Strictly's Amy Dowden put 'strain' on herself to dance again after cancer

Strictly Come Dancing star Amy Dowden has said she placed enormous pressure on herself to return to dancing after a cancer diagnosis. Diagnosed with grade three breast cancer in May 2023 at age 32, Dowden said she found a lump the day before her honeymoon. The Welsh dancer, who became Strictly's first Welsh professional in 2017, has spoken publicly about the treatment she undertook, including a mastectomy, chemotherapy, and fertility work, in interviews and a BBC documentary.

Speaking on the Breast Cancer Uncovered podcast ahead of the 2025 series, Dowden described how she became fixated with returning to dance during the height of her illness. She told her breast surgeon, Dr Naren Basu, that she felt pressure to get back on the dance floor and that her diary went from booked and busy to a complete standstill after her diagnosis. Dowden recalled asking doctors to remove both breasts to reduce the risk of cancer returning in the other breast, then noted that a focus on cancer would come first and that reconstructive decisions could wait. Dowden said she was emotional about the future and the possibility of recurrence, and acknowledged she hadn’t initially considered all options.

Dowden eventually underwent a mastectomy and said she initially dismissed reconstructive surgery before deciding to have an implant, something she is now thankful for. She noted that there are several options when it comes to reconstruction, including implants to replace all or some breast tissue, using existing body tissue to create a shape, or a combination of implant and tissue. Dowden says her wish to get back on the dance floor influenced her views on having a double mastectomy, and she has since expressed satisfaction with her implant.

Her surgeon, Dr Basu, said cancer among women aged 25-50 tends to appear at a more advanced stage, when the tumor is larger and may have spread to the lymph nodes. He also noted that breast density, which is higher in younger women’s tissue, can make breast cancer harder to identify on a mammogram. Dowden has said she was told her cancer was very aggressive, a pattern often seen in younger women with hormonal cancers, which are typically estrogen-driven and may require anti-oestrogen treatments that can affect fertility.

To protect her fertility, Dowden underwent fertility treatment to save five embryos before chemotherapy and anti-oestrogen therapy, and she was put into an early menopause as a result. She has discussed the impact on her hopes of motherhood in her BBC documentary Strictly Amy: Cancer And Me. Doctors have advised delaying pregnancy for some years to maximize fertility outcomes, with some recommending around ten years of anti-oestrogen treatment for optimal results. Dowden has always wanted to be a mum and has continued to speak openly about her journey to raise awareness about breast cancer.

Dowden also faced a setback in the form of a foot injury that forced her to pull out of last year's Strictly series when she was paired with JB Gill. She returned to the Strictly lineup in 2024, but was forced to withdraw again after a stress fracture in her foot. Despite these challenges, she has remained determined and says she is on a mission to raise awareness about breast cancer.

The launch show of Strictly Come Dancing will be broadcast on BBC One and BBC iPlayer at 18:40 BST on 20 September.