Amy Dowden surprises Strictly Come Dancing pros after second cancer diagnosis

Amy Dowden has described a surprise visit to see her Strictly Come Dancing “family” as just what she needed after revealing a second cancer diagnosis.

The professional dancer, 32, announced last month that she had undergone a mastectomy after discovering that she had stage three breast cancer.

The Caerphilly-born dancer has since confirmed doctors found another type of cancer which she described as a “massive blow” as it meant she wouldn’t be able to compete in Strictly this year.

On Monday, she shared a picture with some of the professional dancers from this year’s cast, including Giovanni Pernice, Dianne Buswell, Gorka Marquez and Karen Hauer.

Dowden, who was a finalist on the BBC celebrity competition four years ago with presenter Karim Zeroual, captioned it: “I surprised the gang! Just what I needed! Seeing the @bbcstrictly family!

“Going to be an amazing series and I can’t wait to watch you all shine and be with you all when I can!”

She also hash tagged “Strictly family”, “just what I needed” and “keep dancing”.

Dowden, who married fellow professional dancer Ben Jones in July 2022, revealed to Hello! magazine she had found a lump in her breast the day before she planned to go on her belated honeymoon this year.

On Friday, Dowden revealed news of her second cancer diagnosis during an Instagram video with breast cancer awareness charity CoppaFeel!.

She said: “I was originally going to have a lumpectomy, radiotherapy and hormone treatment.

“And then, after my MRI, (the doctors) found another tumour so then it changed into a mastectomy and then, after my mastectomy, unfortunately, they found even more tumours.

“And my pathology wasn’t what we were expecting and then they found another type of cancer.”

She added: “For me, straightaway, (it) was just like my dancing, like you can take away my boob but you can’t take my dancing away from me.

“I was already upset about (it), and obviously, this year, it means I’m not (going to) be able to dance with a celebrity on Strictly but I’m in such regular contact with the team (and) the BBC have been just utterly incredible.

“We are just one big family and they’re going to be guided by me (and there are) so many ways to be involved in the show and I’m just staying really positive and hopeful that I’m still going to be part of the show in some way.”