BBC Strictly Come Dancing's Amber Davies breaks silence after fan fury over ‘biggest robbery’

When Ms Manrara noted there had been "a lot of upset" surrounding Mr Cope's departure and asked how she had coped with the negative commentary, Ms Davies responded: "I would like to think I have thick skin. But, obviously, the start of the week has been tougher than usual."

One viewer had branded the result the "biggest robbery in Strictly history".

Ms Davies took the opportunity to remind viewers of the unusual circumstances surrounding her participation in this year's competition.

"I'd just like to remind everybody that I was never supposed to be here," she told Ms Manrara. "You know, I was a quick replacement, and I am just doing my best."

She stepped in at short notice after fellow former Love Island winner Dani Dyer fractured her ankle during training following the launch show.

Despite the difficult week, Ms Davies expressed gratitude for the support she has received, noting: "The love is more overpowering than the hate. So if you have sent a message or a kind comment our way, we really do appreciate it so much."

Ms Manrara offered reassurance, telling her: "We are lucky to have you, my darling!"

The West End star spoke movingly about her bond with the departing couple during her time on the programme.

"We've been really close to them since week one," she explained. "Katya would give me tips and tricks and for me, Lewis was like my rock in the building."

The former Love Island winner described finding herself opposite her close friend in the bottom two as "such an unfortunate situation".

Mr Cope himself has publicly called for kindness following his exit, leaving a touching message for Ms Davies after she posted about the experience.

"You have a heart of gold and I am super grateful I got to share this experience with you," he wrote. "Thank you for being such a good friend. Congratulations on getting through, you deserved it."

Mr Kuzmin revealed the intense pressure he felt during Sunday's decisive dance-off, contrasting his own anxiety with his partner's remarkable poise.

"My legs were shaking, my heart was palpitating at 15 miles an hour, and then I looked at this girl here and she was calm," he said.

Ms Davies explained her composure came from necessity, saying: "It was the fact that we were going up against Lewis, I knew that I had to just focus. I just had to switch it off."

Looking ahead to Saturday's semi-final, Mr Kuzmin described their upcoming Couple's Choice routine to Fly Me To The Moon by Raye as "a celebration of Amber".

"All of the things that she went through, from negativity to the amazing journey, and from coming into the show at the last moment," he said. "We're just trying to bring the most amazing show we can."

Former Strictly professional James Jordan has spoken out in defence of Ms Davies, condemning the online abuse as "horrendous."

Speaking to The Mirror, Mr Jordan, who spent years as a pro dancer on the BBC programme, argued Ms Davies bears no responsibility for the controversial result.

"It's not her fault," Mr Jordan said. "Who wouldn't sign up to Strictly? It's one of the best TV shows in the world."

He placed blame squarely on the judging panel, insisting the leaderboard was fundamentally flawed after three couples tied on 35 points.

"The only reason they ended up in the bottom two is because the judges got the leaderboard wrong," he stated. "It's not even up for debate."

Mr Jordan added: "Don't troll her. Don't be horrible to the poor girl. She's doing the best she can."

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