Amy Dowden has admitted she has had sleepless nights over her future on Strictly Come Dancing following a second cancer scare last July.
The Welsh ballroom dancer, who has been a regular on the BBC show since 2017, has revealed her near-brush with death after returning home from her honeymoon in 2023.
She was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer in May and another type of cancer last July.
The 34-year-old then underwent a mastectomy, chemotherapy, fertility treatment and contracted sepsis while later developing a blood clot on her lungs.
By February this year she had no further signs of cancer - but she is not expected to get the all-clear for another five five years.
Revelations about her mindset during this period have been heard by the Mirror ahead of the release of her BBC documentary Strictly Amy: Cancer and Me.
"It was a scare, such a worrying time," she said of her second diagnosis.
"I'll never forget them calling me to say we're sorry but we've seen something we don't like the look of.
“I was in disbelief, I thought I can't go back through this again, I can't miss Strictly again. My whole family [was] heartbroken.”
Dowden has confirmed she will return to Strictly for series 22, which will begin on September 14 - when she finds out who she will be in a pairing with.
The documentary is expected to air in the weeks before.
She said: “A year ago I was recently married and about to go on honeymoon, it was an exciting new chapter in my life, but finding a lump on my breast changed my life.
"I never thought at my age I would get cancer and, despite having family members and friends who were cancer survivors, had no idea just what the impact on my life would be.
“I’ve learnt so much about myself and what a cancer diagnosis means on this journey. I hope others find hope and strength from this film, and that it encourages everyone to check themselves, no matter what age you are.”
