In May 2023, Strictly Come Dancing professional Amy Dowden received devastating news: she had breast cancer. In an instant, her world was turned upside down. The diagnosis came just one day before her honeymoon, after she discovered a lump and her worst fears were confirmed. Amy and her husband, Ben, had dreams of starting a family, and she had been looking forward to returning to Strictly later that year—a show she had long aspired to be part of since childhood. Instead, she faced the toughest year of her life, fighting for her health, her fertility, and her chance to dance again.
This intimate documentary captures Amy's journey from just six days after her diagnosis. Determined to make a difference, Amy made the courageous choice to share her experience, regardless of what lay ahead, hoping to raise awareness about the realities of facing cancer at a young age. At 32, she never imagined this would happen to her.
Interview with Amy Dowden
Inviting the cameras in after such a life-changing diagnosis is an extraordinarily brave decision. Can you tell us a little about how the documentary came to be and why you wanted to make it?
At the time I was filming my BBC series Dare To Dance. The producer (who has produced and directed this documentary) could tell something wasn't right that week before when I was waiting for my results. I knew the crew and after my Crohn's documentary, I knew the impact that made and how it made me accept my condition for the first time ever. I felt straight away, well maybe I could make a difference.
I never thought I would ever, ever be diagnosed with breast cancer at 32. I only came across it because I was checking myself. If I wasn't, I might not be here right now because I had Grade 3, the most aggressive type of cancer. If it can raise awareness and ten people start checking themselves from watching this documentary, I could potentially save a life.
Being in the public eye, I knew I wasn't going to be able to shy away from it. It was scary and daunting and I did have friends and family saying 'are you sure you want to do this? But it gave me a focus as well throughout all of this.
We see in the documentary you sharing your story on social media from the beginning, what has it been like experiencing the huge response there has been to that?
It's been unbelievable. So many people reached out to me and that made me not feel alone. Like I was the only 32 year old going through this - fertility treatment and chemotherapy, losing my hair.
This girl, Kelly, messaged me to say she was going through exactly the same thing as me and I made her no longer feel alone. And as awful as it was, she thanked me for sharing it. That for me straight away gave me the courage, like I'd done the right thing.
I wanted to be honest. I didn't want people to think I wasn't present because of my Crohn's Disease. I can remember in the lead up to chemotherapy, there was one young lady who - again - in her late 20's - had just completed chemo so I was messaging her asking so many questions. It became a real community for me online, which helped me equally. That I relied on and would never have had, if I had never spoken about it on social media.
We see your best friend Jenny, who had breast cancer herself, supporting you through your first chemo session - what are your memories of that time?
I was petrified. I was scared. I was emotional. I didn't want to do it. I wanted to be at Strictly with my best friends who were sat in rehearsals. I didn't want to lose my hair. I didn't want to be ill. I don't think I would have gone through those doors of chemo if it wasn't for Jenny. She kept telling me I can do this, saying 'look at me now' and 'you can do this'. I had a massive cry beforehand. A massive cry when I got in the room. A massive cry when they started administering the chemo. I remember leaving feeling it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be, but obviously then all the symptoms come afterwards. I just remember it was the most petrified I've ever been in my entire life.
You courageously allowed the cameras to follow your fertility treatment. Can you tell us a little bit about why that was needed and what goes with it.
I had a hormone fed cancer, so they needed to put me into menopause because my hormones were feeding the cancer. My whole body was feeding cancer. But also because I was having chemotherapy and as amazing as chemotherapy is, it destroys a lot of cells in your body. Your eggs, your ovaries, everything can be damaged and not necessarily reboot again.
Since we got married, the question we're asked the most is 'When are you going to have kids?' and my body can't go through that right now. You produce so many hormones when you're pregnant, I'd be at such a high risk of my cancer returning. Of course we want children, but we still don't know. There are so many options, which we're grateful for.
With fertility and the pressure in general, you don't know what someone is going through. People should bear that in mind. We need to educate.
The film documents your fight to get back to the dancefloor. Has that always been your primary goal and why was being able to dance again such an important driver in what's kept you going through a really turbulent year?
For me, dancing has always got me through the darkest times. When I'm dancing, I forget all my worries, stresses and pain in life. It's where I'm happiest.
When you're told you've got cancer, in those words, in a click of the fingers, your life changes. You have everything stripped away from you. I had my dancing took away from me what I love most in the world. Strictly is something I worked all my life for, and I wasn't going to let cancer stop me from going back. Recovering from chemo was grim, it was awful. But the desire of being back on the dancefloor was what kept me motivated and determined.
Everyone's different. There's no textbook on how to deal with cancer. No right or wrong way - you've got to do what's right for you - but I needed that goal. I needed that purpose. Because I'm not sure what I would have done otherwise.
The documentary is very raw and honest and doesn't shy away from your most difficult of times. What would you say the hardest part of the last 15 months has been?
It's been a bit of everything. Everything I love most taken away from me, my dancing taken away from me. I also think it's the cruelness of what it does to your family, your loved ones watching you. That's been really hard. To watch the pain in my parent's eyes, watching them suffer watching me go through it.
Tell us about the moment in February when you received the news that there was no sign of disease…
The feeling was just incredible. There are no words to describe it. The relief was just immense. Everything I'd gone through was just so worthwhile. I just felt like my life could resume.
In the film, we see your emotional return to Strictly to dance in last year's final without a wig. How special and important was that for you?
Being back at Strictly was my normality and what I needed. Especially doing chemo. It was getting through the bad days so I could be back with my best friends. I'm so grateful to the producers, to the dancers, to the whole team for keeping me included and looking after me.
Going without a wig, I felt so empowered afterwards and I didn't realise at the time the impact it would have. I felt it was like ripping a plaster off, I could be Amy and nothing else mattered now. I didn't need to hide away anymore. I could be accepted. And I guess it was to show the reality and impact of what I was truly going through.
Knowing what it did for the community and people going through chemo but also for alopecia, and little girls and boys losing their hair. It's one of the most rewarding things I've ever done.
We are thrilled to bits to hear you are returning to this year's series. How are you feeling about it?
Yay! I am so excited. I'm excited for every element. It feels like it's my first year again. I'm excited to see the whole team, for costumes, for dance routines, to meet the celebrities, the judges. Every single part of the show, I am buzzing about. Everyone's laughing at me because I am just smiling constantly. I am so grateful to get this opportunity.
How has all that's happened in last 15 months changed you or made you view things differently? What would you say to Amy 15 months ago?
Go grab life. Nikki, a remarkable young lady in her 30's who I connected to online unfortunately passed away from breast cancer during my treatment last year. She always said 'go grab life' and that's what she did. I'm determined to live by her motto. I've learned having my hair, my eyebrows, my eyelashes stripped away from me. I gained two stone in weight, I was on steroids, chemo, broken foot - you name it - and I've learned that appearance really doesn't matter. Your soul shines through. I was stripped bare and still accepted. I've learnt to love and appreciate every single moment even more in life.
Your family and close friends including Dianne Buswell also feature heavily in the documentary. Can you tell us a little bit about what their support has meant to you this past year?
Do you know what, you really learn who your true friends and family are during this time and I'm so lucky to have the best. Just knowing when they need to give me a hug or make me laugh, make me smile, it just helps with being ill. They just know you inside out and having that support and that network around you, I'm forever grateful. I don't think I'll ever be able to pay them back for it.
Lastly, what do you hope that viewers take away from the film?
I hope that through the fertility treatment, that educates and helps people. There are so many women out there going through treatment, I want them to know they're not alone. Get people understanding the pressures on couples to have children and that it's not always easy and possible. The trolling online, to educate trollers. But most importantly, to get people checking themselves. You know your own body, it doesn't even have to be a lump on your chest. If there's something not right, to go to your GP. Early detection can save lives. And if you're not checking, who is?
Watch Strictly Amy: Cancer and Me on BBC iPlayer and BBC One from 8pm, Monday 26 August.
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