AMBER Davies has admitted that she is “still in shock” as she shared the first snap of herself with Strictly partner Nikita Kuzmin.
The BBC confirmed yesterday that Amber had been brought in to replace fellow Love Island star Dani Dyer, after she pulled out following an ankle fracture.
Strictly Come Dancing kicks off its live shows TONIGHT, but Amber only got the call on Thursday from producers asking her to step in.
Bosses were forced to scramble and find a replacement for Dani following her injury during rehearsals this week.
Yesterday, it was revealed that fellow Love Island winner Amber had been swapped in to take her place.
The 28-year-old – who is a big star in the West End – has wasted no time in getting stuck into rehearsals with Nikita, who was originally Dani’s partner, ahead of tonight’s live show.
Sharing a pic from a dance studio, Amber wrote over the snap: “Rehearsals in full swing @nikita_kuzmin.
“Thanks for all the love, I’m still in shock!”
Amber and Nikita will perform a waltz when they take to the dancefloor tonight, hoping to impress the judges.
Yesterday, Amber revealed what a whirlwind it had been for her, since she got the call from Strictly producers.
Sharing a clip of the famous theme tune on her Instagram Stories, she wrote: “A 24 hours I won’t be forgetting in a hurry!”
The star is referring to the quick turnaround from her being asked to be on the show, to then starting rehearsals.
Meanwhile, after the announcement yesterday, Amber, who won the third series of Love Island alongside former boyfriend Kem Cetinay, told fans: “This has been the craziest 24 hours of my life. 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.”
Although fans of the show are thrilled to see Amber on Strictly, some have called her signing a “fix” as she is a trained dancer.
The point of the show is to put celebrities through their paces on the dancefloor and watch them grow.
However, since winning Love Island in 2017, Amber has starred in a series of big West End musicals.
Some fans think this gives her an unfair advantage.
Taking to social media to vent, one fans said: “So they replaced one Love Island winner with another, except this one’s a trained West End star. At least Lewis has some competition now at least?”
Another added: “She’s a trained West End star. I really like her but this is ridiculous.”
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