Amy Dowden has made her feelings about the Strictly scandals clear, delivering a blunt four-word response: "I don't get caught up." Although a llegations against pro dancers Giovanni Pernice and Graziano di Prima have dominated headlines in recent weeks, Amy is firmly focused on excelling on the dancefloor after beating stage three breast cancer. “When you’ve been through what I’ve been through, you realise what’s important and what to focus on," she explained.
"I just focus on the present and concentrate on my steps.” It had at first been unclear whether the talented pro would return, after the devastating bombshell was dropped about her cancer diagnosis, so even just being back on viewers' screens again is a "gift" for her - and it overshadows all the negativity. The "buzzing star" has now revealed in a new interview that the show "ultimately saved my life".
It's not just her triumphant return that she's referring to, either: Amy had assumed cancer would never happen to her at just 32, until a chance walk with her Strictly partner's wife. After pairing up with McFly's Tom Fletcher in 2021 - a duo that instantly became hugely popular - she later joined his wife Giovanna on a walk for the cancer charity Coppafeel. It suddenly occurred to Amy that while she was urging other women to check their breasts, and campaigning to raise awareness for the disease, she hadn't been checking her own.
Thinking that she'd be a "hypocrite" if she didn't do it too, Amy started regula.