Amber Davies has hit back at claims that she used Love Island to further her stage career, insisting she joined the show because she couldn't find a job. The 29-year-old actress won the ITV2 reality dating show in 2017 alongside then-boyfriend Kem Cetinay.
Before her rise to fame, Davies trained in musical theatre at the Urdang Academy in London and openly spoke of her desire to make it to the West End while on the show. After winning, she was cast in productions including 9 to 5, Bring It On: The Musical, Back to the Future, Pretty Woman: The Musical, and The Great Gatsby, and reached the final of Strictly Come Dancing last year.
Speaking on her Call To Stage podcast, Davies said: 'A lot of people ask me, “Oh, did you do that just to get on the West End?” No, I did it because I couldn’t get a bloody job! I didn’t want to work at a bar and Love Island were giving me a free holiday for six weeks.'
Davies is currently starring as Elle Woods in a UK tour of Legally Blonde: The Musical. The production faced a bumpy start due to cast illnesses, and Davies took time away earlier this year. TikTok star Hannah Lowther temporarily took over the role, sparking rumours of a feud, which both actresses denied.
Davies admitted she was unprepared for the level of online hate she received over her stage work. She said: 'What I wasn't prepared for was the trolling that was going to come with Elle. I've 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.'
