Strictly Come Dancing’s Amy Dowden admits ‘life’s too short’ after cancer battle

Amy Dowden has learned to ‘take risks’ since beating cancer and spoke briefly about her journey after completing a complicated Salsa on Saturday’s live edition Strictly

Amy Dowden has learned to ‘take risks’ since beating cancer (
Image: BBC)

Amy Dowden has learned to ‘take risks’ since beating cancer. The Strictly Come Dancing star was diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2023, but was given the all-clear around eighteen months ago.

The professional dancer, 35, is back on the BBC favourite this year and is paired up with Apprentice star Thomas Skinner. After the pair completed a Salsa routine set to Dizzee Rascal’s Bonkers in which she was lifted up and spun round, she told host Claudia Winkleman that ‘life is too short’ to not try new things.

After the pair completed a Salsa routine set to Dizzee Rascal’s Bonkers in which she was lifted up and spun round, she told host Tess Daly that ‘life is too short’ to not try new things ( 
Image:
BBC)
The pair didn’t receive the best feedback for their routine, and only managed to score a total of 13 from judges Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke. But, afterwards, Amy joked that her partner’s concentration face left her a little bit scared during rehearsals.

Explaining all about Tom’s concentration face, she said: “It was okay until we had to do lifts and I was high up there and he had his eyes shut,” before adding that she does ‘trust’ him. She turned to him and said: “I’m so proud of you!”

The Welsh dancer revealed she was initially scheduled for a lumpectomy after doctors discovered the tumour. This surgical procedure involves removing just the cancerous lumps and some surrounding tissue.

Cancer Research UK explains that this is often the chosen route when the tumour only affects one area of the breast. However, an MRI scan revealed that Amy, 35, had more tumours than first thought.

She shared: “For me, everything happened so quickly, at first I was having a lumpectomy and then after my MRI, there were more tumours so I needed a mastectomy, and all of a sudden you’re trying to make these decisions so quickly and you’re not really thinking rationally because you’re so emotional, it’s very difficult within the time.

Amy said she was ‘so proud’ of her Strictly partner Thomas Skinner after they danced to Bonkers ( 
Image:
BBC)
“I do think it’s so important to be given all your options and to understand fully. I also didn’t know what I was going to wake up with, that’s quite worrying and scary as well.

“I didn’t know if it was going to wake up with it open or closed, I didn’t know if I was going to have an expander in, or an implant. Even going down to surgery, and I wanted the honesty, you don’t know what you are going to wake up with or what it’s going to look like.”

Amy’s cancer diagnosis forced her to sit out the 2023 series of Strictly following chemotherapy treatment. In February last year, Amy revealed medics told her they discovered “no evidence of the disease” in her body, paving the way for her Strictly comeback.

She made her return to the programme a year ago, paired with JLS singer JB Gill. However, she was rushed to the hospital in October, pulling out of the competition on November 4.At the time, a Strictly spokesperson said: “Sadly, Amy Dowden MBE will not be partaking in the rest of the competition this year. While Amy focuses on her recovery following a foot injury, fellow professional dancer Lauren Oakley will step in as JB’s dance partner.

“The health and well-being of everyone involved in Strictly are always the utmost priority. The whole Strictly family sends Amy love and well wishes.”