Amber Davies: From 'too good' for Strictly to last-minute replacement
BBC reportedly deemed Amber Davies too skilled to join Strictly Come Dancing before she was drafted in to replace Dani Dyer after an injury.
Amber Davies has emerged as a focal point in the ongoing debate over Strictly Come Dancing’s celebrity casting after reports that BBC bosses twice rejected her for being too accomplished a dancer. Davies, a West End performer who rose to prominence on Love Island in 2017, was announced last week as a last-minute addition to the Strictly lineup to dance with pro Nikita Kuzmin following Dani Dyer’s ankle injury. The development has intensified scrutiny around how the show selects contestants and whether a narrative arc for audiences is valued as highly as dancing credentials.
Davies’ background is rooted in musical theatre. She trained at The Urdang Academy in London, earning a professional diploma in musical theatre, and by 2019 had spent a significant portion of the year in London’s West End, portraying Judy Bernly in 9 To 5: The Musical. Her public profile was built on Love Island in 2017, where she described herself as a dancer. In the weeks leading up to her Strictly debut, she reflected on her journey from reality television to stage stardom, underscoring the breadth of her repertoire beyond reality TV appearances.
The move to bring Davies into Strictly happened after Dani Dyer, Davies’ Love Island peer, sustained a fracture that forced her to withdraw from the competition. Davies was unveiled as the last-minute replacement to partner with Kuzmin, with producers emphasizing that the need at the moment was someone who could be “ballroom ready” for a live show. The decision fed into a broader conversation about whether Strictly should foreground the idea of a contestant’s transformation on air or celebrate a star who has already proven technical prowess on the dance floor.
A Strictly insider recalled that Davies had been discussed by the production team on two separate occasions in the past. The insider said the view at the time was that she was “too experienced” and that the show’s appeal lies in watching a contestant learn and grow in front of viewers. The aim, the insider explained, is to provide audiences with a journey rather than a performer who is already polished. The suggestion that the show seeks to cultivate a dance narrative rather than present a finished product echoes past debates around casting, particularly when musical theatre performers are involved.
In contrast to that account, a Strictly representative publicly stated that the current lineup team has no record of Davies being rejected by the show in the past. The spokeswoman emphasized that the 2025 cast has been assembled under the current team’s direction, and that no prior decisions were documented in relation to Davies’ prior involvement with the program. This stance leaves room for interpretation about how past discussions may have occurred internally, and it underscores the show’s evolving approach to casting amid controversy.
The 2025 lineup for Strictly Come Dancing reads like a cross-section of sports, acting, music, and online personas. Among the competitors slated to take part are Harry Aikins-Aryeetey, an Olympic sprinter and Gladiator contestant; Alex Kingston, known for Doctor Who; Balvinder Sopal of EastEnders; La Voix, a drag performer; Thomas Skinner, reality star and entrepreneur; Vicky Pattison and Karen Carney from reality and sports media; George Clark, a YouTuber; and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, the former Chelsea and Netherlands striker. Ellie Goldstein, a model and disability ambassador, Chris Robshaw, a rugby player; Stefan Dennis, an actor; Ross King, a showbiz correspondent; and Lewis Cope, an actor, complete the field alongside Davies. Davies herself described the moment of confirmation as the craziest 24 hours of her life, saying she had watched Strictly with family for years and that being asked to join the show felt like a dream come true.
The controversy surrounding Davies’ casting comes against a backdrop of recent debates about why some performers with strong theatre credentials end up in the ballroom, and whether their musical theatre training translates into a compelling Strictly narrative for viewers. Supporters of Davies point to her West End experience and theatre discipline as assets in a high-pressure live format, while critics argue that the show’s appeal partly rests on watching a contestant transform from novice to proficient dancer on screen.
Davies’ late entry has already sparked comparisons to past Strictly seasons, notably when musicals talent also reached the finals, including Layton Williams, who finished as runner-up in 2023. Proponents say that the show can benefit from a mix of seasoned performers and newcomers who embody the journey arc fans expect from the competition. Davies’ own social media posts since the announcement emphasize gratitude and anticipation, aligning with the sentiment that the show thrives when participants bring personal stories along with their performances.
As the season unfolds, viewers will see how Davies and Kuzmin navigate the balance between technique and storytelling on live Saturdays. The wider reaction among fans and critics alike will likely influence how future casting decisions are framed by BBC producers, particularly when a contestant’s prior experience becomes a focal point of the public conversation about what Strictly should prioritize in its lineup.