Emotional return to Strictly Come Dancing for Amy Dowden
It was an emotional moment for Amy Dowden as she made a surprise return back to Strictly Come Dancing.
On Saturday night, the 33-year-old made her first appearance on the BBC show since starting her cancer treatment, bursting through a special entrance way to join the current cast and presenter Claudia Winkleman.
Claudia Winkleman said: "Now it's time for the terms and conditions, and to read them is a very special member of our Strictly family.
"The dancer from Caerphilly underwent a mastectomy after discovering a lump back in April
"We have missed her so much and are delighted she is well enough to be back with us tonight."
Wearing a glittering white dress, Amy, who is from Caerphilly, but runs a dance school in Cradley in Dudley, was greeted warmly by the audience and cast, who cheered her on with chants of "Amy".
Amy then read the terms and conditions for the show to inform the public about the rules for voting before having a quick chat with Claudia Winkleman about her treatment and health.
She said: "I'm doing really well, I'm over half way through treatment.
"I can't wait to be back with you all permanently."
It was a welcome return to the popular BBC programme for the dancer, who was diagnosed with breast cancer after finding a lump on her breast the day before going to the Maldives on her honeymoon with fellow professional dancer Ben Jones.
She said after realising the lump had grown after her holiday, she went to the GP before being sent for an emergency referral.
She then found out in May that she had stage three breast cancer and had a mastectomy, but doctors found more tumours and another type of cancer in June, which meant she was not able to compete on this year’s Strictly Come Dancing.
She also ended up in hospital in August after a bout of sepsis, saying on Instagram that she was treated in intensive care after her first round of chemotherapy.
She wrote: “I recently suffered a setback in my cancer treatment and spent several days in hospital and needing care by an ICU team.”
However, despite her illness and treatment, Amy, who runs Art in Motion Dance Academy in Cradley, said in a recent interview with rower Erin Kennedy that she was thankful for the support from her dancing family.
She said: "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.”
