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Dowden, who has been courageously battling cancer for nearly 18 months while also managing the challenges of Crohn’s Disease, became unwell shortly after performing with her celebrity partner, JB Gill, during the show’s Halloween special, resulting in an urgent “blue light” dash to the hospital.
Lauren Oakley, 33, will step in to partner JB Gill, 37, during training and Saturday’s show. Bosses will then take a view on Amy’s condition.
A Strictly Come Dancing spokesperson said: “Amy Dowden MBE is doing much better and the Strictly family send her love and wish her well. She is delighted that fellow professional dancer, Lauren Oakley, is able to step in for rehearsals and to perform in Saturday’s show for JB Gill’s Couple’s Choice dance. We are all hopeful that Amy will be back to dance with JB next week.”
Amy, 33, from Caerphilly, South Wales, has long been a fan favorite on the hit BBC dance competition.
The star has suffered from a series of health issues including a diagnosis of stage three breast cancer in May of the previous year. She underwent a mastectomy, chemotherapy, and even dealt with a clot on her lung post-treatment, a sequence of challenges she described as a "nightmare."
On Saturday night, Amy and JB, 37, performed an enchanting scarecrow-themed dance to Toploader’s “Dancing In The Moonlight,” receiving an impressive 32 out of 40 points from the judges.
Amy jumped for joy as Motsi Mabuse awarded the pair a 9. However, shortly after celebrating, she began feeling unwell. Despite still smiling on camera at 8.10 pm during the live line-up, her condition deteriorated rapidly, prompting an ambulance call by 9 pm and the arrival of the fire service at 9.50 pm.
Specialist equipment was used to transport Amy to the hospital while keeping her flat.
A Strictly spokesperson later confirmed, “Amy Dowden MBE is doing much better and the Strictly family send her love and wish her well. She is delighted that fellow professional dancer, Lauren Oakley, is able to step in for rehearsals and to perform in Saturday’s show for JB Gill’s Couple’s Choice dance. We are all hopeful that Amy will be back to dance with JB next week.”
After finishing her treatments and receiving the all-clear earlier this year, she returned to the show, telling fans: “The sun is shining – and I certainly can’t wait for Spring,”
Oakley, 33, a familiar face from last year’s season where she partnered with Krishnan Guru-Murthy, will now step in for training and this Saturday’s performance. Oakley, who has remained on standby for the show and performed alongside Giovanni Pernice in his theatre tour, will join JB for a medley of Bruno Mars hits as part of the show’s upcoming Icons-themed week.
The incident marks an unprecedented turn for the series, as no professional dancer has ever had to withdraw due to health concerns in the show’s 20-year history.
English (US) ·