The BBC has addressed allegations that Strictly Come Dancing contestant Amber Davies replicated choreography from her West End performance during the show's Musicals Week.
Ms Davies and professional partner Nikita Kuzmin performed a Charleston to Sit Down, You're Rockin' The Boat from Guys and Dolls on December 6, with viewers spotting similarities to routines from The Great Gatsby musical.
A BBC spokesperson confirmed the routine was "a new routine choreographed for Strictly Come Dancing, which - as already discussed online - briefly paid tribute to The Great Gatsby as a nod to Musicals Week," the Mail Online reports.
The broadcaster clarified that incorporating the recognisable moves was a deliberate choice rather than an attempt to pass off existing choreography as original, with the majority of the dance comprising entirely fresh steps.
BBC Strictly: Amber Davies performed a Charleston on Musicals Week
| BBCMs Davies revealed on the Talk of the Townsend podcast that she personally requested the inclusion of the familiar steps in her Strictly performance.
"I asked if I could just put a little Easter egg in, because obviously the New Money routine went viral on social media," she explained.
She added that it would have felt "illegal" not to acknowledge the signature move during Musicals Week.
Her professional partner Mr Kuzmin noted this was "probably the only thing she's asked to add in all of the routines we've done."
BBC Strictly: Nikita Kuzmin and Amber Davies received a perfect score of 40 for the performance
|BBC
The deliberate homage to her stage work clearly resonated with the judging panel, who awarded the pair a perfect score of 40 points for their Charleston performance.
Ms Davies rose to prominence after winning Love Island in 2017 and subsequently established herself as a significant presence in West End theatre.
Her stage credits include roles in Pretty Woman, 9 to 5: The Musical, and most recently The Great Gatsby: A New Musical, where she portrayed Jordan Baker at the London Coliseum between April and September this year.
The viral New Money routine first gained widespread attention when she performed it at West End Live in Trafalgar Square on June 21.
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BBC Strictly: Amber and the BBC responded to the 'copying' claims
|BBC
Ms Davies joined the Strictly lineup as a late replacement after Dani Dyer withdrew due to a fractured ankle.
Her training at London's Urdang Academy, a prestigious drama school specialising in musical theatre and dance, has fuelled ongoing debate among viewers who argue her professional background provides an unfair advantage over fellow contestants.
Despite reaching the semi-finals, Ms Davies has faced persistent online hostility throughout her time on the programme, having also found herself in the bottom two during Musicals Week opposite fellow theatre performer Lewis Cope.
Following that dance-off, she appealed to critics on Instagram: "Guys, please.. It's really just a television show. I wasn't even supposed to be in the comp."
BBC Strictly: Amber Davies starred in The Great Gatsby on the West End
|BBC
During Saturday's live semi-final broadcast, Mr Kuzmin delivered an emotional message defending his partner against the sustained criticism.
"You have had so much hate every single day from the moment you joined," he told Ms Davies, praising her for arriving at training each day with positivity despite the negativity.
Addressing viewers directly, he urged: "Please be kind because it costs nothing and you don't deserve none of it. You only deserve love."