Amber Davies on Strictly abuse and playing Elle Woods in Legally Blonde tour

Amber Davies, the 29-year-old Love Island winner and musical theatre actor, says she has faced sustained online abuse after appearing on Strictly Come Dancing and is set to play Elle Woods in the touring production of Legally Blonde, which opens at Curve, Leicester, on 7 February.

Davies said the criticism intensified during Strictly and quoted her professional partner Nikita Kuzmin’s on-air plea to viewers: “guys, just please, please be kind!” She told the Guardian she thinks online nastiness is “getting worse”, blamed bandwagoning on platforms such as TikTok, and suggested much of the harsh commentary came from an older audience.

Some critics questioned her previous dance training after she stood in for an injured contestant; Davies said being a woman and being ambitious made her a target. Davies traced her theatrical credentials to childhood training, study at Urdang and early work including 9 to 5, Bring It On, Back to the Future, Pretty Woman and The Great Gatsby.

She described auditioning for Legally Blonde as “a no-brainer” and said director Nikolai Foster wants to take a very human approach to Elle; choreographer Leah Hill has kept the show’s “bend and snap” and mixed styles including hip-hop and ballet.

Key Topics

Culture, Amber Davies, Legally Blonde, Strictly Come Dancing, Love Island, Nikita Kuzmin