Strictly Come Dancing star Amber Davies shares she’s taking nothing for granted after backlash over her previous dance background.
LONDON, UK—West End performer and Strictly Come Dancing contestant, Amber Davies, has reportedly embraced a resilient new mindset after narrowly avoiding elimination in a shock dance-off just before the highly anticipated Halloween week.
Sources close to the 29-year-old and her professional partner, Nikita Kuzmin, indicate that the emotional weekend has prompted the star to view every forthcoming routine as a cherished bonus amid ongoing public scrutiny over her extensive dance training.
Davies, who was a last-minute replacement for an injured Dani Dyer in the 2025 series, found herself in the bottom two despite judges awarding her a high score, landing her joint second on the leaderboard for her latest performance.
It was only after viewer votes were combined that she faced a sudden survival battle against former footballer Jimmy Floyd-Hasselbaink, whom the judges unanimously chose to save her over.
The surprising result has intensely highlighted the continuous debate among Strictly viewers regarding contestants with professional dance backgrounds. Critics often argue that stars like Davies, who trained at the Urdang Academy and has carved out a successful career in London’s West End in shows such as 9 to 5: The Musical and Pretty Woman, possess an unfair advantage over their untrained celebrity counterparts.
However, sources contend that the dance-off result proves the audience’s vote overrides the judges’ scores, leveling the playing field regardless of prior experience.
“The bottom two result has genuinely given her a fresh start,” an insider commented. “Throughout there has been all of this noise about her dance training giving her an advantage, but its not helped her here, and it just goes to show no one is safe. The public vote is king.”
For Davies, the mental toll of the criticism and the uncertainty of the dance-off has prompted a significant emotional shift. Speaking out on the subject, she acknowledged the pressure the competition places on a contestant’s mental fortitude.
“Strictly is very character building. I have a lot more mental strength than I realised,” she admitted, revealing a pragmatic approach for the coming weeks. “After this situation, for my mental health, I am not going to think that far forward. I can’t face another bottom two.”
Her inner circle confirms this renewed focus on enjoying the journey, rather than dwelling on the scores or the public’s perception of her history.
“She’s genuinely loving the opportunity even if she can’t do anything to change the viewers’ mind about her background,” the source added. “What she can do, though, is enjoy every minute and treat every week as if it’s the last. She’s trying to remember that every week is a bonus, as she wasn’t even meant to be on the series.”
Davies is not the only contestant this year to have faced this scrutiny; other celebrities, including soap star Lewis Cope and drag performer La Voix, have also had their backgrounds debated.
Now safely through to the beloved Halloween-themed week, Amber and Nikita Kuzmin will need to rely heavily on audience support to ensure a high-scoring routine translates into enough votes to stay out of the dangerous bottom two.
The experience of the dance-off, where her fate was briefly out of her hands, serves as a stark reminder that high technical ability alone is not enough to secure the coveted Glitterball Trophy on the BBC’s flagship Saturday night show.
The West End star’s ability to maintain her composure and connect with viewers during this high-pressure phase will be critical, as she aims to turn the ‘trained dancer’ narrative into a showcase of hard work and passion for ballroom and Latin, which she insists is a distinct discipline from her musical theatre roots.