Amy Dowden withdraws from Strictly Come Dancing for surgery
Professional dancer Amy Dowden has withdrawn from Strictly Come Dancing after doctors advised her to undergo a second mastectomy.
Dowden, 35, confirmed the development in a video shared on Instagram on Monday, telling fans the surgery will take place this week. She stressed that the procedure is not linked to a new cancer diagnosis, but forms part of ongoing treatment following her battle with stage-three breast cancer in 2023, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
“I want to be clear that this is not to treat a new cancer diagnosis,” she said. “Following a recent appointment with my incredible medical team, we’ve decided I’ll be having another mastectomy this week. They’re confident that, all going well, I can expect a straightforward recovery.”
The Welsh dancer, who had previously undergone chemotherapy and a mastectomy after her diagnosis last year, said she will be cheering on her fellow contestants from home. “Of course I’m going to miss not being there so much, but I will be watching and supporting everyone. Once I have healed, I look forward to rejoining my Strictly family,” she added.
Dowden was partnered this season with entrepreneur and former The Apprentice contestant Thomas Skinner. The pair were eliminated in week two. Skinner recently made headlines after admitting he cheated on his wife shortly after their wedding, a revelation that drew significant media attention during the show’s early weeks.
This marks the second year Dowden has been forced to take a break from the BBC series due to health reasons. In 2023, she withdrew from the competition after suffering a stress fracture, having already missed the start of the season while undergoing cancer treatment.
Since her diagnosis, the Caerphilly-born dancer has been outspoken about raising awareness of breast cancer and chronic illness. She has documented her journey publicly and fronted two BBC documentaries — Strictly Amy: Cancer and Me and Strictly Amy: Crohn’s and Me, the latter highlighting her experience living with Crohn’s disease.
Earlier this year, Dowden was awarded an MBE for her charity work and efforts to support cancer awareness and inflammatory bowel disease research.
As fans rally behind her once more, Dowden thanked supporters for their messages and said she is focused on recovery. “Thank you always for all the support,” she wrote. “Welsh love, Amy.”
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