Strictly Come Dancing professional Amy Dowden has returned to the dancing show after two years of being unable to compete due to health complications.
The 35-year-old ballroom dancer, who joined the programme in 2017, was absent from the series in 2023 as she underwent treatment for stage three breast cancer. She returned in 2024 and was briefly partnered with JB Gill, but was forced to drop out due to a stress fracture to her shin. Fellow professional dancer Lauren Oakley took Dowden’s place for the remainder of the competition.
Dowden has since admitted she went back on Strictly too soon after she received the all-clear from breast cancer in early 2024.
Speaking on the Breast Cancer Uncovered podcast, she revealed she didn’t fully process her diagnosis and was “fixated on getting back on the dance floor”.
Dowden stated she went back on the show when she had not fully recovered from her cancer treatment, believing her broken bone was a by-product of her chemotherapy and hormone therapy. She added that she “felt like cancer was still punishing” her.
The dancer was diagnosed with an aggressive form of stage three breast cancer in May 2023 after finding a lump in her breast the day before her Maldives honeymoon with fellow professional dancer Ben Jones.
She underwent a mastectomy, chemotherapy and fertility treatment in those nine months and experienced a series of major setbacks in that time, including doctors finding a blood clot in her lung, sepsis and undergoing fertility treatment.
During her chemotherapy treatment and recovery period, Dowden frequently kept fans updated on her condition via social media.
In Autumn 2023, while Dowden was still receiving treatment, she would make small cameo appearances on Strictly despite not being able to compete – like reading out the terms and conditions or joining the stars backstage in the Clauditorium (the area hosted by Claudia Winkleman).
However, in November 2023, Dowden was unable to make any appearances in the remaining episodes because she fractured her foot.
That journey is documented in the BBC film, Strictly Amy: Cancer and Me, which follows Dowden from the beginning of her diagnosis as she navigates each stage of her treatment. At some of the most difficult parts of her treatment, Dowden recalled being in agony as she wore a cold cap during treatment to try and retain her hair – but eventually decided to shave it off.
She revealed in November 2023 that she had completed all eight rounds of chemotherapy, and she was told she had “no evidence of disease” in February 2024.
Reflecting on the hardest year of her life in the documentary, Dowden said: “In the past year, I’ve had a mastectomy, fertility treatment, chemotherapy, sepsis, blood clots, a broken foot and finally it’s time for me to get back on that dancefloor.”
“We are finally here,” Dowden said on Instagram as she arrived at the hospital for her final session of chemotherapy. “I’ve cried all morning! Right, an afternoon of chemo and then I’m so lucky and grateful to be able to ring that bell! Will never take it for granted! Thank you to the incredible Sheldon Unit! You are all amazing NHS, all true heroes.”
When she did return to the series in 2024 alongside Gill, she was forced to withdraw from the competition due to a stress fracture to her shin, telling fans she was heartbroken and gutted that her Strictly participation had been interrupted again.
Dowden also has Crohn’s disease, a lifelong gut disease that causes chronic bowel inflammation. She revealed her diagnosis in 2019, and fronted the BBC programme Strictly Amy: Crohn’s And Me, in which she spoke about her experience and met other people living with Crohn’s.
Crohn’s is described by the NHS as a lifelong condition in which parts of the digestive system become inflamed. People with the disease commonly experience phases of intense abdominal pain, severe vomiting, exhaustion and bloody diarrhoea, among other symptoms.
Dowden is dancing in the 2025 Strictly season, and her celebrity partner will be revealed during the launch show on 20 September.
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