Strictly Come Dancing star Amy Dowden, 35, was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer in 2023 and underwent chemotherapy and a mastectomy. The cruel illness nearly dashed her hopes of being a mother and her ballroom dancing career, with the Welsh dancer still undergoing medical treatment to this day.
Amy, who is currently in remission for her cancer, recently made a heartbreaking discovery about a family member when filming Who Do You Think You Are?, which airs tonight. Within the emotional episode, the Caerphilly native learns her great-grandmother was also diagnosed with breast cancer in her thirties, but sadly died. “As soon as I saw it was carcinoma, my heart ached for her,” Amy told The Telegraph ahead of the episode’s release.
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Amy Dowden after being made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (Image: Getty Images)
Reflecting on filming the BBC genealogy show, she said: “It was heartbreaking. The episode shows that I do get quite upset when I read about it. It was a tough discovery.”
Amy also shared a cancer update during her interview with the publication, saying she would not be here right now if Strictly Come Dancing bosses had not paired her with Tom Fletcher in 2021.
She did not check for lumps in her breasts regularly, but started doing so when McFly star Tom’s wife, Giovanna Fletcher, encouraged her to do so as she fundraises for the breast cancer awareness charity CoppaFeel!
Now, Amy is campaigning to promote better knowledge about the illness as well as Crohn’s Disease, which she was diagnosed with at the age of 11.
Addressing her aim to spread awareness, she said: “I get messages every day, people saying they’ve seen a GP because of me or that they’ve been diagnosed with breast cancer, but it’s early stages, because they started checking themselves.”
