Strictly Come Dancing's Amy Dowden's hidden health struggles after cancer battle
Strictly Come Dancing professional Amy Dowden has been open about her health struggles, including her battle with Crohn's disease and her devastating breast cancer diagnosis
Amy received an MBE at Buckingham Palace
(Image: James Veysey/REX/Shutterstock)
Strictly Come Dancing star Amy Dowden, who has courageously confronted her own medical battles including Crohn's disease and breast cancer, was awarded an MBE by the King at Buckingham Palace earlier this year.
The Welsh professional dancer was honoured for her remarkable charity efforts and for highlighting awareness about inflammatory bowel disease, a condition she has fought since her youth. Amy initially revealed her struggle with Crohn's in 2019 and documented her experience in the BBC programme 'Strictly Amy: Crohn's And Me'.
Despite enduring symptoms such as diarrhoea, abdominal pain, exhaustion, and weight loss, Amy determined not to allow the condition to derail her dancing ambitions.
She actually performed through a flare-up during her 2019 Strictly partnership with McFly's Tom Fletcher, which saw her temporarily staying at his home. "I have always been driven to win, so Crohn's was never going to hold me back," Amy said, demonstrating her determination.
Speaking on the Monday Mile podcast, she discussed with presenter Aimee Fuller how she coped with up to five "blackouts" daily, alongside other symptoms she has managed throughout the years, reports OK!.
Amy was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer in 2023
(Image: Instagram/Amy Dowden)
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Amy's world was then shattered when she received the devastating news of a stage three breast cancer diagnosis in 2023, forcing her to step away from performing. Bravely enduring a mastectomy and chemotherapy treatment, Amy revealed in February last year that there was "no evidence of disease" following her emotional bell-ringing ceremony in November, reports the Mirror.
However, her health battle continued as she faced further challenges, including medically induced menopause and fertility complications. Before beginning her cancer treatment, medical professionals cautioned that it would trigger early menopause, leading her to undergo an egg retrieval process to safeguard the chance of having children with her partner, Ben Jones, at a later date.
Amy Dowden and husband Benjamin Jones
While preparing for her documentary 'Strictly Amy: Cancer and Me' which aired last year, Amy explained to the BBC: "I had a hormone-fed cancer, so they needed to put me into menopause because my hormones were feeding the cancer. My whole body was feeding cancer. But also because I was having chemotherapy and as amazing as chemotherapy is, it destroys a lot of cells in your body. Your eggs, your ovaries, everything can be damaged and not necessarily reboot again."
She added: "Since we got married, the question we're asked the most is 'When are you going to have kids?' and my body can't go through that right now. You produce so many hormones when you're pregnant, I'd be at such a high risk of my cancer returning. Of course, we want children, but we still don't know. There are so many options, which we're grateful for. With fertility and the pressure in general, you don't know what someone is going through. People should bear that in mind. We need to educate."
Amy also expressed her aspirations for motherhood during an appearance on Lorraine Kelly's 'What If?' Podcast alongside her daughter Rosie Smith. "We would love a family," she admitted.
Doctors confirmed there was no evidence of cancer in February last year
(Image: Getty Images)
"We've got embryos because, obviously, I've got a hormone-fed cancer, so I was put into menopause, which happened the day I started chemo," she went on to clarify.
"So, in a couple of years, when they feel it's safe, hopefully, we'll have the opportunity. And if not, there's still lots of other opportunities, which we have spoken about. Hopefully in years to come we'll be lucky enough to become parents, too, but [we're] taking every day as it comes."
Amy also made an appearance on Loose Women alongside her Strictly partner Carlos Gu earlier this month, during which she outlined her family plans with Ben.
Amy was placed into medically induced menopause following her cancer treatment and has faced fertility difficulties
(Image: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
When questioned by Ayda Field about her current position on this path, Amy replied: "So at the moment it would be too soon. I have been put into early menopause and it would be too dangerous now to consider it."
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She expressed her sincere longing, saying: "But I really want to be a mum, I've always wanted to be a mum. We do have five embryos, and I hope one day, if it's safe to do so, I do get the privilege and honour to be someone's mum."
The audience responded with enthusiastic applause whilst Ruth Langsford offered encouragement, telling her: "You've achieved so much, you're such an inspiration to everybody."
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