Strictly Come Dancing star Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin earned a perfect score of 40 for their Jive last week and this week’s Charleston but the actress refuses to look ahead to the final following Vicky Pattison’s surprise exit
Amber Davies says she refuses to let her mind wander to dreams of the Strictly final – because this year’s competition has proved far too unpredictable to take anything for granted.
Speaking ahead of Musicals Week alongside her dance partner Nikita Kuzmin, the 29 year old West End star admitted she’s keeping her feet firmly on the ground, especially after seeing fellow contestant Vicky Pattison go “from the top of the leaderboard to leaving” in the space of a week. “You just never know,” Amber says. “The competition is so unpredictable.”
Despite fans insisting Musicals Week is “her moment,” Amber insists she genuinely hasn’t allowed herself to plan that far ahead. “When I said I was taking it one week at a time, I meant it,” she explains. “I came into the competition in such a peculiar way, I was on the back foot and catching up from day one. I didn’t dare dream ahead.”
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She admits the only time she even thought about what might be coming was around Blackpool week, when pro partner Nikita, 27, mentioned musical numbers were on the horizon. “If you have no expectations, you can’t be disappointed,” she says. “That’s why I take everything week by week.”
Amber and Nikita’s recent scores left them on a high. The pair received a perfect score of 40 for their performance last week dancing the Jive to Proud Mary by Tina Turner. This week they danced the Charleston to Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat from Guys and Dolls, which she also received a perfect 40 for.
“It was so under-marked again — honestly, what is happening?” Amber laughs sarcastically. “But the reaction was overwhelming in the best way. We weren’t expecting those comments at all. I’ve been buzzing all week.” Still, she says it doesn’t take pressure off. “Every dance is a reset. The jive is nothing like the Charleston. New week, new mindset.”
And as for the final? She won’t entertain the idea. “If you set yourself up for disappointment, that’s on you,” she says firmly. “The competition is so high this year. Lewis is seen as the frontrunner, Karen’s the dark horse, Vicky leaving showed how quickly things change… You absolutely cannot get ahead of yourself.”
Her Strictly journey started in spectacular fashion after she received what she calls “the greatest phone call of my life” — being asked to replace injured contestant Dani Dyer who had to drop out due to an injury. “My agent told me to sit down. It was all fifty-fifty until that final call on Thursday night saying, ‘You’re in.’ Then suddenly I was meeting Nikita Friday morning and doing a camera block that night. It was the most wonderful, bizarre, terrifying 48 hours.”
Thrown into the deep end, Amber says she and Nikita had to “bond immediately.” Somehow, it worked. “I’ll never forget the tremble in my legs that weekend,” she says. “But I believe everything happens for a reason. I’ve learnt so much — not just technically but about myself.”
One of those lessons? Blocking out “the outside noise.” Amber explains: “In the past I’d let comments get into my head, but this time I put me and Nikita in a bubble. No social media, no negativity. I think I’m stronger than I realised,” to which Nikita agreed: “Amber was so ready to go go go. She asks over 900 questions a day I am sure.”
She has stayed close to Dani Dyer throughout, calling her after her first dance and dedicating the routine to her. “She was so complimentary. She’s such a lovely girl.”
Comparing Strictly to her normal theatre career, Amber says the two worlds couldn’t be more different. “On stage you do the same show eight times a week. Here, you’re learning brand new choreography under huge pressure, with millions watching. It’s so much harder than I expected.”
While she has received support from from Love Island pals to Strictly winners like Ore Oduba, Louise Redknapp, Ellie Leech and Layton Williams, it is her boyfriend Ben who has been her anchor throughout. “His life flipped upside down as quickly as mine did. He’s been my rock. I couldn’t have done this without him.”
For now, though, she’s keeping her head down, her notepad open in rehearsals, and her expectations firmly in check. As she says: “You just never know on Strictly — and that’s why I’m taking it one week at a time.”
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