Amy Dowden Shares Cancer Scare Before Return to Strictly Come Dancing

Amy Dowden, who triumphantly overcame breast cancer treatment earlier this year, recently encountered a health scare just before her much-anticipated return to Strictly Come Dancing.

In May 2023, the talented Welsh professional dancer received an unsettling diagnosis of stage three aggressive breast cancer. She discovered the lump in her breast just a day before embarking on her honeymoon in the Maldives with fellow professional dancer Ben Jones. Over the next nine months, Dowden bravely underwent a mastectomy, chemotherapy, and fertility treatment. In February, she was relieved to hear she had “no evidence of disease”.

These intense and emotional experiences are captured in a new documentary, Strictly Amy: Cancer and Me, which chronicles Dowden’s journey from diagnosis through the various stages of her treatment. However, toward the documentary’s end, as Dowden prepares to return to Strictly after a year off, she faces another health check-up.

During a routine MRI scan at the hospital, doctors deliver some concerning news — the scan shows “a few little dots” that may indicate calcification and changes in the breast. The doctor warns her that this could be a sign of the cancer returning.

Despite her initial shock, Dowden maintains her composure. She undergoes a biopsy and candidly shares her fears with the camera, saying, “I’m feeling really anxious and worried because it obviously brought back memories of everything I went through a year ago.”

Fortunately, in the documentary’s following segment, Dowden and her husband Ben are given the heartening news that the biopsy reveals benign changes — there is no sign of cancer.

Dowden expresses her overwhelming relief: “When the consultant told us there was no evidence of disease, it felt surreal. I’m so relieved. It feels like I’m set free.”

Her mother shares the family’s joy on camera, saying, “We just want to dance and sing and tell everyone about it.”

Reflecting on the past year’s challenges, Dowden remarks, “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.”

Dowden, who joined the Strictly cast in 2017, was too ill to compete in the last series but made occasional surprise appearances. One memorable moment was when she arrived in a dazzling gown to read out the public voting terms and conditions.

Her name was enthusiastically received in the 2024 line-up for Strictly. Dowden celebrated, sharing her excitement with fans: “My heart is so happy. The best team on and off the dance floor. Feel blessed and more excited than ever. Bring it on!”

Vito Coppola, a fellow professional dancer, expressed his joy on Instagram about Dowden’s return, saying, “Beautiful Amy we are so happy to have you back. We have missed you. Be ready because I am going to lift you very high.” He added, “We love you, and I am sure I can speak for all of us when I say that it was not the same without you.”

Dowden’s friend and Strictly pro Diane Buswell also expressed her happiness, noting that Dowden belongs on the dancefloor.

Strictly Amy: Cancer and Me airs on BBC One on Monday, 26 August at 8pm. Dowden is set to appear in this year’s 20th anniversary series of Strictly Come Dancing.