Amber Davies, the 29-year-old star from Denbigh in north Wales, has faced a torrent of online abuse, but she's emerging stronger and ready for her dream role. The performer, who shot to fame on Love Island in 2017, recently reached the final of Strictly Come Dancing with professional partner Nikita Kuzmin, an experience she describes as "magical" yet marred by persistent negativity from viewers.
The Dark Side of the Strictly Spotlight
During last year's semi-final, a tearful Nikita Kuzmin made a direct appeal to the public, pleading for kindness towards his celebrity partner. Davies confirms the toll it took. "I genuinely think it's getting worse," she says, reflecting on her time in the public eye. She believes the vitriol often came from an older demographic, amplified by social media bandwagons. Much of the criticism centred on her prior dance training, a point of contention she feels was applied unfairly. "Well, I'm a woman," she states, pointing to a double standard where her ambition and confidence were misinterpreted.
From Living Room Shows to West End Stages
Long before reality TV, Davies's passion for performance was clear. She and her older sister Jade staged living room shows, charging their nana £1.50 a ticket. She trained at London's Urdang Academy and, despite early career struggles, her big break came with the musical 9 to 5 in 2019. She faced immediate scepticism from those who dismissed her as a talentless reality TV star, a narrative she has worked tirelessly to disprove through roles in Bring It On, Back to the Future, Pretty Woman, and The Great Gatsby.
Her foray into Love Island, which she calls "the summer of my life," was a genuine search for love. She fell for Kem Cetinay, and though they split after five months, she maintains a wholesome connection with his family. However, the celebrity party scene left her yearning for her first love: the theatre.
Destined for Elle Woods: A "No-Brainer" Role
Davies's latest venture is the UK tour of Legally Blonde the Musical, where she plays the iconic Elle Woods. "It was a no-brainer for me, a dream role," she beams. She connects deeply with the character's journey of being underestimated. "I feel like I was destined to play this role because I've had my own version of that," she explains. The production, directed by Nikolai Foster and choreographed by Leah Hill, will feature the famous "bend and snap" while injecting fresh, genre-blending movement.
Davies is pragmatic about the industry's reliance on movie adaptations, noting they pay the mortgage in a tough climate. She also credits her sister Jade's established reputation in shows like Les Misérables for helping legitimise her own career post-Love Island.
Offstage, she has built a stable life in London with boyfriend Ben Joyce, a fellow actor she met on Back to the Future. They've just bought a house together. Despite her success, Davies battles severe nerves, tracing them back to a childhood mistake at the Eisteddfod. Yet, her ambition is unwavering. "I literally want to do this for the rest of my life," she says of musical theatre. "I want to do eight shows a week for the rest of my life, and I'll be happy."
Legally Blonde the Musical begins its tour at Curve, Leicester, on 7 February.
