Davies

Strictly Come Dancing contestant Amber Davies has revealed how she is blocking out the noise as she continues to face harsh backlash over her past dance experience

Amber Davies has hit back at her critics as she opened up on struggling to win over the public on Strictly Come Dancing. The Love Island star, 29, has been heaped with praise for her dance skills on the BBC show alongside pro Nikita Kuzmin after being drafted in at the last minute.

Strictly’s judges have backed her throughout the competition as she has consistently placed high on the leaderboard since stepping in after Dani Dyer’s exit. However, in a shock twist of fate, Amber ended up in the bottom two last month alongside footballer Jimmy Floyd Hasslebaink following the public vote.

She has faced strong criticism over her previous dance experience, with some viewers declaring she has an unfair advantage. Since Love Island, Amber has gone on to make a name for herself on the West End having appeared in Legally Blonde and 9 to 5.

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Her past has appeared to haunt her experience on Strictly as she faces harsh comments from fans of the show. However, Amber has now admitted that it has been that way for a while in the competition.

She is pals with 2023 runner-up Layton Williams, who was also paired with Nikita and faced backlash over his dance past. “It comes up every single year — there’s someone who is a performer or in that realm,” Amber said.

“So I am doing my very best not to look and listen to anything,” she told the Sun. “I’m blocking out that noise and just being present in the moment.”

To help battle the outside noise, Amber said she is putting her and Nikita “in a bubble”. She revealed her motto has been to “just zone in and be present”.

Layton has also thrown his support behind her as he urged his fans to back Amber. She said her pages have now been flooded with much more positive comments, which she says is the “nicest thing”.

Amber ended up in the dance off last month, but judges Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Shirley Ballas and Anton Du Beke all decided to keep her in the competition. After Jimmy’s shock exit, Amber took to social media, where she said she felt like “absolute garbage”.

The reality TV star held onto a photo of her and Nikita performing while standing in her pyjamas. She lip synched a clip that admitted: “I woke up this morning and I felt like absolute garbage, for anyone who wants to know what garbage is, that is French for trash.”

Amber added: “A gut-wrenching evening in the dance off, especially dancing against two of the most amazing people I’ve met on this experience, @official_jfhasselbaink & @laurenmayoakley.

“I feel extremely lucky & thankful to be able to experience Halloween week on Strictly, but there will be two very special people missed.

“If you voted for us, really really thank you, I guess this week we aim for a comeback week?! @nikita_kuzmin Thank you for holding my extremely shaky hands extra tight.”

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Russell T Davies has spoken out after Disney+ ended its partnership with Doctor Who and jokingly suggested some festive titles for the upcoming Christmas special

Russell T Davies has spoken out after Disney+ ended its partnership with Doctor Who. The showrunner, 62, took to social media in the hours after it was announced that his sci-fi programme would be solely produced by the BBC going forward after two years under the global streaming service.

Earlier in the day, Lindsay Salt, director of drama at the BBC, said Disney+ had been “terrific global partners and collaborators over the past two seasons”, before confirming that a Christmas special is on the way. She added: “The BBC remains fully committed to Doctor Who, which continues to be one of our most loved dramas, and we are delighted that Russell T Davies has agreed to write us another spectacular Christmas special for 2026.

“We can assure fans, the Doctor is not going anywhere, and we will be announcing plans for the next series in due course which will ensure the TARDIS remains at the heart of the BBC.”

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In the hours that followed, Russell posted an image of the famous TARDIS onto his Instagram page, where he jokingly asked fans what they thought of some potential titles for the festive special. He wrote: “Here we go. Away in a Danger? Jungle Hells? Silent Night? Hark the Weeping Angels Sing? O Come All Ye…um, Nimon?”

Following the news that the show was no longer part of Disney, fans instantly flooded social media with their reactions, with many praising show bosses for the move to step away from the media corporation. One wrote: “Maybe without Disney’s sanitized grip, Doctor Who can return to its roots, weird, dark, brilliant storytelling that doesn’t need a corporate logo to feel epic.”

Another said: “Time for Doctor Who to feel British again, not branded,” whilst a third joked of the streaming service: “this app is literally screaming at us all month to end our memberships.” Another fan simply said: “Good tbh. The Disney era was kinda meh!”

At the end of the last series, viewers were shocked to see Ncuti Gatwa’s doctor seemingly regenerate into the likeness of Billie Piper, who starred as Rose Tyler alongside Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant following the programme’s initial revival in 2005. A comeback for her has not been confirmed, and some fans seem to think that Ncuti could be stepping back into the role after all.

One said: “Ncuti walking out of the Tardis on Christmas 2026 and pretending like nothing happened,” and another said: “billie is gonna go find 14 and then ‘fuse’ with him which will cause an ACTUAL regeneration and its just Ncuti again lmao.” A third agreed, writing: “I would LOVE for Ncuti Gatwa to be back!”

This festive season will be the first to not have a Doctor Who special for 20 years. The BBC said that the announcement about the 2026 Christmas episode had been prompted by Disney+ confirming that it would not be partnering on the next season of the sci-fi show – as widely anticipated – after international viewing figures proved disappointing.

In a statement yesterday, the BBC said that it remained “fully committed to the show and will announce plans for the next series in due course to ensure the Doctor’s adventures continue”.

At the end of this year, Doctor Who spin-off The War Between The Land and the Sea will air, as well as a brand-new animation series for CBeebies.

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Amber Davies was forced to scrap a dangerous lift from her Strictly Come Dancing routine after sleepless nights and stress, admitting the intense rehearsals have left her completely exhausted

Strictly Come Dancing star Amber Davies has admitted she ditched a high-risk move from her Argentine Tango after days of stress and sleepless nights.

The 29-year-old, partnered with professional dancer Nikita Kuzmin, had planned an ambitious lift that had never been attempted on the BBC show before but ultimately decided it was too risky to perform live.

Amber explained: “We had one big lift that wasn’t working, we were in panic mode, but we are Team Chaos – that’s what we’ve called ourselves. It’s a big, giant lift that’s never been done on Strictly before.

“I’ve had a few sleepless nights and woken up with heart palpitations. We were only getting it right one out of five times, and we just can’t go into the live show with a risk like that. It’s ten times harder than any other routine we’ve ever done.”

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She added: “I didn’t realise there were so many rules and regulations when it comes to different styles of dance.”

The West End performer admitted that the intense training schedule has left her physically drained. “My left leg is black and blue, if you’ve got a bruise you’re doing well,” she told The Sun.

“I’m training 9am to 6pm Monday to Thursday, but if Nikita sees I’ve gone dead behind the eyes, he’ll send me home early. He’s strict but makes sure I’m coping mentally and physically.”

Amber confessed she’s been eating “ten times more than Nikita” to keep her energy up. “I am ravenous constantly. I could eat for Britain. I’m eating five bananas a day, if he gives me two minutes to sip water, I’ll yomp a banana down. I’m eating so many carbs too.”

The former Love Island star joined the competition unexpectedly after Dani Dyer withdrew in week two due to a fractured ankle and Amber had just six hours of rehearsal before her debut.

“The opportunity came up in the most chaotic way,” she said. “I was on the show within 24 hours. I never met with the Strictly team before, so when I got the call, my agent told me to sit down.

“It took my breath away. On that first performance, the only way I got through it was looking in Nikita’s eyes. My body was numb from head to toe. He said I was shaking like a leaf. I don’t even remember it.”

Amber also praised her boyfriend, musical theatre actor Ben Joyce, for supporting her during the gruelling weeks of training.

“My gorgeous boyfriend looks after me, he runs me a bath every night, cooks dinner and gives me a foot rub when I get home,” she said.

Strictly Come Dancing returns tonight at 7.15pm on BBC and BBC iPlayer.

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When Davies was asked about that block before Wales met Slovakia again three years later, he simply remarked: “It’s a good memory, but hopefully I won’t have to do it again this time around.”

Those moments are all well and good, Davies thought, but he would prefer a straightforward victory, a clean sheet and, frankly, less of a fuss.

By this time, however, he had already joined Tottenham, with whom he would play in one of the most extraordinary ties in Champions League history.

Just 24 hours after Liverpool had overturned a 3-0 first-leg deficit to stun Barcelona at Anfield, Spurs mounted another comeback for the ages against Ajax.

Trailing 3-0 on aggregate with 35 minutes left to play in Amsterdam, two Lucas Moura goals had dragged Spurs back into contention.

Then in the sixth minute of added time, Davies intercepted an Ajax clearance to launch the counter-attack which culminated in Moura’s hat-trick and sealed the most dumbfounding of triumphs on away goals.

At the final whistle, it was telling that then-Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino, overcome with emotion, ran on to the pitch and leapt into Davies’ arms.

The Welshman had been Pochettino’s first signing following his appointment in 2014 and, five years later, Davies was the first person with whom the Argentine shared his greatest moment as Spurs boss.

“He is still young, but his mentality, his maturity – he is so professional – he is helping the team every season,” said Pochettino.

“He’s fantastic, not only today but from the day he arrived. He’s a great professional, a great player and a great man.”

Davies is now Tottenham’s longest-serving current player, with more than 300 appearances to his name.

Son Heung-min, who left Spurs during the summer of 2025, was one Davies’ best friends at the north London club.

“Ben is one of my closest friends,” Son said in 2023. “He helped me settle in London very well.”

Davies and Son caught a train from London to Cardiff together before Wales played South Korea in a friendly in September 2023.

True to form and even with one of the world’s most globally renowned footballers for company, Davies managed to navigate the journey without much attention, gave Son a hug goodbye on the platform at Cardiff Central and set off to rejoin the Wales squad.

The Strictly Come Dancing ‘curse’ has taken many victims, but musical theatre contestant Amber Davies is confident that she and Nikita will not be a part of it

For years, the Strictly Come Dancing ‘curse’ has haunted the ballroom, blamed for break-ups, busted engagements, and headline-making scandals. But while the dancefloor has seen its fair share of heartbreak, Amber Davies is confident she won’t be a victim of the ‘curse’.

Musical theatre and former Love Island star Amber is currently paired up with professional dancer and one of Strictly’s favourites, Nikita Kuzmin. Amber, 29, has revealed that she is good friends with Nikita’s partner, model Lauren Jaine, and has also introduced her boyfriend Ben Joyce to Nikita and Lauren.

Amber said: “I’ve met Nikita’s girlfriend. I love her, she is so supportive, so easy-going. She met Ben and my sister too. It was lovely.”

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Lauren has also hit back at viewers who claimed that they wanted Amber and Nikita to succumb to the curse and said: “Please be respectful to the real-life partners and let them have a good experience of the show too.”

Amber and Nikita appear to be going from strength to strength in the competition and scored a whopping 35 for their American Smooth. They danced to the track Sixteen Going on Seventeen from The Sound of Music, which put them second on the leaderboard.

A source has since revealed that Amber is going to be taking the competition ‘one week at a time’ and that she ‘isn’t complacent’. The source also gave an insight into Amber’s thoughts on the ‘Strictly curse’.

They said to The Sun: “As for the curse, she’s madly in love with Ben and he is 100 per cent supportive of her. They are both performers and know how to block out the noise. They have zero doubt the curse won’t touch them. Amber and Lauren get on really well. They swapped numbers early on.”

Amber has been sharing some behind-the-scenes footage on her social media and revealed that her beau Ben has been watching her videos every day.

She said in a TikTok live video: “He is always like ‘let me see the tapes from today’. Sometimes Ben will make me bits and bobs for lunch. Contestants can stay in hotels but I don’t before a live show. I want to be in my own bed with my dog and my boyfriend.”

Amber didn’t even know she was going to be on Strictly until 48 hours before her first dance when she was whisked into the cast of the BBC show as a replacement for fellow Love Island winner Dani Dyer, who had sustained an injury in rehearsals before the first live show.

Just days before she was announced as Dani’s replacement, it was revealed that she will be taking on the tough role of Elle Woods, the part originally made famous by Reese Witherspoon in the 2001 classic, in a new UK tour of Legally Blonde.

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Davies has played against England three times, including a 2-1 loss at Euro 2016 – a result that still rankles.

“The 2016 one, it still hurts the last-minute goal to concede, but in that one we were playing a game more result-dependent,” he said.

“We’re very lucky in this team that we have incredible guys all across the board, players that come in, players that maybe don’t play every single time but show their best foot every time they come in.

“It’s just a fun environment to be around. We enjoy each other’s company on the pitch, off the pitch. It feels like playing with your mates at times. So when you do get out on that pitch you know that you’ve got each other’s backs whatever is thrown at us.”

Davies has also experienced two 3-0 defeats against England, at the 2022 Qatar World Cup and in a 2020 friendly at Wembley.

“They’re games that we know we’re playing against top opposition but we felt like we could have done a lot better and given a much better account of ourselves. So they’re games that stay in the memory,” he added.

“Hopefully we have a better chance tomorrow [Thursday].”

Strictly Come Dancing professional Nadiya Bychkova – who is partnered with rugby player Chris Robshaw – has spoken out about celebrity contestants with prior dance experience

Strictly Come Dancing star Nadiya Bychkova has said that it’s “really sad” to see celebrities with no dance experience leave the competition early, adding that it “helps a lot” if they’ve danced before.

The 36-year-old is currently partnered on Strictly with rugby union player Chris Robshaw, with the pair on the lower end of the scoreboard after their first two dances. Last year, Nadiya was paired up with Olympic diver Tom Dean, who was the first star to be eliminated on the 2024 series.

Speaking ahead of tonight’s results show, Nadiya said that Strictly is for “people who have never danced”. She told The Sun: “We often don’t see it because people who don’t have experience would sometimes leave the show earlier, which is really sad as there’s so much talent.

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“It’s nice for the audience to see that it’s possible to learn, but you do need to put in the work, which Chris is doing every day.” She added that that doesn’t apply only to Chris but any contestant who doesn’t have “performance experience”.

She continued: “When you’re trained to be in the moment, to tell the story, you know how to show something — that helps a lot.” As for how Chris is finding the experience, Nadiya said that he’s absorbing all the information and needs a few more weeks to get to a comfortable level of performing which “you can’t get overnight”.

It comes after West End performer Amber Davies topped the scoreboard in last night’s show after wowing the judges with her Samba to Camila Cabello and Ed Sheeran’s Bam Bam. The judges awarded her a score of 29, giving her a one-point lead when combined with the 27 she received for her Waltz last weekend.

Just behind her on the scoreboard is Emmerdale’s Lewis Cope – who also has dance experience – after his high-scoring Viennese waltz to Teddy Swims’ Lose Control. Meanwhile, TikTok star and surprise frontrunner George Clarke is in third place after scoring a 30 for his Paso dobe to Game of Survival by Ruelle.

Chris Robshaw’s wife Camilla Kerslake took to social media earlier this week to brand letting those with dance experience compete as “unfair”. Love Island winner Amber Gill posted on social media her “unpopular opinion”, writing: ” I think having people with so much dance experience is unfair.”

Camilla then responded by commenting: “The experience differences are absolutely wild. Definitely.”

After the first live show, she praised her rugby star husband on Instagram, writing: “Proud forever. Up against people with years of experience when you’ve never even done a 2 step, opening the whole season and starting with one of the hardest dances going.

“They tested you HARD. You and [Nadiya] blew me, and the crowd away. Definitely some lessons for next week but you were absolutely astonishing. I couldn’t hold it together at all. We love you [Chris]. Team #SeeQuins. Let’s GOOOOOO #Strictly #StrictlyComeDancing. Slide 5 of my first time meeting [Vicky Pattison] is something special.”

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