Amy Dowden returns to dancing after being forced to pull out of Strictly over medical emergency
AMY Dowden has returned to dancing after being forced to pull out of Strictly over a medical emergency.
The fan-favourite pro returned to the BBC ballroom last year after being forced to miss 2023 over her cancer diagnosis.
However, Amy – who was partnered JLS star JB Gill – then had to withdraw following a medical emergency.
Now Amy has revealed she’s back on the dance floor, after performing with her fellow Strictly pro Carlos Gu.
A video posted to Instagram showed the pair effortlessly performing a routine to a packed function room.
Amy, 34, promoted her upcoming tour with Carlos by linking to their official website.
They’ll both hit the road with their ‘Reborn’ show throughout March and April with 22 shows planned up and down the country.
When Amy was forced to pull out of Strictly’s 20th series the star blamed an “insufficiency stress fracture” on her shin for the decision.
She previously said: “Unfortunately I have an insufficiency fracture on my shin, if I’ve said that right.
“Nothing to do with my injury last year. So yeah, I’m just absolutely gutted that I need to rest for a couple of weeks.”
Meanwhile, last November Amy marked a year since she finished chemotherapy for stage three breast cancer.
Reflecting on the past year, Amy said she felt “so proud” of what she has achieved and shared a video to Instagram that showed a clip from the day she rung a bell signalling her last round of treatment on November 9 2023.
She said: “Since 09.11.2023 I made a promise to myself that I’d always go grab life, what @nicknacklou (Nicky Newman) taught me.
“At the time I didn’t know what was ahead, awaiting tests and I guess the hardest part yet the long recovery from what chemo and surgery does to you.
“I was a ‘new’ me but deep inside found I had zero confidence. Even until late spring I wasn’t sure I had the confidence to dance again.
“I just didn’t feel like me. But I’m so glad I pushed through because it’s what has made me truly happy again.
“Although today I’m not celebrating how I imagined and so wanted to.
“I’ve made myself look back on the last year and feel so proud of all I have achieved, and what I would have told the struggling Amy back last December and January what was ahead.
“But importantly I’m alive and living life to the full.”
Strictly Amy's cancer 'nightmare'
The Sun's Jamie Downham takes a look at the beloved Strictly star's ups and downs...
AS Strictly Come Dancing viewers know, you’ll struggle to catch Amy Dowden without a huge smile on her face.
But recently the Welsh star – one the best-rated Ballroom and Latin American professional dancers the UK has ever produced – has suffered a string of “nightmare” blows to her health.
She was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer in May last year and underwent a full mastectomy, before having chemotherapy towards the end of 2023.
However, she later reported docs had found a clot on her lung, telling fans sadly: “Unfortunately I’ve had another nightmare this week.”
Nonetheless, brave Amy, seen here dancing with James Bye, made an epic return to Strictly the following month with an appearance that left many viewers in floods tears.
As 2024 dawned, she admitted: “I feel I was robbed of the year I had planned and reflecting for me makes me upset and angry.”
However, she was soon smiling again. Amy, her hair starting to grow back after her cancer treatment, was seen messing around with her co-stars Dianne Buswell and Vito Coppola on the Strictly tour earlier this month.
And despite another spell in hospital in February, she still mustered a cheeriness many would struggle for, telling fans: “The sun is shining – and I certainly can’t wait for Spring.”
And we certainly can’t wait to see you dancing again, Amy…