Overview
- Amber Davies says she is blocking out criticism and keeping herself and partner Nikita Kuzmin "in a bubble" to stay focused on weekly routines.
- Drafted in at short notice to replace Dani Dyer following her ankle injury, Davies has generally scored well since joining the series.
- After landing in the bottom two against Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and being saved by the judges, she said the scare felt awful but gave her a second chance and new energy.
- Photos of Kuzmin kissing Davies on the head prompted chemistry speculation, which sources close to her dismissed as nonsense, while her boyfriend Ben Joyce was reported to be unfazed.
- Girls Aloud’s Kimberley Walsh defended performers facing harsher scrutiny, and Strictly analyst Dr Kathryn Stamp said stage backgrounds do not reliably predict success or indicate a fix.