Strictly Come Dancing has announced its cast of professional dancers for 2024 – and while it has been overshadowed by scandal – one special name has appeared on the list after a prolonged absence.
Amy Dowden, who was too ill to compete in last season’s show as she underwent treatment for stage three breast cancer, will be returning for the new season after being told in February that she has “no evidence of disease”.
The Welsh dancer, 33, celebrated the news following the BBC’s official announcement, telling her Instagram followers that she cannot wait to be back doing what she loves the most: dancing.
“My heart is so happy,” she wrote. “The best team on and off the dance floor. Feel blessed and more excited than ever. Bring it on!”
Professional dancer Vito Coppola, who will also dance in this year’s competition, wrote on Instagram about how much the Strictly cast had “missed” Dowden in the previous season.
“Beautiful Amy we are so happy to have you back. We have missed you. Be ready because I am going to lift you very high,” he said. “We love you and I am sure I can speak for all us when I say that it was not same without you.”
Dowden’s friend and fellow Strictly pro Diane Buswell said she was “so happy” to have the dancer back on the dancefloor where she “belongs”.
In May 2023, Dowden was diagnosed with an “aggressive” form of stage three breast cancer finding a lump in her breast the day before her Maldives honeymoon with fellow professional dancer Ben Jones. She underwent a mastectomy, chemotherapy and fertility treatment for nine months, and was told she had “no evidence of disease” in February.
Along the way, Dowden had been sharing frank health updates with her social media followers, as well as appearing on Strictly on several occasions to surprise her co-stars by reading out the terms and conditions for voting.
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She has since been credited for her work in raising awareness of breast cancer symptoms through sharing her story.
The news of Dowden’s return has been overshadowed by the departure of Giovanni Pernice’s, who’s name was not included in the casting announcement. He will not be competing after he faces a flurry of allegations over his teaching methods.
The Italian professional dancer, who had been on the show since 2015, has faced controversy after several former celebrity contestants have made complaints about Pernice’s behaviour and teaching methods, following the departure of his former partner Sherlock actor Amanda Abbington. The actor withdrew from the competition in 2023 citing “personal reasons” but has gone on to call Pernice “awful”.
Strictly Come Dancing will return this autumn to celebrate its 20th anniversary with Shirley Ballas, Motsi Mabuse, Craig Revel-Horwood and Anton Du Beke back in the judging chairs.
