Strictly Come Dancing’s glittering ballroom has been rocked by yet another explosive row as Love Island winner Amber Davies – the last-minute replacement who stormed to the grand final – faced a torrent of vicious backlash over her West End dance background, with trolls branding her participation ‘unfair’ and even accusing her of ‘cheating’.

But now, her fellow ITV reality queen Gabby Allen has come out swinging in an exclusive bombshell interview, blasting the haters and insisting Amber ‘had every right’ to shine on the BBC show – while drawing parallels to her own gruelling stint on Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins.

The 29-year-old Welsh stunner, who stepped in at the eleventh hour for injured Dani Dyer and dazzled alongside pro partner Nikita Kuzmin, topped the leaderboard multiple times and survived nail-biting dance-offs – only to see the glitterball snatched by underdog Karen Carney in a public vote upset.

Yet her journey was marred by relentless online abuse, with some viewers fuming that her musical theatre creds – starring in hits like 9 to 5, Pretty Woman, and The Great Gatsby – gave her an ‘unfair advantage’ over novices.

Gabby, 33, who shot to fame alongside Amber on Love Island’s 2017 series, didn’t hold back in her passionate defence.

‘Oh my God, she’s amazing,’ Gabby gushed. ‘And I want to do that show – that’s another challenge I’d love to do.’

Slamming the critics, she added: ‘Of course there are people saying, “Oh, she’s a dancer before” or things like that. But it’s doing musical theatre! I come from a musical theatre background as well, and the kind of dance you do on Strictly is completely different; you don’t train in that.’

‘So as much as you might have rhythm or learned choreography before, it is a completely different kettle of fish. I think she’s proven herself to be insanely talented… She’s friggin’ amazing!’

Gabby even compared the furore to her own SAS experience: ‘It’s the same with SAS – there are different dynamics, people better than others, but that’s what makes it a good watch. You don’t want everybody with two left feet. It’s Strictly Come Dancing – you want actual dancing!’

‘There’s a place for everybody, and Amber has every right to be there.’

The row exploded after Amber’s shock casting – revealed just 24 hours before the first live show when Dani pulled out injured.

With a CV boasting West End leads and upcoming Elle Woods in Legally Blonde, whispers of ‘ringers’ started immediately.

Amber preempted the hate on It Takes Two: ‘It’s harder than I thought. I feel like I’ll be starting from scratch.’

But as she racked up highs – including a near-perfect Charleston in Musicals Week that sparked separate ‘copying’ claims (bosses insisted it was a deliberate ‘Easter egg’ tribute to Gatsby) – the backlash intensified.

She survived dance-offs against favourites like Lewis Cope, prompting cries of ‘fix’ and ‘unfair’.

Nikita hit out: ‘She’s had so much hate every day, but she ignores it with a big smile.’

Amber broke down in tears on It Takes Two ahead of the final: ‘I can’t believe I’m here after that random phone call. Best 12 weeks of my life – I don’t want it to end.’

She later addressed trolls head-on: ‘I have young women following me who get negative comments for being good. In 2025, being ambitious and confident doesn’t make you stuck up.’

Fans were split: ‘Amber’s talent is undeniable – haters gonna hate!’ one raged. Another fumed: ‘Strictly should ban pros – it’s not fair on beginners!’

Yet many rallied: ‘Musical theatre isn’t ballroom! Gabby’s spot on.’

As Karen Carney – the ex-Lioness with minimal experience – lifted the trophy, Amber graciously congratulated her.

Gabby, meanwhile, is conquering Celebrity SAS, calling it a ‘bucket list’ to prove her grit beyond Love Island.

‘I want to showcase myself differently – raw and vulnerable.’

And she’s manifesting Strictly: ‘Get me in there! I’d love it – come on, let’s make it happen!’

With the 2025 series wrapping amid hosting shake-ups and curse denials (Amber’s boyfriend Ben Joyce even got a playful forehead kiss from Nikita), one thing’s clear: Amber’s saga has reignited the age-old ‘experience’ debate.

Is Strictly for total novices… or the best dancers?

Gabby’s verdict: Let them all sparkle.