Strictly Come Dancing star Amy Dowden issued a moving update just hours after she shared her breast cancer diagnosis with fans. There was an outpouring of love and support when the dancer shared how she'd found a lump which has since been confirmed as stage 3 breast cancer.
Amy, who has appeared on the BBC's hit dance show since 2017, first discovered a lump in her right breast in April, the day before she and her husband Ben Jones flew to the Maldives for their belated honeymoon. "I was in the shower and I felt this hard lump in my right breast," Amy told Hello! Magazine.
"I was in shock; I checked again. I thought: 'Right, it could just be period-related, or so many things. I decided I was going to keep an eye on it for a few weeks." After being aware of the lump while trying to enjoy her dream trip with her husband, she shared how she started to "check it less" out of worry. "I didn't want to flare my Crohn's up," she told the publication.
READ MORE: Join the FREE Manchester Evening News WhatsApp community
But it wasn't until she was back at home and getting ready for a dance show when she noticed the lump in her right breast had become bigger and went to the doctors where she was quickly referred and told the news.
The 32-year-old, who only received the diagnosis of grade 3 breast cancer last week, said: "All I wanted to know after I was told was: 'Ok, what's the plan? How long until I’m back on the dance floor?'" She added: "My doctor explained to me that there are three grades, and three is the most aggressive, but they feel like they've caught mine early and to not be too alarmed because grade 3 would be expected in somebody of my age."
After going public with the news in the hopes of raising awareness of the importance of checking your breasts, Amy, who is still waiting to hear more before she is given a full treatment plan, later returned to social media on Wednesday evening. She reshared a picture that had first been shared in February showing performing alongside child dancers Luca Ivanets and Pebble-Rose Spratt during Strictly's Blackpool Week last year.
She said: "This feeling performing is like no other! The emotion, excitement, adrenaline and I can't wait for it again. It feeds my souls!" Amy then shared a heartfelt message to those who have responded to her news. She added: "Thank u for every single comment and message today! It means so much to me and my incredible family I'm so lucky to be surrounded by! Thank you."
Amy has previously spoken of the heartbreak of watching her mother suffer cancer at a young age. The dancer said: "My mum had thyroid cancer and breast cancer when I was younger, and it was tough to watch her go through it."
But the Wales-born star shared how it was her experience of doing the CoppaTrek! with Gi – the fundraising 100km walk led by Giovanna Fletcher, the wife of her former dance partner Tom Fletcher, in support of breast health awareness charity CoppaFeel! – last June that ultimately led her to discover her own breast cancer.
Sarah James, executive producer of the BBC series, has since said: "Amy is an exceptional person, both on and off the dance floor, and is adored by her entire Strictly Come Dancing family. Everyone on the show is sending Amy all our love and she knows that we are all here to support her, whenever she needs us."
READ NEXT:
- Phillip Schofield's exact TV return date confirmed as Amanda Holden makes fresh replacement comments after reigniting 'feud'
- 'Genuine' Alison Hammond 'feeling the pressure' following Phillip Schofield's This Morning exit
- Molly-Mae Hague says she wants to 'sob' as fans say she's 'holding Tommy' in adorable Bambi video
- Coronation Street's Alan Halsall beams alongside rarely seen daughter and co-star girlfriend in Disney after ex's remarks
- 'Happy' Helen Skelton distracts with her trousers as she dusts off dancing shoes and makes fans 'jealous'
