Amber Davies hits back at Strictly Come Dancing critics
Amber Davies is irritated by those who suggest she doesn't deserve a place on Strictly Come Dancing because of her background in musical theatre.
Amber Davies has defended her inclusion in the Strictly Come Dancing line-up.
The former Love Island winner was drafted in as a late replacement on the BBC's Saturday night staple after Dani Dyer suffered an injury in rehearsals last month and is frustrated by those who suggest that her musical theatre background gives her an unfair advantage on the show.
Amber - who has starred in West End productions of Back to the Future and The Great Gatsby - told the Daily Mail: "We see the same thing over and over again and I feel like it doesn't matter what I say or how I feel, if I'm struggling, people will of course have things to say because I do musical theatre.
"I have worked my a*** off to be taken seriously in the musical theatre world, and I feel like I have been working so hard.
"The musical theatre world is actually quite small so once you work hard, you are committed, consistent in your job and are a good company member, you can build your reputation quite quickly within the industry.
"For me, growing up in the spotlight, it's a lot less about what other people think of me and how I feel about myself.
"I came from a working-class family, and my mum and dad worked so hard so that me and my sister could do singing lessons, acting lessons, it's in my DNA, I will always work as hard as I possibly can. As long as I am fulfilling my full potential that's all that matters."
Amber has been partnered with Nikita Kuzmin and explained that she is determined to make Dani "proud" after she was forced into a heartbreaking withdrawal from Strictly as she fractured her ankle shortly before the first episode of the series.
The 29-year-old star said: "I reached out to Dani a couple of times to make sure her ankle is healing properly. I didn't want her to feel like I was coming in, I texted her and I said, 'You are missed so much in this building.' Everybody misses her so much.
"When I danced the waltz on Saturday night, I just wanted to make her proud. She is so lovely, so supportive, she is recovering, and I will be voting for her when she returns next year."
