Strictly Come Dancing professional Amy Dowden has reflected on the changes she has experienced since finding a lump in her breast two years ago.
The Welsh dancer, 34, revealed she had been diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2023 after finding a lump in April, the day before going to the Maldives on her honeymoon with fellow professional dancer Ben Jones.
Dowden said “so much has changed since then” in a post to Instagram on Saturday, and added that she is “so proud” of how far she has come.
After her diagnosis, Dowden had a mastectomy and underwent chemotherapy. Her treatment meant she was unable to compete with a celebrity partner on Strictly in 2023.
“Two years ago I found my lump and my gut instinct told me it wasn’t good”, Dowden wrote in an online post.
“I was in Blackpool about to do a full day in the ballroom with all my students.
“That morning in the shower is when my heart sunk. I was also flying off on my long-awaited honeymoon the next day.
“I knew in my gut it wasn’t right. The entire time I was away I was checking it everyday and googling when Ben wasn’t looking.
“I remember one day cycling back to our villa and actually thinking this might be my last holiday. Your mind spirals so quickly.
“It’s crazy how dates become so significant after a cancer diagnosis. So much has changed since then but I am so proud of how far I’ve come.”
In 2024, Dowden said she would be making her way back to the dancefloor, however, she was forced to pull out of Strictly midway through the 20th-anniversary series due to an injury.
On Friday, the BBC confirmed that the dancer would be returning for Strictly’s 2025 series.
Celebrating this, Dowden posted a photo of her taken on Friday, after her Strictly return was confirmed, and another from when she was undergoing treatment.
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She said the pictures show “two very different versions of me”.
Amy Dowden, JB Gill and Lauren Oakley during the Strictly Come Dancing – The Live Tour launch (Jacob King/PA)
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“I constantly dreamed about getting the old ‘me’ back and you know what, this year has been everything, and so much more, two back-to-back dancing tours-my body feeling stronger and fitter than ever”, she said.
“2025 I always said sounded like a good year.
“But what I have certainly learnt along the way is not to compare myself to others, learning the full process of recovery has its hurdles, takes the time it needs, both physically and mentally.
“I have learnt to be kind to myself!
“I always told myself during treatment this too shall pass and my fav moto of all time don’t get bitter get better.
“BUT what I really want to say and to get across is always trust your gut! You know your own body, don’t be scared to see your GP and express how you feel.
“Trust your instincts, trust your gut and remember you know YOU better than anyone else!”
Amy Dowden after being made an MBE at Buckingham Palace (Jonathan Brady/PA)
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Dowden documented her cancer experience online and revealed in February 2024 that “no evidence of disease” was found at her latest health check.
Earlier in the month, she completed her Reborn tour with fellow Strictly Come Dancing professional Carlos Gu, which followed on from the Strictly live tour.
Her cancer treatment and experience with Crohn’s disease have been depicted in the BBC documentaries Strictly Amy: Cancer And Me and Strictly Amy: Crohn’s And Me.
Dowden was formally made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) earlier in the year for services to fundraising and raising awareness of the inflammatory bowel disease.
