Amber Davies Breaks Down Recalling 'Annihilating' Strictly Come Dancing Ordeal

Amber Davies Breaks Down Recalling 'Annihilating' Strictly Come Dancing Ordeal

Amber Davies, the former Love Island winner, broke down in tears as she vividly recalled the harrowing experience she endured during her time on Strictly Come Dancing last year. The 29-year-old actress, who rose to fame after winning the reality TV show in 2017, reached the final of the BBC's beloved Saturday night programme but faced a torrent of criticism from viewers, largely due to her extensive background in West End theatre.

From Love Island to the West End Stage

Davies leveraged her instant fame from Love Island to build a successful career on stage, training at the prestigious Urdang Academy in London. She has starred in notable productions such as Dolly Parton's 9 to 5: The Musical and The Great Gatsby, and is currently portraying the lead role of Elle Woods in a national tour of Legally Blonde: The Musical. However, before taking on this part, she was thrust into the spotlight as a last-minute replacement for fellow Love Island winner Dani Dyer on Strictly Come Dancing, after Dyer sustained an injury.

Reflecting on the opportunity, Davies said, "How on earth was I supposed to know that Strictly were going to call? And obviously that isn't an opportunity I can turn down. And I think I underestimated how much Strictly was going to annihilate me and chew me up." She became even more emotional during an episode of her Call to Stage podcast, adding, "Like, yes, it was the best thing I've ever done. I would do it a million times again. I loved it with all my heart, even all the s****y trolls, but I flatlined after Strictly."

—

The Toll of Online Bullying and Criticism

Davies described the immense physical and emotional strain of the competition, noting that clips from the semi-finals and final show her visibly drained. "It was the hardest thing I've ever done. And like physically, emotionally, I couldn't have given any more. By the end, I wasn't me," she confessed. Despite her team preparing her for potential trolling, the severity of the online abuse caught her off guard. "Sometimes the opinions aren't trolling but the opinions are mean, so it counts as trolling. I think sometimes when people leave mean comments, they forget that they are talking about an actual human being who is just working hard," she stated.

Challenges in the Theatre World

After Strictly, Davies immediately began rehearsals for Legally Blonde, but had to take time off after just four weeks due to a chest infection. During her absence, TikTok star Hannah Lowther stepped into the role, sparking rumours of a backstage feud, which both actresses denied. However, comparisons and trolling on social media, particularly within the "TheatreTok" community, intensified, shocking Davies. "What I wasn't prepared for was the trolling that was going to come with Elle. I have been in this industry, I've done lots of jobs and I've never experienced trolling within the musical theatre industry as much as I have during this time," she revealed.

Davies emphasised the importance of respecting performers, saying, "I want to be really clear that I know how disappointing it can be when your favourite musical theatre performer doesn't book the role that you want them to book but it's super important that people don't go and attack the person who is playing the role. Everybody has worked so hard to get where they are in their career."

Dealing with Anxiety and Malice

In a special solo episode of her podcast, Davies addressed her personal ordeal, speaking candidly about how the "real malice" and nasty comments affected her mental health. "Elle Woods has always been a dream of mine and now I'm achieving it and it feels like the most wonderful thing in the world but it has been hard. For me, I wasn't a massive TikTok person. I've been introduced to the world of TheatreTok and if you're on the wrong side of that it can be really, really difficult," she explained.

She described how the online abuse led to severe anxiety, making it difficult to perform. "I feel like I didn't expect to be playing Elle and living my best life with this heaviness behind me of real malice and nasty comments, personal comments, DMs being sent to me. When it started happening, my anxiety was really bad, I was going on stage and felt like I had an elephant sitting on my chest. I was so scared to open any type of social media app," she added. Davies concluded that coping with this negativity is a challenge she must face throughout the year, acknowledging that while it's a worst-case scenario, she has to persevere.