Amy Dowden: ‘Dancing is my therapy’

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Strictly professional dancer and author Amy Dowden talks about her cancer journey, why dancing is the best medicine, and the power of staying positive.

Words: Holly Treacy & Abi Jackson. Images: Nicky Johnston/Piatkus/PA

Autumn has arrived. The leaves are a warm russet, fireplaces are crackling to life, and โ€“ just like that โ€“ Strictly is in full swing again. For many of us, this glittering show is the heartbeat of Saturday nights.

And this year, as Strictly celebrates its 20th anniversary, one familiar face is returning to the ballroom with a sparkle in her eye: Amy Dowden. Teamed up with JLSโ€™s JB Gill, theyโ€™ve already danced their way to the top of the leaderboard in week one.

But rewind a year, and Dowden was watching from the wings. Dowden revealed she had stage three breast cancer in May 2023, after finding a lump the day before she went on her honeymoon. “It was on a busy day, we were up in Blackpool and I tried to push it to one side. Then when I went home, I had a good feel of [the lump] again.

“I was really worried, but I just wanted to enjoy my honeymoon with Ben [Jones, Amyโ€™s husband]. We had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to fly to the Maldives. I knew if I told Ben, we wouldnโ€™t be going. He would have been taking me to the doctors, and I didnโ€™t want to worry him. Heโ€™s already sacrificed so much in his life; heโ€™s looked after me with my Crohnโ€™s disease and then supported me with my Strictly career. We donโ€™t get a lot of quality time together. We both really needed that.”

Despite her best efforts to stay in the moment, Dowden couldnโ€™t shake an unsettling feeling. She found herself googling symptoms in secret, trying to act normal in front of Ben while silently battling her fears. “In the back of my mind, I was petrified,” she admits.

Opening up

Dowden has been incredibly open with her 680K Instagram followers, sharing the highs and lows of her cancer journey. She recalls a nurse encouraging her to release her emotions and have a good cry. “That was the best advice she gave me,” Dowden reflects. “I didnโ€™t have to be strong and positive all the time. Iโ€™m human, and I needed to be honest with myself and those around me so they could help me.”

Living with Crohnโ€™s disease since she was 11, Dowden credits her resilience to learning how to bounce back from setbacks. “I was used to long hospital stays and missing out on dance competitions,” she says, “but I always found a way. I think thatโ€™s helped me build my resilience.” Itโ€™s a journey that happens over time, not overnight. “It happens when your heart is broken, youโ€™re disappointed, but you have to find your way back. You learn that this too shall pass. There will be dark, awful days, but also the best days.”

In November 2023, Dowden completed her chemotherapy and got to ring the chemo bell to signal the end of her treatment. And this year, sheโ€™s added another achievement to her name โ€“ becoming a Sunday Times best-selling author with her book, Dancing in the Rain. The book is a deeply personal reflection on her life, from her first steps onto the dance floor to battling Crohnโ€™s and cancer. “I want people to feel like theyโ€™re sitting down chatting with me,” she says. “Itโ€™s conversational, honest and open. I hope it inspires people and gives them hope during their darkest times.”

Beyond the dance floor

Dowden is eager for us to get to know her beyond the sequins. “You see me on TV, but itโ€™s throughout the Strictly years. This book allows you to get to know the real Amy: my family, my husband, my friends, and my journey.”

“Iโ€™m in my element when Iโ€™m dancing,” reads the opening line of Dowdenโ€™s book. She tells me that it is a form of therapy for her, and the dance floor is where she forgets all her worries. “When the music comes on, Iโ€™m lost in that world, and all my worries seem to shift to one side.” Writing this book has also served as therapy. “I had to reflect and confront things Iโ€™d maybe pushed aside, but it was good for me.”

And it would appear that positive words have always had a powerful hold on Dowden, as her mantra through tough times would be: donโ€™t get bitter, get better. “Bitterness doesnโ€™t change anything, but getting better improves results. I used this with my Crohnโ€™s and cancer diagnoses. At first, I felt as if it was so unfair โ€“ why me? Why now? But I realised that thinking that way wouldnโ€™t make me feel better.”

For Dowden, she believes the brain has a powerful role in recovery. “Stress can make us feel worse,” she shares, “and it could delay your recovery time. This mantra gives me the strength I need internally.”

Raising awareness

Whether itโ€™s sharing her Crohnโ€™s or cancer journey, itโ€™s clear that Dowden leans into vulnerability. “I want to show people theyโ€™re not alone,” she says. Growing up, she felt isolated because there were no public figures she could relate to who suffered with her condition. “When I spoke out about my cancer diagnosis, a young woman reached out to me and said, โ€˜Iโ€™m your age and going through the same thing. Thank you.โ€™”

Dowdenโ€™s mission is to normalise conversations around health and raise awareness. She made history when she stepped out onto the Strictly dance floor last year without her wig. “I didnโ€™t realise how powerful that moment would be, but it was so freeing. I didnโ€™t tell anyone because I wasnโ€™t sure Iโ€™d do it until the last second, but it felt liberating.”

Living life to the full

When it comes to psychological support, it was the CoppaFeel Trek, where she walked 100k with Giovanna Fletcher that Dowden found most helpful. “It was the hardest thing my bodyโ€™s been through since chemo,” she says. “But it gave me so much time to reflect and see how far Iโ€™ve come. Youโ€™re out walking for hours, with no social media or everyday life to get in the way. As I walked past the finish line, it was as if I was saying goodbye to last year.”

Inspired by the late cancer campaigner Nicky Newman, the Strictly star is determined to grab life by the horns. “She always said, โ€˜Go grab lifeโ€™. And she did that. She lived life to the fullest. And I think it teaches you to hold your loved ones close, grab every opportunity and be present. Life can change in an instant.”

Dowden admits sheโ€™s a completely different person since her diagnosis. “Itโ€™s taken me to the darkest place, but itโ€™s also made me appreciate everything. I lost my hair, eyebrows, eyelashes, and gained weight from steroids, but Iโ€™ve realised beauty comes from within.” Through it all, being public with her journey has given Dowden strength. “Everyone has seen me at my worst, but theyโ€™ve also seen me come out the other side, and thatโ€™s given me joy. My worries donโ€™t matter anymore. Iโ€™m alive, Iโ€™m here, and Iโ€™m grateful.”

Talking of doing what she loves, Dowden is excited to be back on the Strictly dance floor. “Iโ€™ve been beaming in rehearsals โ€“ itโ€™s made my heart so happy.”

Outside of Strictly, Dowden is renovating her forever home with husband Ben and expanding their dance academy, Art In Motion. Sheโ€™s also going on tour next year with her Strictly co-star Carlos Gu for their new show, Reborn. As she looks forward to welcoming a new niece or nephew, her final words to me are simple, yet powerful: “Iโ€™m looking forward to life.” Thatโ€™s a mantra we can all live by.

Amy’s book Dancing In The Rain (Piatkus, ยฃ22) is on sale now. Find her on social media @Amy_Dowden