Strictly star Amy Dowden ruled out of show after dancer is rushed to hospital following backstage ‘medical emergency’

28 October 2024, 18:19 | Updated: 28 October 2024, 18:26

Strictly star Amy Dowden has been forced to step back from the show after the ballroom star collapsed during Saturday night’s live show.

The Welsh dancer, who has Crohn’s Disease and was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2023, was “doing much better” but will not be able to compete alongside her partner JB Gill this week.

She will be replaced by Lauren Oakley during this week’s training and Saturday and Sunday’s shows. Strictly bosses will then take a view on Dowden’s condition, The Sun reported.

A Strictly Come Dancing Spokesperson said: “Amy Dowden MBE is doing much better and the Strictly family send her love and wish her well.

“She is delighted that fellow professional dancer, Lauren Oakley, is able to step in for rehearsals and to perform in Saturday’s show for JB Gill’s Couple’s Choice dance.

“We are all hopeful that Amy will be back to dance with JB next week.”

During Saturday night’s medical emergency, the fire service and ambulance were called to Elstree Studios where they used specialist equipment to help her into the ambulance and keep her completely flat.

A spokesperson for the East of England Ambulance Service said: “We were called just after 9pm on Saturday to attend a medical emergency at Elstree Studios in Borehamwood.

“An ambulance was sent to the scene. One patient, an adult female, was transported to Barnet Hospital for further care.”

Dowden’s spokesperson told MailOnline following the emergency: “Amy was feeling unwell and so an ambulance was called as a precaution.

“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.”

Earlier on Saturday, Dowden had performed with her celebrity partner Gill. They rose to fifth on the leaderboard after the performance.

Her mother Gillian Dowden, 65, has also confirmed that she is doing well after being rushed to hospital.

Speaking at Amy’s family home in Caerphilly, South Wales, the mother told MailOnline: “We have talked today on the telephone and she is doing well.”

The Welsh dancer is said to be in remission from breast cancer after being diagnosed in May last year. She returned to Strictly after a two-year absence.

Dowden announced in February that she would return to the show this year, after a mastectomy and chemotherapy left her with “no evidence of disease” following tests.

Following her comeback, she said she was “so happy [she] could burst.”

Dowden was originally diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2023, after finding a lump the day before her honeymoon.