Strictly's Amy Dowden reveals how being partnered with Tom Fletcher may have saved her life

Amy opened up about her breast cancer diagnosis

Author: Charlotte RoszkoPublished 20th Oct 2023

Strictly Come Dancing professional Amy Dowden has opened up about how her friendship with Tom and Giovanna Fletcher might have saved her life. Amy, who is currently undergoing treatment for breast cancer, was paired with McFly star Tom on the show in 2021 and struck up a firm friendship with him and his wife Giovanna.

Appearing on Friday's (20th October) episode of Loose Women, Amy revealed that her and Giovanna went on a trek together to raise funds for the breast cancer charity CoppaFeel!, prompting her to check her own breasts.

She said: “The day before I went on my honeymoon, I found a lump on my breast. But I'd only recently started checking my breasts.

“I went on the CoppaFeel! trek with Giovanna when I was partnered with Tom Fletcher - and that's the wonderful thing about Strictly, is the friendship it creates. The Fletchers welcomed me into their family. Later that year, I went on a trek with G and whilst I was on the trek, I was with ladies who were telling me their stories."

She continued: “Some of them were walking because they've been through breast cancer or they were walking for somebody else and their ages were very similar to mine and I was thinking, ‘Hang on I'm here raising awareness and I don't even check myself’, so potentially CoppaFeel! and the Fletchers, and Strictly partnering me with the Fletchers, has now saved my life.”

Amy went on to explain that she initially didn't tell her husband Ben Jones that she'd found a lump. She added: “I didn't tell my husband Ben. I went on the honeymoon and every day you're putting sun tan lotion on and I could feel it. I just had this gut feeling.

“Well, he wouldn't have gone on the honeymoon! And I really wanted this honeymoon, for a break… What could we have done?”

Amy made an appearance on this year's series of Strictly during movie week as she read out the terms and conditions. Sharing how supportive her Strictly family have been, Amy said: "They’ve been absolutely amazing.

“And that’s the heartbreaking thing, I get into dance mode and you know on a Saturday, I know that everyone is in hair and makeup and you know the songs that are about to play and I would do anything to be there right now but I’ve got to be patient.

“I keep saying to myself, ‘This too shall pass’ and unfortunately, people are getting diagnosed every day with breast cancer - I just hope that I can give them some encouragement, that they can see that I got through it and I got back on the dancefloor and that there is light at the end of the tunnel.”