Amy Dowden reveals new cancer scare that put Strictly Come Dancing return in jeopardy

Amy, 34, was forced to quit the show after being diagnosed with grade three breast cancer in May 2023. As her condition progressed doctors went onto find “more tumours” and “another type of cancer”, with the TV star undergoing a mastectomy.

In February 2024, she announced that there was no longer any “evidence of disease”, with an announcement coming in June that she would be returning to Strictly Come Dancing as a professional dancer. However, as revealed in her new BBC documentary ‘Amy Dowden: Fight Of My Life’, her planned return was thrown into jeopardy when her health took a turn for the worse.

Results from an annual MRI and mammogram put the talented dancer “back on hold”, with doctors telling Amy that she has widespread calcium deposits in one of her breasts with doctors concerned that it may be the “precursor to invasive breast cancer”. Amy said in the documentary: "It felt crushing, I felt sick to my core and so many sleepless nights worried."

Amy was rushed to hospital for further testing, with doctors later confirming that all abnormalities were benign, with Amy given the all-clear to return to the BBC One competition show full time. The dancer, from Caerphilly, said that she was “so relieved it was unreal”.

She is now set to take part in the 20th anniversary series, which is set to begin later this year on BBC One. Celebrity contestants taking part in this year’s series include Toyah Willcox, Pete Wicks, Sam Quek and Nick Knowles. Also joining the line-up are Paul Merson, Montell Douglas, Tom Dean, Jamie Borthwick, Sarah Hadland, Shayne Ward, Tasha Ghouri, Dr Punam Krishnan, Wynne Evans, JB Gill and Chris McCausland.