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Strictly Come Dancing contestant Amber Davies has reflected how taking part in the ITV dating competition Love Island affected her self esteem.
The 29-year-old, who’s partnered with Nikita Kuzmin, came first in the 2017 series of the show alongside her then-partner Kem Cetinay.
Davies said she struggled with the negative attention she received after the show catapulted her into the public eye. “Every move I made I felt like I was being judged by the whole world,” she said.
The former reality star, who trained in musical theatre at the Urdang Academy in London as a teenager, applied to be cast in the show after struggling to land a job on the stage.
“I always remember thinking I’m just not good enough,” Davies reflected of the series of rejections.
Following her new found fame, she landed numerous lucrative brand collaborations, including a £500,000 deal to become the face of Motel Rocks but ultimately opted to continue to pursue musical theatre.
“That was to live life for me and not live life for other people. Because, that’s what I felt like I was doing,” said the star, who went on to secure roles on the West End in shows including the Dolly Parton musical 9 to 5 and Legally Blonde.
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Amber Davies on ‘Love Island’ in 2017 (ITV)
During the Strictly semi-final, Davies dedicated her Couple’s Choice dance to “Fly Me to the Moon” by Raye to “any young girl who is ambitious and has a dream”.
Following the performance, which received a perfect score from the judges, Kuzmin praised Davies’s positivity despite the criticism she’s received online from the public for the duration of the show.
The pro dancer said the Love Island star had been subject to negativity from the moment it was announced that she would be replacing Dani Dyer a day before the first live show in September.
Most recently, Davies faced backlash after last week’s dance off, which saw her remain in the competition while former Emmerdale star Lewis Cope was eliminated.
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Davies has been the subject of a slew of criticism throughout her time on ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ (BBC)
The West End performer said she had been trying to “have a thick skin” despite cruel remarks but that the week leading up to Saturday night’s semi-final had been “tougher than usual”.
She told viewers: “I am just doing my best”.
Davies has also been harshly criticised by Strictly fans due to the dance experience she gained as part of her musical theatre training.
Addressing the remarks, the star said in the early weeks of the competition: “Ballroom and Latin are worlds apart from what I’ve experienced on a West End stage. Completely different techniques.”
You can follow all the latest updates on our live blog here.