Amy Dowden, the 32-year-old Strictly Come Dancing professional, has disclosed she has breast cancer.
Before her honeymoon with spouse Ben Jones, the dancer who joined the BBC One competition in 2017 and has danced with the likes of James Bye and Tom Fletcher, discovered a lump in her breast.
Taking to Instagram, Amy wrote: ‘Hey all, I’ve got some news which isn’t easy to share.
‘I’ve recently been diagnosed with breast cancer but I’m determined to get back on that dance floor before you know it.’
Her post was showered in support from her fellow Strictly stars, with Dianne Buswell writing: ‘Our Welsh dragon is going to fight this !!!! and I can not wait for the moment you are back on that dance floor with us. We love you so much Amy.’
Vito Coppola added ‘We are All with you Amy, by your side’, while Nadiya Bychkova wrote: ‘Amy darling Sending you all the love and the strength to get through this. Take care of yourself.’
Sharing her love, Oti Mabuse wrote: ‘Sending you love and power and all the strength 😍😍😍 – you’re such an incredible woman 💖 love you Amy! Take care of yourself.’
Fleur East added: ‘Amy! You’re in my thoughts and prayers! You have the best fighting spirit of anyone I know! Sending you so much love.’
Amy revealed: ‘I’ve been through quite a lot in my life and this is another hurdle.
‘But if I’m positive and strong, I’ve got a really good chance of getting back out on the dancefloor as soon as possible.’
She continued to Hello!: ‘You just don’t ever think it’s going to happen to you.
‘I hadn’t thought it was possible to get breast cancer at my age.’
Amy added that her mother had breast cancer in her fifties, and she expects to “turn this negative into a positive.”
She added: ‘With what I’ve done for Crohn’s, I want to do the same here.
‘If I can try and turn this negative into a positive, it’s going to help me get through this.’
Amy and Ben wed in Wales in July 2022, following two postponements caused by the pandemic.
