Amy Dowden appears to have snubbed her former Strictly Come Dancing co-stars, Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima . A dark cloud has loomed over the BBC One show's 20th anniversary season , set to begin next month, as both dancers were axed from the programme earlier this year, amid allegations of "misconduct" behind the scenes. While Giovanni has denied all claims weighing against him and received unwavering support , he has been at the core of an ongoing probe at the BBC for a handful of months.
Graziano, on the other hand, admitted to kicking former dance partner Zara McDermott once during last year's competition. Now the cast of Strictly's 22nd season is getting ready to step onto the dancefloor with Amy Dowden due to reprise her role within its professional ranks following her breast cancer diagnosis. Speaking to The Times about her return to the show, which follows an extended break during which she focused on her health, the professional ballroom dancer was asked if she had kept in touch with Graziano and Giovanni as the investigation launched by the Beeb is set to end in days.
Amy, 34, denied being in contact with either star by bluntly responding: "I've been very busy. I don't have time." She also had an answer to sceptical viewers who believed Strictly should be cancelled due to the escalating crisis backstage.
"I don't think so. That's my personal take on it. I don't get caught up on negativity", Amy added before assuring: "I think Strictly this year is going to be more magic than ever.
" Amy announced she'd been diagnosed with grade III breast cancer in May 2023 and underwent a mastectomy soon after. Two months later, she dropped another bombshell as she'd been diagnosed with another type of cancer which required chemotherapy. This led her to step back from the Strictly dancefloor, missing out on the show's 21st season, won by former Coronation Street star Ellie Leach .
She was later able to make a cameo appearance in the show, but she was hit by a series of health woes in the following months. After her first round of chemotherapy , Amy revealed she'd contracted sepsis and a broken foot prompted her to completely withdraw from Strictly in November 2023. A month later, Amy was rushed to hospital with a blood clot in her lung - a side-effect of her breast cancer.
Thankfully, the Strictly star announced in February 2024 that her latest health check-ups showed "no sign of the disease" but she still requires monthly injections for the next five years. Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads ..
