Strictly's Amber Davies defends West End dance past - 'I am a beginner'

Strictly quick-stepped into a fix row when it replaced crocked Dani Dyer with musicals star Amber Davies. But Amber insists that despite her experience, she’s a novice when it comes to waltzing around a dance floor.

“I feel like I know they will be like, ‘She’s trained’,” she said, pre-empting complaints she has an unfair advantage. “Yes, I did train in musical theatre, however, I am a beginner when it comes to ballroom Latin dancing. So I feel like I will be starting from scratch. I mean, I’ll give it my all." She pleaded: "Please vote for me. Please, I beg."

The Love Island star and theatre actress stepped in when Dani was forced off due to a fractured ankle she suffered during rehearsals.She's faced accusations of being streets ahead of her fellow celebs thanks to her dance experience. It comes after Camilla Kerslake, wife of rugby player Chris Robshaw, hit out at the calibre of celebs this year.

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This week it was reported that West End star Amber had previously met with BBC bosses for Strictly but was told she had too much dancing experience. The performing arts college graduate, who has a professional diploma in musical theatre, was drafted in to replace Dani at the last minute and danced with professional Nikita Kuzmin at the weekend.

Speaking on her Call To Stage podcast, Amber recalled the late phone call from her agent about her joining the show. She said: “It’s 9.30, I see him pop up on my phone and I’m like, ‘What the hell is going on?’ And he’s like, ‘Hi, Amber, are you available for a meeting tomorrow at 10 in the morning?’ He said to potentially replace Dani Dyer on Strictly. I said, excuse me? I said, pardon? I said, please repeat that.”

Opening up about a recent wobble about turning 30, Amber, 28, said the show has come at the perfect time. “I just feel like this, the whole Strictly thing, like going into my last year of my 20s doing Strictly Come Dancing would be f**king iconic. I had a full on wobble, and I was like, I was just thinking about of all my 20s and like winning Love Island at 20 years old.”

It’s been a wild couple of weeks for Amber, who last week announced she had landed the part of Elle in Legally Blonde The Musical. "I honestly think I have some amazing angels up there who are pulling all the right strings. I've worked my a*** off and I feel like it's like being rewarded in some way, you know?"

Opening up about her Broadway dreams, Amber says she's one step closer to achieving it. "My American Visa, we've got to update them on that. We are in the process of getting me one. I mean, what's really good with that is that I can actually then get myself US representation and maybe my freaking Broadway dreams will come true."

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