Amy Dowden beams as she surprises Strictly co-stars after pulling out of show following cancer diagnosis
Amy Dowden has been updating fans regularly in her fight against breast cancer
INSTAGRAM/AMY DOWDEN
Strictly Come Dancing star Amy Dowden may not be competing with a famous face on the BBC show when it returns later this year, but she's proven she's still a much-loved part of proceedings with her latest update.
Dowden, who revealed her breast cancer diagnosis in May and confirmed "another type of cancer" had been found recently, was all smiles as she "surprised" her "Strictly family" on day one of rehearsals.
"I surprised the gang!" Dowden captioned the shot of her and her Strictly cast mates. "Just what I needed! Seeing the @bbcstrictly family!"
Going to be an amazing series and I can’t wait to watch you all shine and be with you all when I can! #strictlyfamily #justwhatineeded #keepdancing."
Dowden then shared a snap just hours after of her reuniting with former celebrity partner Tom Fletcher and his wife Giovanna.
"Followed by the Fletcher house hold love!" Dowden wrote. "Chats, tea, biscuits, chickens, hide and seek and a rrrrrrrreally good catch up which was soooooo needed!
Amy Dowden surprised her co-stars by turning up to day one of Strictly rehearsals
INSTAGRAM/AMY DOWDEN
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"Thank you @tomfletcher @mrsgifletcher. Had the perfect day ahead of the next journey which begins tomorrow. Thank you so much." (sic)
The professional dancer candidly opened up about the discovery of more tumours in an Instagram Live last week.
As a result, she admitted she wouldn't be able to compete on Strictly this year although she remains in "regular contact" with the team.
She praised the BBC during the chat with Paralympian and breast cancer survivor Erin Kennedy for charity CoppaFeel! as she remarked: "The BBC have just been utterly incredible.
"We are just one big family and they're going to be guided by me and there's so many ways to be involved in the show."
Following the discovery of another type of cancer, Dowden also opened up on how the plans to battle her breast cancer were thrown out of the window.
"I was originally going to have a lumpectomy, radiotherapy and hormone treatment," she said on the social media site.
Dowden continued: "But then, after my MRI, they found another tumour so then it changed into a mastectomy and then, after my mastectomy, unfortunately, they found even more tumours.
"And my pathology wasn't what they were expecting, and they found another type of cancer and then they told me I needed chemo – for me that was a massive blow.
"It wasn't in the plan, originally – and I know the plan you can't get fixated on," Dowden added before admitting she was "scared" by the results.
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Amy Dowden also reunited with former Strictly partner Tom Fletcher and his wife Giovanna
INSTAGRAM/TOM FLETCHER
However, she tries to remain upbeat after an oncologist told her "that with chemo I've got a really good chance of a cure".
Dowden delved further to Kennedy: "I was really scared and I didn't want to do chemo but then seeing someone like yourself who's carried on and for me straight away it was my dancing, like, you can take away my boob but you can't take my dancing away from me and that's what I get really upset about.
Inevitably, hoards of fans and well wishes flooded Dowden with their messages of support after she revealed the news of her "other cancer".
The Welsh dancer thanked everyone for their support as she shared a statement on her Instagram Story which read: "Just want to thank everyone for their love and support.
"I'll tackle this next step the best I can and very blessed to have the love and support of my family and friends along with you guys, thank you!
"The rest of the year looked very different to what was planned but hopefully I'll enter 2024 cancer free and I'll never take anything for granted and promise to live life to the full!"
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