Amber Davies says ‘nasty’ Strictly comments came from older viewers

Amber Davies has reflected on the criticism she faced from Strictly Come Dancing viewers, which intensified as the competition went on.

The former Love Island star’s participation in the 2025 edition of the BBC competition sparked debate due to her previous experience in West End musicals, including Pretty Woman and 9 to 5: The Musical.

Davies faced increased heat as other contestants were eliminated, receiving particularly unkind backlash after beating Lewis Cope in the quarter-final dance off. The criticism was so rough that her dance partner, Nikita Kuzmin, urged the audience to “be kind” to the star.

Now, one month on from the final, won by Lioness Karen Carney, Davies said she believes mean sentiment shared by viewers is “genuinely getting worse” with each series. Previous stars who have faced similar backlash include musical theatre performer Layton Williams, former Pussycat Doll Ashley Roberts and Hollyoaks star Danny Mac.

Davies pointed out to The Guardian that “the nasty comments” she was getting while on Strictly “weren’t actually coming from the younger audience”, but older people.

“I’m a woman. I am ambitious. And [people think] confidence comes across as being stuck-up. But if you’re too sweet, you’re fake, so you can’t do anything right.”

However, Davies – who was a last-minute stand-in for injured former Love Island star Dani Dyer – had a positive time on the show and is “heartbroken it’s over”.

”Being in the Strictly bubble, it’s so magical. I’ll never experience anything like that again,” she said.

Davies previously claimed she “didn’t know” what her “purpose was on Strictly” until realising she was “getting a lot of negative comments for being good”.

She told The Mirror: “I’ve had lots of people say, ‘I can’t warm to her.’ It’s because they don’t want to warm to me. That’s it.”

Davies acknowledged she has more dancing experience compared to the other finalists, but stressed that musical theatre is the “polar opposite” of other dances she’s had to perform throughout the series.

“I feel like I’ve worked just as hard as the other finalists,” she said. “I had to fight to get into the final; we are here for entertainment.

“I was given this opportunity. Nobody was going to decline Strictly as a Strictly fan.”

Davies will next be seen playing Elle Woods in Legally Blonde the Musical, which she’s touring from 7 February.