Strictly Come Dancing finalist Amber Davies has spoken out against viewers who she believes are deliberately refusing to connect with her ahead of Saturday's grand final.
The former Love Island winner, who stepped in as a late replacement for Dani Dyer following an ankle injury, has faced persistent criticism throughout the competition due to her West End background.
"I've had lots of people say, 'I can't warm to her'. It's because they don't want to warm to me. That's it," Ms Davies stated at a press conference.
The 29-year-old from North Wales acknowledged the backlash she has received for performing well on the show, admitting she only recently understood her purpose on the programme after noticing the volume of negative comments directed at her abilities.
BBC Strictly:
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Ms Davies delivered a powerful message about the double standards she believes women face when displaying confidence and drive.
"I can't believe I have to say this in 2025 but being ambitious as a woman, being confident, having dreams and working hard does not mean you are stuck up.
"It doesn't mean you are arrogant. I want to change that," she stated.
The West End performer, whose credits include 9 to 5: The Musical and The Great Gatsby, emphasised that she hails from a small town in North Wales and has grafted hard throughout her career because of her passion for performing.
Amber Davies has faced online abuse since Lewis Cope's elimination | GETTYShe urged her followers, particularly young women, not to diminish themselves to accommodate others' comfort, insisting that is not what life should be about.
Ms Davies recognised that her experience sets her apart from fellow finalists George Clarke and Karen Carney, but maintained that musical theatre is the "polar opposite" of ballroom and Latin dancing.
She pointed out that accusations of the competition being "fixed" due to contestants' prior training are nothing new, citing previous participants who faced similar scrutiny.
"I feel like this isn't a new story. We've seen it every single season, Layton Williams, Ashley Roberts, Danny Mac had it, so it didn't come as a surprise.
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Amber Davies opened up on the trolling she has faced
| BBC"But it's definitely only really amped up in the past couple of weeks," she explained.
Her professional partner Nikita Kuzmin defended their partnership, describing it as a dream to work with someone of Davies's calibre, noting it has allowed them to attempt things never before seen on the programme.
Despite receiving high scores and praise from the judges throughout the series, Davies remains the sole finalist to have landed in the dance-off, surviving a tense showdown last weekend against Balvinder Sopal and Julian Caillon.
BBC Strictly: Lewis Cope recently faced Amber Davies in the dance-off
| BBCSpeaking on It Takes Two earlier this week, the performer became visibly emotional when reflecting on her time in the competition.
"It makes me want to cry. I can't believe I'm here, just the way that we started," she told host Fleur East, wiping away tears.
Davies described the Strictly experience as having entered her life "with a vengeance" and expressed sadness that it was ending just as quickly.
Saturday's final will also mark the last time Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman present the show following their announced departure.