After 'Screaming like She Was in Agony,' 'Strictly Come Dancing' Star Amber Davies Was Left 'Completely Unconscious'

In 2018, the reality TV star was rushed to hospital after collapsing outside a pub in North Wales. What followed was a quiet fight to reclaim control, rebuild her health, and prove her place far beyond the world of reality television.

She burst into the spotlight on "Love Island" in 2017, captured the nation's attention with her on-screen romance, and defied every reality TV stereotype by carving out a serious career in musical theatre.

By the end of 2025, Amber Davies had become a "Strictly Come Dancing" finalist, earned rave reviews for her stage performances, and won over fans on and off the screen.

A source close to Davies later revealed that she believed her drink had been spiked.

But before all the standing ovations and sparkling costumes, Davies faced a deeply unsettling experience — one that left her unconscious, hospitalised, and fearing her drink had been spiked.

The year was 2018. Davies, then 22, had been out drinking with a friend at the Plough Inn in St Asaph, North Wales. However, what started as a casual Friday night quickly turned into a scene of chaos and fear.

Witnesses recalled seeing her stumbling and screaming in the pub car park shortly before collapsing. "At about 11:20 p.m., she was walking up and down the car park with a guy," said one onlooker, adding:

"Then she suddenly hit the floor. She was completely unconscious. People came out of the pub to help her and put her in the recovery position. She was screaming like she was in agony."

Staff quickly called an ambulance while Davies's mother, a nurse, rushed to the scene. Paramedics arrived and began treating her, asking bystanders whether drugs were involved — but no one had seen her take anything.

The reality TV star was taken to Glan Clwyd Hospital in Bodelwyddan and treated for around three hours before being discharged. A source close to Davies later revealed that she believed her drink had been spiked.

That same evening, Davies had posted light-hearted photos from the night out on Instagram — one showing a large glass of white wine with the caption "Friyay," another of her and friends with the line, "Yano what night it's gona be when the knees start going."

Davies's passion for musical theatre started long before "Love Island."

In a turn of events, the manager of the pub, Dafydd Jones, said, "I have no reason to believe drugs were taken on the premises. I will be speaking to North Wales Police with regards to the incident."

Elsewhere, a spokesperson for Davies confirmed she was recovering well at home and thanked those who came to her aid.

In the months that followed, Davies opened up about her relationship with alcohol. During an appearance on "Lorraine," she revealed she had used drinking to cope with her split from fellow "Love Island" winner Kem Cetinay. She said:

"I definitely used alcohol as a coping mechanism for the heartbreak. You drink, drink, drink, you let your hair down and have fun and I took about four steps back when I should have actually powered through."

She later took part in the show's "Lose the Booze" challenge, and after just 10 days alcohol-free, she admitted to feeling "so refreshed and healthy."

That self-awareness, along with an undeniable work ethic, helped Davies shift public perception and move far beyond the world of reality television.

Since her breakthrough role in "9 to 5," Davies has starred in "Bring It On," "Pretty Woman," "The Great Gatsby," and "Back to the Future," where she met her current partner, Ben Joyce. She is now touring as Elle Woods in "Legally Blonde," a role she's made her own.

Davies's passion for musical theatre started long before "Love Island." As a child, she and her sister would put on performances in their living room in Denbigh, charging their nana £1.50 to watch.

The backlash wasn't just frustrating — it was deeply personal.

She began formal training in London aged 13, eventually graduating from the Urdang Academy, though she initially struggled to find work. "I've had to fight tooth and nail for roles. I don't think I've ever been given a role I haven't deserved," she's said.

Despite her proven talent, Davies has faced persistent criticism — particularly during her stint on "Strictly Come Dancing." She was a last-minute replacement for Dani Dyer in the 2025 series and reached the quarter-final and then final alongside professional partner Nikita Kuzmin.

But with the glitterball came online abuse — much of it targeting her past dance training. "You have had so much hate, every single day," Kuzmin shared during a heartfelt moment on live television. Davies later reflected on the experience:

"I genuinely think it’s getting worse. With TikTok, when people jump on a bandwagon, they go for it. But I feel like the nasty comments I was getting [on 'Strict'] weren't actually coming from the younger audience, they came from the older audience."

The backlash wasn't just frustrating — it was deeply personal. While male contestants with similar dance backgrounds faced little scrutiny, Davies found herself judged more harshly.

"I'm a woman. I am ambitious. And [people think] confidence comes across as being stuck-up," she stated. "But if you're too sweet, you're fake, so you can't do anything right."

What upset her most, however, wasn't the comments on social media. "There was an article in one paper about me being a diva," she said. "That bothered me more because I felt a narrative was being built about me. And I just want to say, none of this is true."

Davies, now 29, is undeterred. Her nerves may still get the better of her — she admitted to feeling "numb hands" before "Strictly Come Dancing" performances — but her focus hasn't wavered. The former "Love Island" star declared:

"People say to me, 'Oh, what do you want to do after musical theatre?' I'm like, 'I literally want to do this for the rest of my life.' I want to do eight shows a week for the rest of my life, and I'll be happy."

From collapsing outside a pub in 2018 to captivating audiences on the nation's biggest stages, Davies's journey has been anything but easy. But she's still standing — and thriving — with talent, tenacity, and a story worth telling.