Reality star Amy Dowden left the set in an ambulance on Saturday, according to a report by the BBC. Dowden was feeling ill before filming Strictly Come Dancing, and she collapsed backstage while waiting for first responders. On Sunday a spokesperson for the dancer said that she was “feeling much better,” but on Monday, Strictly producers revealed that she will not be participating in Week 7 of the competition.
Dowden returned to the cast of Strictly Come Dancing this year after missing last season due to her breast cancer treatment. She was reportedly beginning to feel sick while preparing to film the show at Elstree Studios in Borehamwood, England this weekend. Her spokesperson said that the ambulance was called “as a precaution,” but ultimately she needed it. She was absent from the results show, which aired on the BBC on Sunday night. Dowden’s spokesperson said: “We request Amy’s privacy in matters of health is kindly respected.”
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On Monday, the official Strictly Instagram account posted a photo of Dowden with her celebrity partner JB Gill, announcing that Dowden will be absent again this week. Professional dancer Lauren Oakley will fill in for her. The post read: “Amy Dowden MBE is doing much better and all the Strictly family send her love and wish her well. Amy is delighted that Lauren is able to step in for rehearsals and to perform in Saturday’s show for JB’s Couple’s Choice routine. We are all hopeful that Amy will be back to dance with JB next week.”
Dowden was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer in May of 2023 after self-identifying a lump the day before she left for her honeymoon. She shared her story in a BBC documentary called Strictly Amy: Cancer and Me. She was cleared to return to the show this year, though she was reportedly getting treatment as recently as August of 2024. Dowden is now 34 years old.
Strictly Come Dancing is the same franchise as Dancing with the Stars. It pairs celebrity guests with professional dancers in a competition judged by professional dancers. Dowden joined the series in 2017, and, since then, 2023 was the only season she has missed. This year, she is paired with Gill – a TV presenter and singer for the boy band JLS.
Strictly Come Dancing Season 22 is only about half over, with seven more weeks of competition to go. The show airs on BBC One in the U.K., but it does not air in the U.S.
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NEW YORK CITY – DECEMBER 19: "Toil and Trouble" – Elsbeth is thrown into the world of television after the showrunner of a long-running police procedural is brutally murdered in his office, and although it appears to be the act of a disgruntled fan, she begins to suspect the show's longtime star Regina Coburn (Laurie Metcalf) who yearns for artistic fulfillment. Meanwhile, Judge Crawford (Michael Emerson) continues to be a thorn in Elsbeth's side, on the CBS original series ELSBETH, Thursday, Dec. 19 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+ (live and on demand for Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers, or on demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the episode airs). Pictured (L-R): Carrie Preston as Elsbeth Tascioni and Carra Patterson as Kaya Blanke. (Photo by Michael Parmelee/CBS via Getty Images)
