The glittery glamour of Strictly Come Dancing’s Musicals Week imploded into outright outrage last night, December 6, 2025, as West End darling Amber Davies and her partner Nikita Kuzmin clinched a flawless 40 for their high-octane Charleston – only for a tidal wave of furious fans to brand it “rigged” and accuse the Love Island alum of waltzing through the BBC juggernaut with an “unfair head start.” Performing to the rollicking “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat” from Guys and Dolls, the 29-year-old theatre star dazzled with splits, gravity-defying lifts, and syncopated swivels that left judges drooling – Anton Du Beke gushing he “wished he could score them a 25” for sheer perfection. But as confetti rained and the leaderboard crowned them frontrunners, social media erupted in a backlash bonfire: “She’s literally doing her day job!” screamed one viewer, igniting a debate that’s split the nation between cheerleaders hailing her as a “musical marvel” and skeptics crying foul over her Broadway-honed chops. With the quarter-final elimination looming tonight, has Amber’s sparkle just torched her path to the Glitterball – or is this the spark that cements her as Strictly’s most polarizing powerhouse?

The routine was a riot of razzle-dazzle from the opening bars: Amber, channeling a flapper-fierce Jordan Baker from her recent Great Gatsby stint, burst onto the Elstree Studios floor in a sequin-slashed fringe frock that screamed 1920s speakeasy siren. Nikita, the Ukrainian heartthrob in slicked-back hair and pinstripes, matched her every shimmy and slide, their chemistry crackling like a live wire as they nailed the Charleston’s signature kicks and ragtime rhythm. Head judge Shirley Ballas, perched like a sequined sphinx, declared it “absolutely fantastic – an absolute star!” while Craig Revel Horwood purred over “perfect swivels” and “flawless timing.” Motsi Mabuse? “I have never seen anything like that. One word: perfection.” And Anton? His hyperbolic hymn – “It would be very difficult to find a dance better than this in the history of Strictly” – sealed the 10s across the board, catapulting Amber and Nikita to the top spot with 80 points total (including last week’s Jive 40). It was their second perfect score in as many outings, a streak that’s got bookies slashing her outright win odds to 2/1, edging out dark horses like Lewis Cope and Karen Carney.

But the applause barely faded before the pitchforks emerged. Amber’s glittering CV – fresh off six months headlining as Gatsby’s golden girl in the West End, where her nightly Charleston routines were the show’s pulse-pounding centerpiece – became the bullseye for a barrage of viewer vitriol. “Amber has just come out of The Great Gatsby, where she did the Charleston every night,” fumed one X user, her post racking up 15k retweets in hours. Another piled on: “#Strictly can we please get back to having stars who have no dance experience? It’s crazy to have someone who dances in musical theatre competing against proper celebs who’ve never touched a tap shoe.” The chorus swelled across platforms: TikTok tirades with side-by-side clips of Amber’s Gatsby gigs versus her Strictly spin, Reddit rants decrying the “level playing field farce,” and Instagram Stories from disgruntled die-hards snapping, “This isn’t entertainment; it’s an audition reel for her next gig.” One viral meme? A photoshopped Amber with a “PRO DANCER” sash, captioned: “When your ‘amateur’ status comes with a Tony Award footnote.”

The fury peaked during Shirley’s on-air praise – “You’re destined for the West End!” – a line that landed like a lead balloon for many at home. “Shirley telling Amber she’s destined for the West End? She’s been there for years, bab!” sniped @scddevereaux on X, her clapback liked 8k times. “It’s hardly a level playing field compared to celebs who’ve never danced,” echoed @social_darren, tagging BBC bosses in a plea for “format reform.” Even as the show’s chaotic energy – from Balvinder Sopal’s tearful Viennese Waltz breakthrough (36 points) to George Clarke’s quirky Quickstep (35) – kept the vibe buoyant, Amber’s triumph felt tainted to detractors. “She’s talented, sure, but this week was her cheat code,” griped a Mumsnet thread that ballooned to 500 replies overnight. “Nikita’s brilliant, but Amber’s basically choreographed this move a thousand times. Where’s the jeopardy?”

Amber, ever the poised performer with a Cheshire grin that could disarm a dragon, swatted back the shade with signature sass in her post-show chat with Tess Daly. “Look, I live, sleep, and breathe musicals – it’s my happy place,” she beamed, Nikita nodding beside her like a proud co-conspirator. “But every dance is a reset. The Jive was nothing like this; new week, new nerves. I’m not dreaming of the final – Vicky Pattison went from leaderboard queen to exit door in a blink, so no expectations here.” Off-camera, sources say she’s “gutted but gobsmacked” by the backlash, confiding in fellow contestant Dani Dyer (her Love Island successor, sidelined by injury but cheering from the wings) that “it stings when they say it’s easy – I’m grafting like everyone else.” Nikita, defending his duo on It Takes Two spin-off, added fuel to the fairness fire: “Amber’s a pro at heart, but she’s learning ballroom blind. This isn’t theatre; it’s terror every Saturday.”

Supporters, though, are rallying like a Broadway curtain call. “Haters gonna hate – Amber’s owning it because she’s worked for it!” cheered @StrictlySuperfan87, her thread dissecting the routine’s technical tweaks hitting 20k views. Celeb pals piled on: Love Island’s Olivia Attwood posted a fiery clapback video, while West End whispers from 9 to 5 co-star Amber Riley hailed her as “the real deal, not a ringer.” Even judge Motsi, in a rare post-show tweet, shaded the shade: “Talent recognizes talent. Amber earned every point. #StrictlyMusicals.” The divide mirrors Strictly’s broader 2025 soul-searching: post-Giovanni Pernice scandal, with fresh safeguarding scrutiny, fans crave authenticity – “novices over naturals,” as one petition (now at 12k signatures) demands “no more theatre pros.” Yet, Amber’s arc – from injury-replacement wildcard to perfect-score phenom – screams underdog upset, her Essex twang and unfiltered giggles a tonic to the tinsel.

As the quarter-final axe falls tonight (Sunday, December 7), with Amber and Balvinder joint favorites to face the dance-off per Betway odds (33/1 apiece), the storm shows no signs of slowing. Will viewer votes vindicate her virtuosity, or propel a “fair fight” underdog to safety? BBC insiders, sweating a PR pile-on, are “monitoring closely” but standing firm: “Casting’s about charisma, not clean slates.” For Amber, who swapped Corrie soaps for stage stardom via 2022’s Love Island crown, this is déjà vu – the show that launched her now under siege for the same spotlight savvy. “I’m here to entertain, not apologize,” she shrugged in a Mirror exclusive, eyes sparkling with defiance. “If a perfect 40 ruffles feathers, imagine the finale.” Strictly’s not just dancing; it’s drama – and Amber Davies? She’s pirouetting right through the backlash, fringe flying. One thing’s certain: in the court of public opinion, her Charleston’s the verdict that’ll echo longest. Allez, Amber – the floor’s yours, feathers and all.