was honestly the best summer of my life! Not many people can say they *won* Love Island – it’s a really special experience.
Amber shared that she and Nikita have been working incredibly hard preparing for their Argentine Tango on Saturday night – a first for the show – and will be performing to JADE’s song, ‘Angel of My Dreams’.
Up until Thursday, Amber and her partner were still making small changes to their performance, taking out a move Amber thought was too dangerous to perform live.
Honestly, when I first saw the proposed schedule on Monday, I had a little worry that we might be trying to do too much in the time we have. It just felt like a really ambitious plan, and I wondered if it was realistic.
It’s a huge compliment – it means Nikita has faith in my abilities. But when he asked, I honestly worried I couldn’t deliver in just four days.
I wore heels for seven hours on Wednesday because I was worried I wouldn’t be able to put them back on. Then, on Thursday, when we started practicing the main part of the routine, it just wasn’t working – it only succeeded about 20% of the time. It was too risky to continue, and the rehearsal felt really intense.
As someone who’s spent years in the spotlight, I can tell you that Amber really *comes alive* when performing live. She’s also incredibly efficient and totally unfazed by a packed schedule – it actually seems to energize her! It’s wonderful to see someone handle pressure with such grace and actually enjoy the fast pace.
She admitted she actually enjoys feeling pressure, which she finds a bit strange. Her regular job already involves a lot of demands, but she likes that because it motivates her to push herself and accomplish more than she thought possible.
It’s a uniquely intense experience, especially when the weekend arrives so fast. You have to live life at double speed and constantly be open to learning new things.
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2025-10-18 20:07