Amber Davies was seconded to Strictly Come Dancing after fellow reality star Dani Dyer had to exit the show due to an ankle fracture. While for your average celebrity this may be quite the shock, for Amber, she has taken to the ballroom show like a duck to water - and there's a reason. Before starring on our screens in Season 3 of the ITV show, Amber was already training for the Strictly gig, having been performing since she was a child and gaining a scholarship to one of the country's leading drama schools. But did you know she also had a stint as a backing singer on The X Factor.
Join HELLO! as we take a look at Amber's journey from her days singing in the background to starring on the West End stage.
A performer at heart
Ever since she was a child, Amber has been performing. Hailing from Denbigh, in Wales, the reality star took part in various talent shows across North Wales. Age 10, she was a contestant in the 2006 Urdd Eisteddfod, a traditional singing competition in Ruthin. Both Amber and her sister Jade, who is also a successful West End star, were coached by singer and radio presenter, Leah Owen.
© BAFTA via Getty ImagesTo the big city
Age 16, Amber won a scholarship to one of the country's leading drama schools, the Urdang Academy, where she studied on their three-year Musical Theatre diploma course. While at Urdang, Amber worked in the London nightclub Cique Le Soir and even sang backing vocals during The X Factor finale in 2015, supporting Leona Lewis and Ben Heynow.
A summer of love
After graduating from Urdang, Amber got the chance to be on the West End stage, successfully winning a part in Hairspray the Musical, but turned down for the opportunity to go on Love Island. After winning the show with her then-boyfriend Kem Cetinay in 2017, Amber returned to her theatre roots, winning the leading role in 9-5. Talking about the experience, Amber told the Evening Standard: "I only graduated in 2016, so I'm very fresh out of college. But I am trained and I have every right to be here. I'm waiting and ready to prove people wrong. I know they're gonna come in with a bit of, 'Let's see how Amber from Love Island will sing,' and I just can't wait — I want everyone to be pleasantly surprised.
West End star
© Dave Benett/Getty ImagesSince her West End debut, Amber has gone from show to show, meeting her boyfriend, Ben Joyce, when they starred alongside each other in Back to the Future. She also played the leading role in Pretty Woman and, most recently, she starred in The Great Gatsby alongside High School Musical's, Corbin Blue. Amber has no plans of slowing down after she's finished with Strictly, the performer will be going on tour in Legally Blonde the musical, starring as Elle Woods, the iconic role made famous by Reese Witherspoon in the cult Hollywood film.
