Strictly Come Dancing’s Amy Dowden announces huge change after cancer news

Strictly Come Dancing professional Amy Dowden has opened up about her cancer battle and how it has changed her outlook on life, as she considers new career opportunities

Strictly Come Dancing’s Amy Dowden has endured a challenging chapter in recent times, but now discloses how her struggles have enabled her to “see life in a different way” whilst exploring new professional ventures.

The Strictly professional was handed a grade III breast cancer diagnosis in May 2023, and several months later, doctors discovered “another type of cancer,” forcing her withdrawal from the upcoming Strictly series.

Now, the beloved Strictly star Amy is beginning to look towards the future once more.

Speaking to Heat Magazine, she said: “At the moment, I’m absolutely loving dancing, and that’s where I want to be. But I would love to do some more presenting.

“Having cancer has completely changed me – it’s made me see life in a different way. It’s made me realise that I need to grab hold of life and take every opportunity”, reports Wales Online.

Just 48 hours after commencing chemotherapy treatment, Amy was diagnosed with potentially fatal sepsis, Wales Online reports.

Looking back on the experience with Hello! Magazine, she explained: “I wasn’t feeling too bad that day, just sick, but a couple of hours later I started having a temperature of 37.7C.

“At the time, I didn’t realise that having a temperature of 37.5C or above could be fatal for a chemo patient. I just thought it was my reaction to chemo, but as it turned out, I had already got an infection.”

The infection escalated into a dire situation in hospital: “The doctors and nurses were telling me I had sepsis and that it was life-threatening but I wasn’t taking it in,” she confessed. “I didn’t become properly aware until later.”

Healthcare professionals successfully managed the sepsis, but Amy’s trials were far from over. After chemotherapy resulted in hair loss, she courageously appeared on Strictly sans wig.

However, a few months down the line, a fractured foot sidelined her from further participation in that year’s Strictly series. On a brighter note, recent medical checks revealed “no sign of the disease”, as per the doctors’ reports, though Amy emphasises that she won’t receive an official “all clear” verdict for another five years.