Amber Davies dance history
This fact-check may be outdated. Consider refreshing it to get the most current information.
Executive summary
Amber Davies is a trained musical-theatre performer who trained at the Urdang Academy, holds a diploma in professional musical theatre and dance, and has built a West End career in shows such as 9 to 5, Pretty Woman and The Great Gatsby—facts cited by the BBC and other outlets [1] [2] [3]. Her presence on Strictly Come Dancing 2025 triggered public debate and online backlash about whether her stage experience gives her an unfair advantage; Davies and supporters say West End experience does not equate to ballroom training, while critics point to similarities between her theatre choreography and Strictly routines [4] [5] [6].
1. Who is Amber Davies and what is her dance training
Amber Davies won Love Island in 2017 and subsequently pursued professional acting and musical-theatre work; she gained a scholarship at 16 to train in Musical Theatre and Dance at the Urdang Academy for three years and later received a Diploma in Professional Musical Theatre and Dance—credentials listed by the BBC and reflected in biographical summaries [1] [3]. Her résumé includes lead roles in West End productions such as 9 to 5, Pretty Woman and the London production of The Great Gatsby, where stage choreography has been part of her professional output [2] [3].
2. Competition appearances and public profile
Beyond theatre, Davies competed on Dancing on Ice in 2024 and was announced as a late replacement on Strictly Come Dancing 2025 after Dani Dyer withdrew; the BBC’s media release and other reporting lay out that timeline and her pairing with professional Nikita Kuzmin [2] [3]. Coverage of her Strictly run highlights repeated high scores—including perfect 40s for a Charleston—and continued progress into late-stage shows such as the semi-final, with judges praising balance and performance quality [7] [8].
3. The core controversy: stage training vs ballroom advantage
Public debate centers on whether musical-theatre training confers an advantage on a ballroom show. Some outlets and viewers argue that West End choreography and prior dance work make Davies a de facto “trained dancer,” pointing to a clip that allegedly shows a Charleston similar to a routine she performed on the West End as evidence [5] [9]. Davies and her defenders maintain that musical theatre skills do not automatically translate to ballroom and Latin technique—she and supporters stress that posture, footwork and partnership dynamics in Strictly are new learning curves for her [4] [9].
4. Media framing and evidence offered by both sides
Right-leaning tabloid reporting emphasizes possible unfairness and highlights footage to support its critique [5] [6]. More balanced coverage and the BBC profile outline her bona fide musical-theatre training and past competitive dance experience on Dancing on Ice but also quote Davies and production commentary to contextualize the difference between stage choreography and specialist ballroom training [2] [3] [4]. BBC live reporting and critics note judges’ praise and the show’s insistence that contestants come from diverse performing backgrounds [8] [7].
5. How supporters responded and the show’s handling
Davies’ professional partner Nikita Kuzmin publicly defended her against viewer backlash, and fellow coverage records calls to “be kind” as online trolling intensified; some reports say Strictly bosses were even reconsidering casting celebrities with strong dance backgrounds because of the negative social-media fallout [9] [6]. The BBC has repeatedly presented her background and left room for audience judgment; available sources do not mention a formal rule change by the programme as of these reports [2] [6].
6. What the reporting does and does not prove
The documented facts show Davies has formal musical-theatre training and West End experience [1] [2]. The sources also show she has competed on dance/ice formats before and achieved high scores on Strictly [3] [8]. However, the question of whether that background produces a decisive, unfair competitive advantage on Strictly is argued rather than definitively proven in current reporting: critics point to choreography similarities and past dance work [5], while Davies and advocates argue that ballroom technique is distinct and requires new learning [4]. Available sources do not mention any independent technical analysis by dance experts that conclusively quantifies an advantage.
7. Takeaway — context for readers
Readers should weigh three points: Amber Davies is not an untrained amateur—her formal training and West End credits are documented [1] [2]; theatrical dance and ballroom/Latin are different disciplines, a distinction her defenders repeatedly stress [4]; media outlets frame the story through differing lenses—some amplify perceived unfairness or reuse anonymous sourcing [6] [5], others focus on Davies’ documented CV and show performance [2] [7]. Where sources disagree or stop short, I note it: available reporting does not settle whether her background produced an unjust competitive edge on Strictly [5] [4].