Strictly Come Dancing pays an emotional tribute to their ‘Welsh dragon’ Amy Dowden after the dancer is forced to miss series launch due to cancer battle

By William On Sep 16, 2023

Strictly Come Dancing pays emotional tribute to their ‘Welsh dragon’ Amy Dowden after the dancer misses the series launch due to battle with cancer

By Geraint Llewellyn for Mailonline

Published: 2:21 PM EDT, September 16, 2023 | Updated: 4:13 PM EDT, September 16, 2023

Strictly Come Dancing paid an emotional tribute to Amy Dowden after the dancer was forced to miss the series’ glitzy launch on Saturday due to her battle with cancer.

Hosts Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly dubbed her the show’s ‘Welsh Dragon’ as they dedicated the judges and professional dancers’ routine to her.

Caerphilly-born Amy, 33, was diagnosed with breast cancer cancer earlier in May and started chemotherapy after doctors discovered another type of cancer in her body, meaning she couldn’t be paired with a celebrity for the new series.

Speaking ahead of the show-stopping routine, Tess said: ‘We are obviously missing one of our professional dancers.

‘Our beautiful Amy Dowden is unwell and she won’t be able to be with us for the start of the series.’

Love: Strictly Come Dancing paid an emotional tribute to Amy Dowden after the dancer was forced to miss Saturday’s glitzy launch of the series due to her ongoing cancer treatment

Tribute: Presenters Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly called her the show’s ‘Welsh Dragon’ as they dedicated the judges and professional dancers routine to her (Amy pictured)

She continued: ‘But she is our Welsh dragon and we know she will be back soon.’

Claudia then intervened as she said: “Amy, from your entire Strictly family, we’re sending all our love and we can’t wait to have you back on the dance floor.”

Tess added: ‘This (dance) is for you!’.

It comes just hours after Amy revealed she was ‘extremely’ ill after her fourth round of chemotherapy.

She wrote candidly in her Instagram Stories: ‘Chemo 4. Was extremely sick even with three types of anti-sickness. Also very tired. I’m going to rest.’

The star has been open about the side effects of the treatment, including hair loss, and admitted she found it difficult.

Taking to her Instagram Stories on Monday, Amy told her followers how she was doing and admitted it was “really hard.”

Missed: Tess (R) said: ‘Our beautiful Amy Dowden is unwell and she can’t be with us for the start of the series’

Get well soon: Claudia said: ‘Amy from your entire Strictly family we are sending all our love and we can’t wait to have you back on the dance floor’

Talent: Amy joined the BBC series in 2017 and was a finalist in 2019 with TV presenter Karim Zeroual (pictured in January)

She said: ‘So many messages asking how I’m coping with the hair loss and I’m not going to lie, it’s really hard.’

Trying to stay positive, she added: “I think I cry less now. At first it was every day, but now I have meltdowns if I wash my hair once a week.

‘I haven’t brushed my hair for the past two weeks and that has definitely helped.

‘I stopped brushing myself since I got out of hospital with the blood clots because I just got desperate when I saw how much was falling out.’

Amy explained that her husband and dance partner Ben Jones, who she married last year, has helped her by brushing her hair for her so she can’t see what’s falling out.

Illness: The Strictly Favorite was diagnosed with breast cancer in May and started chemotherapy after doctors discovered she was also battling another type of cancer