'It's a dream come true" says Strictly's Amber Davies as she & Nikita Kuzmin prepare for Blackpool Week

Although BBC One’s Strictly Come Dancing is usually filmed at Elstree Studios in London, the annual Blackpool Week has been a fixture in the Strictly schedule since 2009.

Strictly’s Blackpool Week returns this weekend and will see the remaining contestants take to the iconic Tower Ballroom floor.

Before the big day, Love Island and musical star Amber Davies, alongside her professional partner, Celebrity Big Brother’s Nikita Kuzmin chatted to us all about so see that full chat below...

You can also read the interview with George Clarke and Alexis Warr here, as well as Lewis Cope and Katya Jones here.

How are you feeling about making it to Blackpool?

Amber: “Literally dream come true, in every way possible.”

Nikita: “Incredible. It's the venue. It’s the place to be. It's the Mecca. It’s literally the dream of every professional to get your celebrity to Blackpool and for them to experience, at least once in a lifetime, those golden lights, that springy floor and I cannot wait for Amber to be on the floor-”

Amber: "Quick stepping our hearts away!”

Well I was next going to ask, what can people expect from your performance?

Amber: “It's a happy, feel good, quick step. It's a song that represents friendship. We have extra dancers. So we want to bring the energy, we want to bring the joy and happiness. That's what we're kind of representing this week, which is perfect for Blackpool, because to see the community come together and be so elated that Strictly is here, it’s honestly one of the most beautiful things I've witnessed.”

You're obviously coming to Blackpool off the back of topping last week's leaderboard so does that change your approach?

Nikita: “No, each week is a new week. You can't carry yourself too much like that. Even last week, if you take the example of Vicky, Vicky was on the top, and then you can never really relax. That's why Strictly is the best competition in the world.”

Amber: “Yeah and I think our routines are worlds apart, from last week to this week. So it's about starting fresh, being positive, and getting ready for the bigger ballroom floor.

That leads on perfectly to my next question, which was, what impact do you think new studio will have on your performance?

Amber: “Oh, I think it's about selling our routine. You know, it's bigger, it's grander, I think we're doubling the audience as well. So it'll be lovely for them to feed us energy, and we can, then, feed it into our routine. Yes, it's so exciting. I just want to bottle this feeling. There's a good energy in the air.

Nikita in your memory, are the judges in a jollier mood when they're at Blackpool?

Amber: “Who can't be in a good mood in Blackpool?!”

Nikita: “Well, obviously we have Mr. Grumpy sitting on the right side of the table. He's sometimes a bit cheeky, but it depends, sometimes even Craig is very happy in Blackpool. But yeah, everybody's in a great mood.”

Do you have any tips for Amber on her first time performing on the Tower Ballroom floor?

Nikita: “Just take it all in, experience it. And you know, the thing is, because you feed so much energy to the audience, and the audience feeds so much energy to you, it's such a harmony dancing there, it’s such a beautiful feeling. So just enjoy it. Open your eyes and see, be present in that moment because you only experience it once in a lifetime.”

And Amber, have you been to Blackpool before?

Amber: “When I was younger. It's like a very nostalgic town for me. My parents used to bring me and my sister here for day trips when we were younger so coming back as an adult, everything feels smaller. When I was little, the tower was huge, and all the rides were huge and now it's like, you know, human size, but it's so lovely to be back and and my mum's coming from North Wales to support me on Saturday night, so I'll have a bit of home here as well.

Blackpool is obviously an entertainment hub so how does it feel to have come here as a child and now be part of that entertainment?

Amber: “It's literally a dream come true, like I said. I didn't expect to be on Strictly, you know, with how I entered the competition with 24 hours so to make it to Blackpool is just mind blowing. I'm just trying to embrace every single week, and every week I get through, I'm just counting my lucky stars.”

Nikita, can I ask you for some of your favorite memories in Blackpool, whether it was on Strictly or generally as a professional dancer?

Nikita: “I do have amazing memories from when I was obviously competing here, but my best memories are definitely being with Strictly here. It's just a different kind of game, a different situation. To see the audience, the general public, even just people on the streets, being excited for Strictly, it's such a beautiful feeling. When you're competing, there is a lot of stress coming in. You know, you’re really trying to perform, but when on Strictly, it's an entertainment show, so we're trying to enjoy what we're doing in that moment. We are dancing on that floor with such gratitude and people are grateful as well. You can feel how grateful they are for everybody being there and making the most out of it.”

Speaking of making the most of your trip, have you got any plans that don't involve dancing?

Amber: “Yes, there are actually, believe it or not, in our schedule. We have to go on top of the tower because I've never been. Nikita is adamant that he wants to take me to an arcade that he used to go to when he was younger and I feel like it would be illegal to come here and not get some northern fish and chips. So that's an absolute must.”

If you’re going to the top of the tower, you’re obviously not scared of heights so are you going to try out the Pleasure Beach?

Amber: “Oo, is it open? Can we go on the Big Dipper?”

Nikita: “Yeah, I’ve already been on it this year.”

Amber: “Well we're going to try and do as much as we possibly can with the one hour of spare time!”

Over the busy nine weeks of Strictly so far, has the experience been everything you've expected?

Amber: “Everything and more. You know, it came into my life last minute, and I kind of just had to roll with it and I just feel like this experience was brought into my life at the right time. I feel like it's getting the best version of me, and it's allowing me to grow and learn, obviously, about my body, but mostly about my mental strength, which is a nice thing to acknowledge in your late 20s.”

And Nikita, how have you found coaching Amber?

Amber: “Oh, he’s loved every second!”

Nikita: “Yeah, absolutely amazing. Honestly, the dream student, the dream friends. Just to have her in the room, there is a lot of banter going on, there is a lot of play. Iit's very brother and sister the way we tease each other. We have fun, we train, but at the same time, there is a lot of respect between us. So it's absolutely amazing. I love every second, I don’t want it ever to end.”

Amber: “You’re going to make me cry!”

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Final question then, do you have a message for the people of Blackpool before you take to their stage?

Amber: “Well, firstly, thank you for making me feel so welcome. It is so wonderful to see the buzz that Strictly brings to this town, and the fact that I get to be a part of that is so special. It's going to be a core memory for me, and if you have a free vote this weekend, we'd love to see it come our way, because we need that extra help this weekend. So that would be very much appreciated.”

Nikita: “I’m just really, really excited, really, really excited. My mum and dad are coming as well to Blackpool just for this weekend. I'm incredibly looking forward to performing. I'm looking forward to Blackpool, I’m looking forward to dancing with Amber, I'm looking forward to my mum and dad seeing it. I'm looking forward to every single aspect of it, to be honest.”

Amber: “We just gotta put our best foot forward and go for it.”