Strictly's Amy Dowden admits she 'cried so much' after asking heartbreaking question
Strictly Come Dancing professional Amy Dowden has opened up about her breast cancer diagnosis, which she received earlier this year, and the emotional toll it has taken
Strictly Come Dancing professional Amy Dowden has spoken candidly about the devastating emotional impact of her breast cancer diagnosis, revealing how discovering she had two types of cancer left her "broken" and grappling with difficult questions about her future.
The 35-year-old dancer, who has been a mainstay on the popular BBC programme for years, first discovered a lump in her breast earlier in 2023, the day before jetting off to the Maldives on her honeymoon with fellow professional dancer Ben Jones.
Medical tests confirmed Amy had breast cancer, and subsequent scans showed the tumour was more extensive than first believed, with further tumours also detected.
After undergoing surgery, she received the devastating news that she had not one but two forms of breast cancer — both ductal and lobular — making her treatment significantly more complicated than anticipated.
The diagnosis meant Amy had to have a mastectomy, followed by chemotherapy, which resulted in medically induced menopause. Throughout the chaos of treatment and recovery, she also faced concerns about her fertility, reports Wales Online.
Speaking about this challenging time, Amy told The Dr Hilary Show podcast: "You're in that world where you've just got married, you know, you’re being asked about your fertility plans. I would love the honour of being a mum, so that was a real, you know...
"The devastating news of a cancer diagnosis... Suddenly, you're thinking, 'What do you mean fertility? What do you mean it's going to affect that?' That broke my heart. I cried so much and couldn't get my head around it," she added.
Amy explained how her initial MRI scan failed to show the full extent of her cancer. "I went for my MRI, and the lump was much bigger than they realised, along with some other tumours. Then the decision was made for a mastectomy.
"After the surgery, they said I had two types of breast cancer. They knew I had ductal cancer before, but now I had both. When the surgeon sent my breast tissue to pathology, he said he wasn't expecting this — it was also lobular."
Prior to beginning chemotherapy, Amy took the difficult yet optimistic step of freezing her eggs. "I managed to get five embryos, so I have fertility options for the future. I'm 35 now. At diagnosis, obviously, I would have loved to already be a mum — hopefully one day."
Amy said doctors would only consider halting her hormone treatment after a specific period following her treatment. "At the moment, it's not about how many years since cancer — it's how many years since finishing treatment. My consultant has agreed to revisit the conversation with me in January 2027. It feels reassuring that I still have my embryos."
She also took solace in the timing of her egg-freezing procedure. "The good news is the eggs are from when I was younger, not my current age. So even if I use them at 38, 39 or 40, the quality is from when I was 32, which is reassuring. But obviously, I still don't know how my body will respond."
Amy was teamed up with reality TV sensation Thomas Skinner in this year’s Strictly Come Dancing series.
The duo made an early exit from the show earlier this month when the judges chose to spare ex-England rugby ace Chris Robshaw from the chop.