Strictly Come Dancing sensation Amy Dowden appeared on BBC Breakfast on Wednesday morning, joined by her close pal and fellow Strictly professional, Carlos Gu. The pair were interviewed by Sally Nugent and Jon Kay about their highly anticipated tour, but the chat swiftly shifted focus to the much-loved BBC programme.
During this series, viewers watched as Amy Dowden partnered with JLS’s JB Gill. Unfortunately, due to an injury, Amy had to bow out of the contest, prompting Lauren Oakley to step in as JB’s new dance partner.
Despite her earlier departure from the competition, Amy made a welcome return for the group dance during Saturday night’s grand final, leaving fans delighted. At the outset of the interview, Sally enquired: “First of all, Amy, how are you?”
Amy responded positively: “I’m doing really well, thank you, yeah, really good. To dance in the final was just lush. Especially considering the two years that I’ve had, absolutely!
“Obviously, bittersweet. I would have loved to have been there dancing with JB and Lauren, but I’m so proud of them both. They achieved such incredible dances on the weekend.”
Sally was keen to delve into whether Amy believed she could make a comeback for the final after stepping down due to her injury, reports the Express. Amy confidently said: “That was my aim and I’m pretty determined! So yeah, that was the goal.”
Looking towards the future, Amy, along with Carlos, will hit the road for their UK tour titled Reborn next year. Pondering over the upcoming venture, the BBC presenter asked: “Do you feel like this (tour) is a bit like, it’s turning a page?”
Amy shared her personal journey, stating: “Yeah, for me, for sure. I hope to give a message as well, always stay true to yourself. But, that better times can come. For me it’s been quite a challenging few years.”
She elaborated on her intentions for the show, saying: “I want to show the challenge through the show, there’s going to be ups and downs, but I hope to give people confidence and uplift them. The truth behind the struggles but also, you can get through them and don’t get bitter get better.”
Looking ahead with optimism, Amy disclosed that her upcoming tour, kicking off in March, is providing her with a goal and something to eagerly anticipate. She admitted that it’s only of late that she has begun to regain her vitality.
She said: “During chemo, you feel so ill, so rotten and actually, only in the last few weeks I’ve felt like I’ve really got my energy back now. Whereas throughout the year last year, I was constantly feeling stronger and better, only in the last few weeks have I realised, yeah, actually I feel like back to the old Amy.”
Amy also mentioned her excitement about performing onstage with her best friend Carlos, who supported her during her cancer ordeal, adding: “Now I can push this on stage with my best friend Carlos, who was there throughout all of my cancer diagnosis”.
In May 2023, Amy received a grade three cancer diagnosis, which led to chemotherapy treatment and a mastectomy. In February of this year, she joyfully announced that her tests indicated she had “no evidence of disease”.