Strictly dancing pro Amy Dowden revealed she was finding her time on the latest series “very, very tough” – just hours before she had to be rushed to hospital.
Dowden, 34, collapsed backstage after her Halloween Week Foxtrot with celeb dance partner JB Gill.
The Welsh dancer was rushed to Barnet Hospital by ambulance, which her spokesperson described as a “precaution” after the star was reportedly “feeling unwell”.
The statement from Sunday continued: “She is feeling much better and would like to thank the Strictly family for their love and concern. We request Amy’s privacy in matters of health is kindly respected.”
Speaking about her time on the show just hours before the incident, Dowden warned she was finding the series “very, very tough”.
The 34-year-old explained the standards of this year’s outing were very high “as you can see with that [the Week Five] leaderboard”.
The pair danced a Foxtrot for Halloween Week
BBC
Her and Gill’s respectable scores usually place them midway up the leaderboard, but the public vote saw them face the dance-off in Week Five.
The pair survived by unanimous decision of the judges, sending home pundit Paul Merson and pro dance partner Karen Hauer.
Dowden said in a resurfaced interview with the Mail – conducted after Gill’s dance-off stint but prior to her hospital dash: “The reality is now that there are 10 couples left and two of them will be in the dance-off each week.
“But it’s happened, and we live to dance another day.”
The fan-favourite dancer will now miss next week’s edition of Strictly, where she and Gill were due to dance a Couple’s Choice routine.
Speaking to Strictly host Claudia Winkleman about the routine in Sunday’s results show, Gill said: “I’m beside myself, and Amy, of course, is gonna be so happy that we’re through to Icons Week. It’s an amazing feeling.”
Fellow pro dancer Lauren Oakley is stepping in to partner with Gill while Dowden recuperates.
Following the announcement of Dowden’s temporary withdrawal, Oakley took to social media to say: “Hope you’re (Dowden) back on the dance floor as soon as possible. I will look after @jbgill for you this week. I hope we make you proud.”
A BBC statement on the switch said Dowden is “delighted” Oakley is stepping in and concluded: “We are all hopeful that Amy will be back to dance with JB next week.”
Dowden had only recently returned to Strictly after missing last year’s series as she battled stage-three breast cancer.
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The fan-favourite has only recently returned from cancer treatment
She was forced to miss the 2023 series of the show after being diagnosed in May of the same year.
The Welsh dancer bravely faced chemotherapy, a mastectomy, fertility treatment and a near-death brush with sepsis all while dealing with Crohn’s disease, which she has had since childhood.
Earlier this year, Dowden announced scans showed there was “no evidence” of her breast cancer remaining and she was intending to return to Strictly as soon as she could.