THE Strictly Curse, shock ‘ruthless’ claims and sexism – Amber Davies discusses it all in our no holds barred exclusive.
The Love Island winner also talks coping with criticism and BFF Olivia Attwood in our brilliant chat. Buckle up.
While most celebrities fear getting harsh comments from the judges during their stint on Strictly, Amber Davies actually wants the panel, particularly Shirley Ballas, to be harder on her.
Although members of the public have suggested Shirley has been tougher on the 29-year-old Love Island star than anyone else in the competition, Amber – who works in the West End, having appeared in 9 To 5: The Musical, Back To The Future and The Great Gatsby – doesn’t agree.
“I love the judges,” Amber insists.
“I look forward to Shirley’s comments the most. I am a ‘tough love’ kind of girl. Maybe it’s from the industry I’m in, but my whole job is based on learning all the time.
“During the run of a West End show, I get notes throughout the contract. I am constantly being made better and better, and that’s exactly what the judges are doing.
“They are saying those comments because they know whatever critique they give anybody, it’s to make them better.
“So you just have to listen, you have to take it – they’re all experts. I would rather they critique me on the ‘harsh’ side. I work better the more direct they are.”
Amber’s journey on Strictly has been unusual. It’s been reported she tried to get a place on the show before, but was turned down because of her dance experience.
She started her theatrical career at a local stage school in the seaside town of Rhyl, Denbighshire, before landing a scholarship at London’s prestigious Urdang Academy at 16.
The college, now part of City St George’s, University of London, specialises in ballet, modern and musical theatre.
Despite reports, she insists: “I’ve never spoken with Strictly before. That’s why this is so thrilling to me – I’ve never been on their radar.
“When I got the call, my agent told me to sit down, as he knew I was going to lose my mind! I had to make a decision quickly, but I couldn’t say no. No one says no to Strictly Come Dancing!”
Amber was drafted in after show favourite Dani Dyer broke her ankle days before the live shows kicked off.
“It’s even better than what I expected,” she says, smiling.
“If I could bottle the feeling of a Saturday night. . . I can’t explain it, it’s euphoric. I’ve watched the show from a very young age and still can’t believe I’m getting to have this experience.”
Her dance partner, Nikita Kuzmin, has made the process as smooth as possible.
“Nikita is a dream to work with. What was unique to us as a couple was that we had to skip a million steps.
“I met him on the Friday, and we were dancing live on the show on the Saturday night in front of millions.
“I had to trust him immediately. But I instantly knew I was in safe hands. He believes in me more than I believe in myself.
“He tells me: ‘I absolutely know I can push you and you can do this.’ I’ve gained so much knowledge from him.”
Their closeness on the dance floor set tongues wagging about the infamous Strictly Curse when The Sun On Sunday published exclusive pictures of Nikita, 27, kissing her on the top of her head, with his hand tenderly on her hair.
But Amber – who has been with her boyfriend, fellow West End actor Ben Joyce, for three years, while Ukrainian Nikita has been dating model Lauren Jaine, 23, for two – insists their relationship is purely platonic and all the passion on the dance floor is part of the performance.
She rolls her eyes. “I cannot give it any more breath. It’s funny, I saw someone online had said: ‘Amber kissed Corbin Bleu eight times a week [the High School Musical star played her love interest in The Great Gatsby], this is nothing.’
“Strictly is a less intense environment to what I’m used to on stage. You do get close to people, but this is a walk in the park.”
And does Ben – who turned up to rehearsals days after The Sun On Sunday front page – feel the same when he sees her snuggling up to Nikita?
“He gets how closely you have to work with people. I don’t have to explain it to him as he does the same job.
“It’s a job, it’s a character, we get paid to do it. And if you’re in the story, you don’t see it as your boyfriend kissing someone else, it’s just the character.”
So, no fears about the Strictly Curse?
“It’s nonsense,” she says. “I’m good friends with Nikita’s girlfriend. Ben was with me when I got the call to go on the show, and I’ve never seen him pace up and down so much.
“He knows what it means to me and his family are huge Strictly fans.”
Ben, 27, is clearly her biggest fan.
“During the show, he gets more nervous than me, it’s the cutest thing. He came to the studio to watch Samba week, and he said he didn’t even see the dance because his vision went blurry as he was nervous.”
Having a dancer boyfriend must come in handy for getting some extra practice in at home?
“No, we don’t dance together. Although, Nikita and I video our practice every day to see our progress and Ben will watch it and say: ‘Oh, much cleaner today.’ Honestly, it’s like I’ve got my own Craig Revel Horwood at home!”
Now we’ve bought a house, the engagement chat has lessened.
While the Glitterball trophy awaits the Strictly winner, is Amber perhaps eyeing up something smaller and more sparkly from her boyfriend?
“Now we’ve bought a house together, the engagement chat has lessened from me,” she admits.
“One of the biggest commitments you can make is buying a house together. Also, all my friends are getting married at the minute, so there aren’t enough dates for me to fit in a hen do and a wedding, too! All that stuff can come in my 30s, I think.”
And her focus is clearly on her career for now. While she has had a whirlwind start to the show, Amber’s been criticised more than fellow competitor Lewis Cope for having dance experience, despite him having also performed in the West End as well as reaching the final of Sky One’s Got To Dance in 2013.
“It’s a wonderful show when people have experience in different things,” she explains.
“And I definitely have an advantage in some ways, but I also have my own disadvantages when it comes to what I’m used to in the theatre world.
“If you watch the show and you listen to the critiques, it’s always: I’m too balletic, my knees are wrong. Everything with ballroom and Latin is opposite to my foundation skills.
“So I completely understand where people are coming from, but from my experience of Strictly, it is about learning and re-learning.
“My coping mechanism is to not read what other people say. As long as my family, friends and everybody in the Strictly bubble know who I am, that’s all that matters to me.
“I want to remember Strictly for what it is – that it’s magical. I’m going to turn my mind off to everything else.”
She follows in the footsteps of Tasha Ghouri, Ashley Roberts and Alexandra Burke, who were all heavily slated for having dance experience. Does she think there’s a level of sexism to it?
“I hadn’t noticed,” she says, thoughtfully. “But because it’s happening to me now, I’m noticing it.
“I think women in general have a harder time than men in life – not just on this show. But I wouldn’t know if Lewis is not getting as much backlash as me, because I’m not looking. I wouldn’t wish him any, either, it’s just a television show.”
Amber has also faced criticism for being “too ambitious and ruthless” in her desire to win.
She was in the bottom two a fortnight ago against Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and, while at the time of going to print, she is still in the competition, she believes her time on the show is limited.
“I never said I want to win,” she says.
“In my mind, I take every week as it comes and I treat every week as if it’s my last. It’s anyone’s game, I don’t think that far ahead – I think about the worst-case scenario.”
As if to prove the point, during our shoot the Strictly team are trying to make plans to film segments for the following weeks, and she always responds with: ‘If I’m still in the show. . .’
Of course, Strictly dramas are always in the headlines, but the big news this series has been that presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman are leaving.
“I hadn’t heard anything [before the announcement],” Amber says.
“I don’t think anybody had. I think it’s nice that they had complete control over the decision. They’re leaving and going to miss it, rather than thinking: ‘Get me out of this job.’
“When I saw the news, I just thought: ‘Oh, I’ve watched them on telly for years and feel so lucky that I’ve been able to be part of their Strictly story in some way.’
“They’re two of the most amazing, intelligent women I’ve ever met. Claudia is so real and makes me laugh so much. I love that as soon as she finishes filming, she takes off her heels immediately.
“They make the hardest jobs look so easy. Whoever comes in will have the best advice from them, I’m sure.”
There is a determination to Amber that suggests whatever she puts her mind to, she will succeed at.
It’s been eight years since she won winning series three of Love Island with Kem Cetinay – the year the dating show exploded in the mainstream.
Olivia and I have a real friendship – we don’t do anything for socials.
Not a nepo baby and with no connection to the industry, it is to be admired that Amber has forged her stage career through talent, hard work and determination.
“I didn’t think this would be the life that I’d live,” she admits.
“I come from a working-class family. My mum is a mental health nurse and my dad’s a plumber for the council. Sometimes, I sit back and think: ‘I just feel so lucky to have experienced the craziest things.’”
Despite many forgetting she was even on Love Island, Amber still keeps in touch with her show bestie, OIivia Attwood, who has been a constant support while she’s been competing.
“As soon as the news came out about Strictly, she texted me,” Amber says.
“Liv has always been my cheerleader. The thing is with me and Liv, we have a very real relationship – we don’t do anything for socials.
“She’s like an older sister to me and I’m so proud of her. No one is as intelligent or witty as her – she is a boss b****!
“Our year of Love Island was when it skyrocketed. Everyone has done so well, like Liv, Kem, Chris Hughes, and Georgia Harrison, who has an MBE now.
“Dani Dyer won in 2018, so we’ve always been in that Love Island bubble together. I hope she comes back [to Strictly] next year.”
And while Amber is keen to enjoy the Strictly experience, she can relax as she’s already signed up for her next job as the lead role, Elle Woods, in the tour of Legally Blonde: The Musical kicking off in February.
“Everyone says to me: ‘Do you want to do a soap or a drama?’ But I love doing eight shows a week. I just adore being on stage and being a part of a company and a cast.
“I’d love to make my Broadway debut at some point in the next five years.
“It’s a full-time job, but I don’t feel like I’m working because I love it so much. It’s a slog but I am really, really content.”
