Strictly Come Dancing star Amy Dowden has been temporarily replaced by show bosses after suffering a ‘medical emergency’ backstage during Saturday’s live Halloween special.
The Welsh dancer, understood to be in remission from breast cancer, was admitted to hospital following a reported collapse at Elstree Studios, the BBC show’s Hertfordshire base.
Moments earlier, Dowden, 34, had performed the Foxtrot to Toploader hit Dancing In The Moonlight with her celebrity partner, JLS star JB Gill.
Strictly bosses have since replaced her with professional dancer Lauren Oakley, who was originally left without a partner for this year’s show, while she recuperates.
Oakley will rehearse with Gill in Dowden’s absence after the singer avoided the dance-off and finished fifth on the Strictly leader-board with a collective score of 32 from show judges Shirley Ballas, Motsi Mabuse, Craig Revel-Horwood and Anton du Beke.
Strictly Come Dancing star Amy Dowden has been temporarily replaced by show bosses after suffering a ‘medical emergency’ backstage during Saturday’s live Halloween special
Strictly bosses have replaced her with professional dancer Lauren Oakley, who was originally left without a partner for this year’s show, while she recuperates
A source told The Sun: ‘Lauren will be stepping in today to train with JB. It’s unclear when Amy will be back but everyone just wants her to rest and get better.’
Show insiders feared Dowden, who also battles Crohn’s disease, could quit the show following her collapse on Saturday evening.
The dancer, who missed the 2023 series of Strictly after being diagnosed with breast cancer, was forced to miss Sunday’s Results show, which was pre-recorded shortly after her collapse on Saturday night.
Now concerned insiders are worried she won’t be able to continue the competition, given the severity of her incident.
An insider told The Sun: ‘Amy was obviously in huge distress. Everyone around her was equally upset because they felt so helpless.
‘JB had to be given a hug. Even the medic who first attended to Amy needed support and consolation.
‘The only thing they could do was try to get her to hospital as quickly and safely as possible.’
Dowden was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer the day after she came home from her honeymoon with husband Ben Jones in 2023.
JLS star JB Gill was forced to stand solo for Sunday night’s pre-recorded results show after his partner collapsed backstage after filming wrapped on Saturday’s live special
The JLS star shared an Instagram message on Sunday as the pair made it through to another week, writing ‘on behalf of both @amydowden and I’
Show insiders feared Dowden, who also battles Crohn’s disease and is recovering from breast cancer, could quit the show following her collapse on Saturday evening
In what became the toughest year of her life, the Strictly Come Dancing star underwent a mastectomy, chemotherapy, fertility treatment and also almost died of sepsis.
The dancer has battled gut condition Crohn’s disease since she was a child and said she has already been through ‘quite a lot’ in her life with health struggles.
Gill shared an Instagram message on Sunday as the pair made it through to another week, writing ‘on behalf of both @amydowden and I.’
‘I just want to say a huge thank you to everyone for voting for us and wishing us well. We absolutely loved our performance on Saturday night and are SO grateful to be through to another week Thank you, thank you, thank you for your support.’
Giving an update to viewers at home as she opened Sunday’s results show, Tess Daly said: ‘Amy is unable to be with us for tonight’s show.’
Appearing solo on Sunday’s show, viewers also saw Gill tell co-host Claudia Winkleman: ‘Amy, of course is going to be so happy that we are through to Icon’s week.’
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.’
The dancer has battled gut condition Crohn’s disease since she was a child and said she has already been through ‘quite a lot’ in her life with health struggles
Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world and affects more than two MILLION women a year
Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world. Each year in the UK there are more than 55,000 new cases, and the disease claims the lives of 11,500 women. In the US, it strikes 266,000 each year and kills 40,000. But what causes it and how can it be treated?
What is breast cancer?
It comes from a cancerous cell which develops in the lining of a duct or lobule in one of the breasts.
When the breast cancer has spread into surrounding tissue it is called ‘invasive’. Some people are diagnosed with ‘carcinoma in situ’, where no cancer cells have grown beyond the duct or lobule.
Most cases develop in those over the age of 50 but younger women are sometimes affected. Breast cancer can develop in men, though this is rare.
Staging indicates how big the cancer is and whether it has spread. Stage 1 is the earliest stage and stage 4 means the cancer has spread to another part of the body.
The cancerous cells are graded from low, which means a slow growth, to high, which is fast-growing. High-grade cancers are more likely to come back after they have first been treated.
What causes breast cancer?
A cancerous tumour starts from one abnormal cell. The exact reason why a cell becomes cancerous is unclear. It is thought that something damages or alters certain genes in the cell. This makes the cell abnormal and multiply ‘out of control’.
Although breast cancer can develop for no apparent reason, there are some risk factors that can increase the chance, such as genetics.
What are the symptoms of breast cancer?
The usual first symptom is a painless lump in the breast, although most are not cancerous and are fluid filled cysts, which are benign.
The first place that breast cancer usually spreads to is the lymph nodes in the armpit. If this occurs you will develop a swelling or lump in an armpit.
How is breast cancer diagnosed?
- Initial assessment: A doctor examines the breasts and armpits. They may do tests such as a mammography, a special x-ray of the breast tissue which can indicate the possibility of tumours.
- Biopsy: A biopsy is when a small sample of tissue is removed from a part of the body. The sample is then examined under a microscope to look for abnormal cells. The sample can confirm or rule out cancer.
If you are confirmed to have breast cancer, further tests may be needed to assess if it has spread. For example, blood tests, an ultrasound scan of the liver or a chest X-ray.
How is breast cancer treated?
Treatment options which may be considered include surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and hormone treatment. Often a combination of two or more of these treatments are used.
- Surgery: Breast-conserving surgery or the removal of the affected breast depending on the size of the tumour.
- Radiotherapy: A treatment which uses high energy beams of radiation focused on cancerous tissue. This kills cancer cells, or stops them from multiplying. It is mainly used in addition to surgery.
- Chemotherapy: A treatment of cancer by using anti-cancer drugs which kill cancer cells, or stop them from multiplying.
- Hormone treatments: Some types of breast cancer are affected by the ‘female’ hormone oestrogen, which can stimulate the cancer cells to divide and multiply. Treatments which reduce the level of these hormones, or prevent them from working, are commonly used in people with breast cancer.
How successful is treatment?
The outlook is best in those who are diagnosed when the cancer is still small, and has not spread. Surgical removal of a tumour in an early stage may then give a good chance of cure.
The routine mammography offered to women between the ages of 50 and 71 means more breast cancers are being diagnosed and treated at an early stage.
For more information visit breastcancernow.org or call its free helpline on 0808 800 6000
Dowden had performed the Foxtrot to Toploader hit Dancing In The Moonlight with her celebrity partner, JLS star JB Gill, before falling ill on Saturday evening
A statement from Amy’s spokesperson confirmed: ‘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.’
Dowden’s world came crashing down when she was diagnosed with cancer the day after she came home from her honeymoon with dancer husband Ben Jones in 2023.
The dancer had found a lump in her breast the day before she flew to the Maldives.
While she hoped it could be cured by surgery, two months later in June doctors found another type of cancer.
While she will not get the all-clear for five years and will still need treatment, she thanked her family and friends for their support amid her ‘toughest year’.
Sharing a jubilant picture with Instagram followers, she wrote: ‘NO EVIDENCE OF DISEASE! Words I dreamed of! My biggest accomplishment yet!
The Welsh pro dancer has Crohn’s Disease and is believed to be in remission following a gruelling breast cancer battle
Dowden was diagnosed with breast cancer in May last year, and underwent a mastectomy in July, taking 2023 off from the BBC ballroom dance contest while she underwent treatment
‘I won’t be getting the all clear for 5 years especially with a hormone fed cancer. But it was all worth it. Words I never thought I’d hear at one point.
‘So grateful for all the care I received and continue to have.
‘To my husband, family and friends who supported me unconditionally and to you guys! Thank you!’
She continued: ‘I will still need a monthly injection for 5 years and regular check ups.
‘Chemo and this past year has certainly took its toll on my body both physically and mentally, so I’ll be taking the next few months to heal and recover.
‘I have so much to strive and live for, and so grateful for another chance at life! Something I know not all get. I certainly see life differently and my life has changed forever!’