Copyright manchestereveningnews
Strictly Come Dancing star Amy Dowden has said that her partnership with Tom Fletcher ‘saved her life’ following her health update. The 35-year-old professional dancer was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2023 after discovering a lump shortly before her and her husband Ben Jones’ honeymoon. Undergoing a single mastectomy and chemotherapy treatment at the time, Amy has been providing her fans with health updates and raising cancer awareness ever since. The Welsh native revealed on Monday (November 3) that she’s going to have a second mastectomy performed this week. Taking to Instagram to break the news, Amy said that the surgery was the next step following a recent appointment and wasn’t to treat a new cancer. Sharing a statement on Instagram, she wrote: "As you all know I’ve always been very open about my health and the care I receive. “So I’d like to start by being clear that 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.” On Wednesday night’s (November 5) episode of It Takes Two, a video package played of Amy, who competed with Thomas Skinner on the programme this year, having her say on her highlights since joining the programme in 2017. When it comes to the partners she’s had on Strictly over the years, Amy highlighted her time with McFly’s Tom Fletcher, with the pair eliminated during musicals week in 2021 following a dance-off with Rhys Stephenson and Nancy Xu. “I love watching my partners grow in confidence and fall in love with Strictly, with Tom Fletcher. I’ll never forget that Paso Doble. “It was a dance he was quite nervous of, he was like ‘I’m not masculine, I’m not strong, how am I going to do the Paso Doble’. “Do you know what? Tom danced it perfectly, I loved that I could put so many typical Paso Doble, Matador and Flamingo elements in there. I think he then started to believe in himself and knew he could do it,” she said. Amy went on to reveal that her partnership with Tom ‘ultimately saved her life’ due to charity work he was taking part in. She explained Tom and Giovanna [Falcone, Tom’s wife] worked very closely with breast cancer charities and that is what led to me finding my tumour and was diagnosed with cancer. Without Tom, I wouldn’t be here now. “I finished my treatment in the November, Strictly being amazing, still found a way of me being part of the show. “Me being able to perform in that number gave me the hope that ‘I’m going to be back next year’. It was the hope I needed and was just everything.” Having had to take a year off from the programme, Amy returned to Strictly last year, prior to pulling out due to injury, with JLS singer JB Gill . “It was like a strong, powerful, sexy and determined Amy. I was dressed in hot pink to represent breast cancer. “All my family were in the audience. I remember my parents crying their eyes out. It was the first time they watched me since everything. “Amy was back where she belongs, Amy’s home. My Strictly memories is something that will stay close in my heart forever,” she noted.
