Amy Dowden praises Strictly for help amid ‘tough times’ after cancer diagnosis
Strictly Come Dancing professional Amy Dowden has praised the TV programme for getting her and others through “tough times” and said she finds the “gossip” around the show “frustrating”.
The Welsh dancer, 35, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2023 and subsequently underwent chemotherapy and a mastectomy, revealed in November that she had to go through another mastectomy.
Speaking on the red carpet for the TV Choice Awards on Monday night, Dowden told the Press Association: “I never thought at 32 I would be facing a devastating blow of a breast cancer diagnosis and I want to use my platform in the right way, in the best way possible, and I will do for the rest of my life to hopefully raise awareness, raise money and hopefully save lives.”
The dancer has since returned to the BBC One dancing show and appeared in the latest series alongside her celebrity partner, former Apprentice star Thomas Skinner, with the pair becoming the first couple to leave the series.
Along with being loved by many, the dancing programme has also been behind a number of scandal-related headlines over the years which Dowden has said makes her “really sad”.
Dowden said: “Strictly has got me through the darkest of times.
“It’s the escapism of what they’re really going through.
“I was so proud when I was going through chemo and I could see the joy it was bringing to people and thinking, gosh I’m part of that magical TV show.
“But also what it’s done for young boys and dancing in the UK and careers it has opened and it’s changed the world.”
The 23rd series came to an end in December and saw former Lioness Karen Carney and professional dancer Carlos Gu win the title in an emotional final.
Dowden added: “It makes me really sad that people can’t focus on the wonderful show that it is and want to focus on the gossip around it or make up this drama when you should be focused on like the gorgeous friendship like Carlos (Gu) and Karen (Carney), which blossoms in front of our eyes on TV, and the wonderful routines. And it’s all about the celebrities learning a brand new skill and watching them transform.
“So for me it frustrates me but you’ve got to just stay focused into what we believe and we know.”
The show also saw Welsh opera singer and 2024 Strictly contestant Wynne Evans dropped from the broadcaster following an apology saying that he used “inappropriate language” during the launch of the Strictly Come Dancing tour, with EastEnders actor Jamie Borthwick suspended shortly after for allegedly using a disabled slur on the Strictly set.
Gu, who joined Dowden on the red carpet and won the series for the first time in December, said that the victory will probably be “one of the biggest moments” of his life.
He added: “I actually dreamt so many times about how would I feel if I won but this time I felt extremely humble and calm and it made me realise it’s not about fame or about winning it’s about how much you connect with each other and being true to yourself.
“This is the first year that I had no expectations.
“Karen was just incredible and she changed so many layers of myself which I will forever be grateful for.”