Amber Davies pulls out of Legally Blonde musical mid-show after falling ill and claiming her body is ‘fighting for its life’ – as her understudy is forced to step in amid ‘backstage tension’
Love Island and Strictly star Amber Davies was forced to pull out of a performance of the musical Legally Blonde mid-show when she fell ill.
The star left the stage after admitting she was suffering from burnout, and her role as lead actress Elle Woods was subsequently resumed by understudy Hannah Lowther.
As Mail+’s Olivia Kemp revealed earlier in the week, Hannah, who trained at the Italia Conti Academy and is a TikTok favorite with 1.3 million followers, is said to be experiencing increasing tensions behind the scenes as her friends believe Hannah is “millions of times better”.
Taking to Instagram following the performance, Amber gave fans an update on her health, admitting that her appearance in The Great Gatsby, a last-minute call-up to Strictly and an immediate start on Legally Blonde had affected her health.
Along with a selfie, he wrote two lengthy captions explaining that he had recovered from the illness and was taking antibiotics, so he was offstage indefinitely, but did not address his mid-stage departure or Hannah.
Love Island and Strictly star Amber Davies was forced to pull out of a performance of musical Legally Blonde mid-show after falling ill
The star left the stage after admitting she was experiencing burnout, with understudy Hannah Lowther (pictured last year) resuming her role as co-star Elle Woods.
Fans praised Hannah on TikTok for stepping in, with one viewer sharing a clip from the show, writing: ‘Hannah Lowther went from Margot to Elle mid-show in act 1 this afternoon! He’s a superhero!!!’
While fans flocked to TikTok to comment on Amber’s departure, Hannah, who often played Elle’s friend Margot in the musical based on the 2001 film, was also present.
Wanting to explain her absence to fans, Amber’s Instagram announcement read: ‘Ok update: After talking to my doctor, taking antibiotics and trying to get better by attending shows is getting me and my health NOWHERE…
‘I’ve been working on this ongoing illness for a month now so I’m going to be separated from my beautiful Elle Woods again… This is the last thing I want but there’s no other way…
‘If I keep ‘pushing’ I’ll get scared. I will struggle with this for longer than I need to. I can’t wait to get back on stage and feel like myself again!!! Thank you – Amber x’.
In another post, he continued: ‘Also, I have to remind myself until the last minute that I’m leaving Gatsby. Then I go to Elle, so my body is clearly fighting for its life…
‘I also keep reminding myself that it is normal to be poor, that we are human. Just a reminder: there is absolutely no right time to be bad in a musical theater show.’
Fans praised Hannah on TikTok for stepping in, with one viewer sharing a clip from the show, writing: ‘Hannah Lowther went from Margot to Elle mid-show in act 1 this afternoon! He’s a superhero!!!’
The user also wrote the caption: ‘Unfortunately Amber Davies fell ill during today’s show so Hannah Lowther had to switch from Margot to Elle! I love covers/swings/Alts.
Amber’s departure will no doubt further fuel the tensions she reportedly has with Hannah, who covers the touring show’s Thursday matinee while Amber performs seven shows a week.
Insiders exclusively revealed to Mail+ that the increased attention to Hannah’s performances has become harder for the soap’s cast to ignore.
Taking to Instagram following the performance, Amber gave fans an update on her health, admitting that her appearance in The Great Gatsby, a last-minute call-up to Strictly and an immediate start on Legally Blonde had affected her health.
The source said: ‘Everyone behind the scenes is professional, but it’s fair to say the atmosphere between the two girls can get a little tense at times. ‘When an “alternative” starts to get this much praise online, it inevitably becomes a topic of discussion.’
Last month, when Amber, 29, fell ill and had to miss several performances while being treated with antibiotics, Hannah stepped in and the online backlash was immediate and brutal.
One user commented: ‘Hannah’s energy is unmatched’, while another said: ‘Hannah gives us everything while Amber gives us nothing.’
Last month, Amber shocked audiences when she was seen in her first public preview performance. I lost track of the choreography for a moment and looked across the stage at Hannah to copy her moves.
Within hours, the clip, filmed by a viewer, had spread widely online, prompting Amber to address her over-the-top routine in a TikTok video, describing the moment as ’embarrassing’.
He explained: ‘I forgot the dance break was coming. I feel like you can see me looking at Hannah and mimic what she’s doing with her hands. So yeah, it’s such a shame; This will be publicly available for the rest of my working career.’
Last month, Amber came under fire for ‘forgetting her choreography’
