Amber Davies, the former Love Island star and current Strictly Come Dancing finalist, has spoken out against the criticism she has faced during her time on the show. The 29-year-old West End performer, who replaced the injured Dani Dyer, has been subjected to comments about her dance experience and accusations of copying a routine from The Great Gatsby musical.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of the grand finale, Davies said she believes the negativity reflects a broader societal issue. 'I can't believe I have to say this in 2025, but being ambitious as a woman, being confident, having dreams and working hard does not mean you're stuck up,' she told reporters at the BBC's London headquarters.
Davies, who is partnered with professional dancer Nikita Kuzmin, emphasised that she was 'never supposed to be here' and that the abuse has given her a sense of purpose. 'I have a lot of young women who follow me and I didn't know what my purpose was on Strictly until I realised that I was getting a lot of negative comments for being good,' she said.
Fellow finalist Karen Carney, the former footballer, also shared her experience, saying the show has 'fixed' something within her. 'For probably the last five or six years I've been open and honest about how I've been crushed quite a lot in terms of my confidence and I couldn't figure out how to fix that,' the 38-year-old explained. 'I thought if I ever got the opportunity to have the privilege to join it, I felt like it would be the safe environment to fix me and help me again. And it absolutely has for me.'
Social media star George Clarke, who has 2.3 million TikTok followers, described the experience as 'mental' and noted he has gained a new fanbase. 'It's a completely different world to what I'm used to,' he said. The Strictly Come Dancing final airs on BBC One this Saturday.
