Strictly star Amy Dowden gobsmacked after receiving letter from the King and Queen
Strictly Come Dancing star Amy Dowden admitted she was in shock after receiving a letter from King Charles and Queen Camilla inviting her to Buckingham Palace today. The much-loved professional dancer, 34, who is recovering from breast cancer, is on her way to London following her admirable campaigning to raise awareness about the disease.
Sharing a snap of her special invite while on the train today, Amy tagged the post with a number of shocked, heart and tearful emojis as she winged her way to the palace. The invitation, which was personally addressed to the Welsh wonder, read: "The Master of the Household is commanded by their Majesties to invite Ms Amy Dowden to a Reception to be given recognition of Community-Based Cancer support at Buckingham Palace by the King on Wednesday 30th April, 2025 at 6pm."
The decorated dancer was diagnosed with grade three aggressive breast cancer in May 2023. Amy had been on her honeymoon with husband, Ben Jones, when she discovered a lump in her breast.
However, she remained positive despite her heartbreaking diagnosis and numerous setbacks and regularly updated her followers, telling fellow cancer sufferers she was 'there with them'.
Both Amy's first and second cycles of chemotherapy resulted in emergency hospital stays and life-threatening complications, including sepsis and blood clots.
She later underwent a mastectomy and has since completed her chemotherapy treatments but was unable to compete in the 2023 series of Strictly.
In July 2023, she received a second diagnosis for "another type of cancer", and began chemotherapy in August. In February last year, the Strictly star revealed her latest health check showed "no evidence of disease", describing the news from doctors as "words I dreamed of" and her "biggest accomplishment yet".
Much to fans' delight Amy, whose BBC documentary, Strictly Amy: Cancer and Me, gave an honest portrayal of the reality of living with breast cancer, returned to Strictly last year with JLS star, JB Gill, but heartbreakingly had to pull out of the show after suffering a foot injury.
Following the announcement, she said in an Instagram post: "The past few months I finally felt like me again. Cancer was no longer the first thing I thought of when I woke up. It was choreography, music choices, which dances in which order, what we needed to work on. I felt free again.
"My goal since hearing those words, 'You have cancer' was to get back on the Strictly dancefloor. It's been such a challenge to get back, one I devoted 2024 to which, with my incredible team, we got there. Something I wanted to do for myself and loved ones."
Amy has also been made an MBE for her services to Crohn's disease 'on behalf' of those who live with the incurable inflammatory bowel disease.
While the dancer is known for her positive vibes and dazzling dance moves while competing on the dance floor, it has been her admirable openness about her health struggles that has brought her even closer to viewers at home.
As an advocate and ambassador for the charity Crohn's & Colitis UK, she was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the King's Birthday Honours for her services to fundraising and raising awareness of the disease.
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