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BBC Strictly Come Dancing favourite Amy Dowden has revealed she's stepping away from the series temporarily as she prepares for major surgery this week. The Welsh professional dancer, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2023, is having a second mastectomy this week, she told her Instagram followers. However, she emphasised that this isn't due to a new cancer diagnosis. Amy, 35, initially discovered a lump in her breast the day before flying to the Maldives on honeymoon with fellow professional dancer Ben Jones, and following tests upon her return, it was confirmed she had breast cancer. Following a break from Strictly for treatment, she made her comeback in 2024 but had to withdraw due to an injury. This year, she was partnered with controversial The Apprentice star Thomas Skinner, who became the first to be eliminated. In a video posted on Instagram on Monday, Amy shared her update and posted a statement. The full statement says: "Hey everyone, As you all know I've always been very open about my health and the care I receive," reports Wales Online . "So I'd like to start by being clear what I am about to share is not to treat a new cancer diagnosis. However following a recent appointment with my incredible medical team, we've decided that I'll be having another mastectomy this week. "They're confident that, all going well, I can expect a straightforward recovery. Once I have healed I look forward to rejoining my strictly family. "Of course I'm going to miss not being there so much but I will be watching from home and look forward to cheering everyone on. Thank you always for all the support. Welsh love Amy." Amy was flooded with messages of support from her friends and fellow dancers. Co-star Dianne Buswell wrote: "we love you Amy," whilst Karen Hauer commented: "Sending all the love." Her former dance partner Tom Fletcher said: "All the love to you my wonderful friend. X" Meanwhile, Thomas Skinner added: "Love ya Amy. Hope it all goes well. You are a legend." The dancer recently spoke candidly about the emotional impact of her breast cancer diagnosis on The Dr Hilary Show podcast. Amy explained how her initial MRI scan failed to reveal the full extent of her cancer. She revealed: "I went for my MRI, and the lump was much bigger than they realized, along with some other tumors. Then the decision was made for a mastectomy. "After the surgery, they said I had two types of breast cancer. They knew I had ductal cancer before, but now I had both. When the surgeon sent my breast tissue to pathology, the surgeon said he wasn't expecting this-it was also lobular." Strictly Come Dancing is on BBC One and BBC iPlayer
