Amy Dowden: Sara Davies says it was her "mission" to befriend Strictly Come Dancing star

Dragons’ Den entrepreneur Sara Davies has said she made it her “mission” to have Amy Dowden as a friend when she appeared on Strictly Come Dancing.

The pair, who first met when Davies appeared as a contestant on Strictly in 2021, will compete against each other on Tuesday in BBC Two series Celebrity Antiques Road Trip. In a new clip for the show, Davies says: “Did you know I actually made it my mission to make you my friend?”

The Caerphilly-born dancer, 33, responded saying: “We just hit it off though, didn’t we? We supported each other and I loved seeing you and having our debrief on a Friday in the studio.”

Davies said: “No, no, no, it wasn’t just … I was making a beeline! I decided that the only person I was really hoping to make friends with that I hadn’t was Amy Dowden.”

The 39-year-old businesswoman had been partnered with Slovenian dancer Aljaz Skorjanec when she was eliminated during the 19th series of BBC One show Strictly. During Celebrity Antiques Road Trip, Davies and Dowden will begin their journey in Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne, before travelling through antique shops in Whitley Bay, Langley Moor and Hartlepool.

Harrogate will be the setting for their auction finale and they will see cranberry finger bowls, boudoir chairs, Georgian shoe buckles, and a set of bronze dragon heads along the way. Antiques experts Natasha Raskin Sharp and Steven Moore will be on hand to help them as the celebrities drive in a 1985 Ford Cortina.

Professional dancer Dowden has not been partnered with a celebrity on the latest Strictly as she undergoes treatment for breast cancer. She has been detailing her health on social media, including having a mastectomy and chemotherapy, as she tries to raise awareness about the condition.

Celebrity Antiques Road Trip airs on Tuesday at 7pm on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer.