Amber Davies, the former Strictly Come Dancing star, has pulled out of the Legally Blonde musical due to illness, leading to the cancellation of a matinee performance at Milton Keynes Theatre. The 29-year-old, who plays the lead role of Elle Woods, announced on Instagram that she would be taking time off after struggling with a lingering illness for a month.
Davies wrote: 'Ok update: after talking to my DR, being on antibiotics and trying to recover whilst doing shows is getting me and my health NOWHERE. This is the last thing I want but there's no other way.' She added that her demanding schedule, moving from The Great Gatsby to Strictly and then Legally Blonde, had taken a toll on her body.
The theatre confirmed the cancellation on Instagram, stating: 'This afternoon's matinee performance of Legally Blonde has unfortunately been cancelled due to cast illness. All ticket holders have been contacted by email.' Evening performances were still scheduled to go ahead. The news sparked frustration among ticket holders, with one fan commenting: 'Whilst I hope the cast and crew are well, this was absolutely not enough notice for those who travelled here!'
Davies's understudy, Hannah Lowther, who rose to fame on TikTok during the pandemic and has over one million followers, will step into the role. Lowther, who previously performed in Six and The SpongeBob Musical, typically plays Margot in the production. Reports of backstage tension have emerged, with a source telling the Daily Mail that audiences seem to favour Lowther's interpretation of Elle, though Lowther has expressed admiration for Davies.
It remains unclear when Davies will return to the stage. The Legally Blonde musical, based on the 2001 film starring Reese Witherspoon, has been touring the UK for a month.
