Strictly Come Dancing’s Amy Dowden was left “devastated” after having to withdraw from this year’s competition due to a stress fracture on her shin.
However, the 34-year-old has revealed she is now back on her feet and working with physiotherapists in preparation for her return to the dance floor. This comes as Amy is set to appear on the Strictly arena tour before embarking on her own Reborn tour with fellow professional Carlos Gu.
Just over eight weeks ago, Amy had to pull out of Strictly after suffering an “insufficiency stress fracture” on her shin. The star was left “heartbroken” as she believed she could have made it to the final with JLS singer JB Gill.
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Amy had returned to the series after missing the 2023 competition following her cancer diagnosis, stating that the thought of dancing on Strictly helped her through her illness. Speaking to The Guardian, she said: “I was devastated and I really struggled because Strictly was my aim since the words: ‘Amy, you’ve got cancer.’ That was the goal, to get back to the dance floor – and that’s all that was in my mind for 20 months.”
Amy says she was “heartbroken, absolutely gutted” to withdraw from the competition but praised professional dancer Lauren Oakley for stepping in. JB and Lauren came runners-up in the competition behind Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell, reports Wales Online.
Having to withdraw from the show was particularly frustrating for Amy, who says she doubted whether she would even dance again while undergoing cancer treatment last year. She admits she would have liked to carry on, but the Strictly physios “want to protect” the dancers.
Despite these setbacks, the dancer is optimistic about joining the 21st series of the show, which she feels could help her reclaim her sense of self, describing dance as her “happy place”.
Feeling stronger and already back in training, Amy is eagerly anticipating her return for the Strictly arena tour. With the support of her gym and physio team, plus regular dance practice, she said: “I’m feeling so much stronger. I’m at the gym, I’m working with my physio team, I’m having dance lessons.”
She reflected on the unfortunate nature of her health issues, remarking, “It was just very unlucky – could have happened to anyone. But typically, if something is going to go wrong, it happens to me.”
Ahead of the Strictly final last month, JB, 38, paid tribute to Amy. He said: “She’s been a huge support from day one, but even when she was not working with me anymore, she’s been massively in our corner wanting us to do well, sending messages and checking how things are going, asking how our week is.”