Strictly’s Amy Dowden admits ‘I still struggle’ in health update after cancer
Strictly Come Dancing's Welsh professional Amy Dowden discussed how her cancer and treatment have affected her health three years on from her diagnosis11:44, 31 Jul 2026Strictly Come DancingstarAmy Dowdenhas. . .
Strictly Come Dancing's Welsh professional Amy Dowden discussed how her cancer and treatment have affected her health three years on from her diagnosis11:44, 31 Jul 2026Strictly Come DancingstarAmy Dowdenhas opened up about the health struggles she continues to face following her breast cancer treatment. The professional dancer was diagnosed with grade three breast cancer in 2023 after discovering a lump the day before her honeymoon. She has since undergone chemotherapy and two mastectomies, saying after her second operation that she no longer felt "emotionally attached" to her body. Speaking to Dr Louise Newson, a leading expert in women's hormones,Amy, 35, discussed how her cancer and treatment have affected her health. The Welsh dancer has previously said that treatment for her hormone receptor-positive cancer "put her into menopause" and reduced her chances of becoming a mother. After Dr Newson spoke about the relationship between hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and breast cancer risk in an episode of Breast Cancer Uncovered, Amy reflected on her own experience. "I have had symptoms, literally I was kind of fed a load of hormones because I had my eggs retrieved before I started chemo and when I started chemo, I started Zoladex injections," she shared. "I still suffer with like sleeping at night, I have the hot sweats and hot flushes, like some mornings I struggle to do this [move her fingers]. I broke my foot twice so now I'm on bone infusions to try and help. "I've definitely seen a difference, the first year I would say my emotions were all over the place. "And I seem to have, over time, those have absolutely calmed down, maybe my husband wouldn't agree, but I definitely think so," she added. Sharing her expertise, Dr Newson explained: "Everyone's very different. Zoladex, removing ovaries will remove other hormones as well. "But actually, our hormones aren't just made in our ovaries, so they're made in our adrenal glands but they're also made in our brain and they're really important neurotransmitters and they have really important roles in our brain. "She continued: "Lots of people would've heard of serotonin and dopamine and melatonin, so if we've got low estradiol, low progesterone, low testosterone in our brains, we have low serotonin, so our mood often goes. "Amy was forced to pull out of Strictly Come Dancing after her diagnosis while she underwent treatment. Article continues belowIn February 2024, she announced there was "no evidence of disease" before returning to the ballroom. However, an injury later forced her to withdraw from the competition once again. She returned to the show in 2025, although she and her celebrity partner, Thomas Skinner, became the first couple to be eliminated. Amy will now be hoping for better luck as she prepares for the new series alongside the return of many of her fellow professionals and five new dancers joining the Strictly line-up.