Amy Dowden said she was "so happy I could burst" after her first live Strictly Come Dancing performance since being treated for breast cancer. The 24-year-old professional and her celebrity partner, singer JB Gill, topped the judges' leaderboard after being awarded 31 points for their waltz to When I Need You by singer Leo Sayer. Dowden missed out on appearing in the last series after disclosing her diagnosis in May last year, before subsequently undergoing chemotherapy and a mastectomy.
During Saturday night's show, head judge Shirley Ballas told her: "You're home where you belong and I have to say that choreography was absolutely outstanding." The programme was the first live show in the latest series which , 20 years after the competition in its current format first aired on the BBC Neither of this year's shows have addressed the - which led to two professionals leaving. Dowden, who hails from Caerphilly in Wales, was twice diagnosed with cancer last year, and has spoken previously of .
There were also celebrations for DIY SOS star Nick Knowles, who jived with Luba Mushtuk to We Built This City by Starship on his 62nd birthday. After their performance, Knowles was given a cake by professional dancer Carlos Gu, who appeared in a high-vis jacket and builder's hat. Gu then grabbed a piece of the cake and pushed it in Knowles' face.
Judge Anton Du Beke said Knowles' and Mushtuk's performance had been "uplifting", with them scoring them 18 points overall. Former X Factor winner.