There’s nothing like a last-minute change to spice things up a little bit, and it’s definitely been a busy week in Strictlyland after Dani Dyer was forced to drop out.
With the live shows starting on Saturday, it was a race against time to find another celeb to compete with pro Nikita Kuzmin and fans have already tipped her replacement as being the 2025 winner.
After the ‘craziest 24 hours of my life’, it was another Love Island star, Amber Davies, who signed on for Strictly and she’s wasted no time starting rehearsals with Nikita.
Amber, 28, won Love Island the year before Dani did, and will have had just one day of training before her Strictly debut on live TV - not that we’re worried, after all, Amber has plenty of live show experience.
Before Love Island, she worked as a dancer at London nightclub Cirque Le Soir and sang backing vocals for The X Factor.
Amber has also competed on TV’s Dancing On Ice, coming fourth. At the time, she insisted her dance experience would be of no benefit, telling the Daily Mail: ‘Honestly, in skating I’ve had to bin half of my dance training anyway.
‘Everything in dancing is keep straight legs and you kind of have to let go when you’re on the ice.’
Amber has also starred in several West End shows over the years, including Pretty Woman, the Dolly Parton show 9 to 5, and Bring It On. Her next role is the lead in an upcoming Legally Blonde musical.
Speaking about joining Strictly, Amber said: ‘I’ve watched Strictly with my family since I was younger and to now be part of the show is a dream come true.
'I’m going to give it my all and I am sending Dani well wishes for a speedy recovery. I hope I do her proud.’
On Friday night, she shared a photo of herself and Nikita in the dance studio, as they worked on a waltz. ‘Rehearsals in full swing,’ she wrote. ‘Thanks for all the love, still in shock!’
Dani had to pull out of the competition earlier in the week after having an MRI scan and discovering her ankle was fractured.
