Amy Dowden will be cheering her celebrity dance partner JB Gill from the sidelines after she had to heartbreakingly withdraw from Strictly Come Dancing due to injury.
The Welsh professional dancer was paired with the JLS star for the 2024 run of the BBC One dance contest which marked her triumphant return to the ballroom after having to miss competing in the 2023 edition due to undergoing cancer treatment.
But last weekend, Amy was forced to miss the first-ever ‘Icons Week’ on Strictly after “falling ill” the weekend before and missing a week of rehearsals to rest.
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As a result, Amy’s fellow pro Lauren Oakley stepped in so JB could continue to perform in the first-ever ‘Icons Week’, where they received a near-perfect score of 39 out of a possible 40 for their couple’s choice routine to a Bruno Mars medley.
But since then, it’s been confirmed that a foot injury means Amy needs to recover and therefore cannot continue in the competition. It also means that JB will carry on in the latest Strictly series alongside Lauren.
Speaking on Strictly’s spin-off show It Takes TWO earlier this week , Amy tearfully said: “I’m absolutely gutted, unfortunately I have an insufficiency stress fracture, if I’ve said that right, on my shin. this injury could have happened to anybody. I want to stress it’s nothing to do with any previous health scares.”
Amy later revealed that watching the latest live show on Saturday night (November 9) from the sidelines will be ‘tough’ as she wanted to celebrate one year since finishing chemotherapy on the dancefloor.
Appearing on ITVās Lorraine on Thursday (November 7), Amy said: “On Saturday, 9 November, it’s a year since I rang the chemo bell and I just had this Samba, the joyful carnival happy dance. The way I’d planned this series, JB has got the most natural body rhythm.
“Saturday is going to be tough because I really wanted to be dancing on that floor to show myself how far Iāve had come in one year.”
She said: “When I got my diagnosis, that was the absolute goal of mine. I’m so proud that I did get there. Iām hoping to dance by the end of series and obviously next year, I got my tour with Carlos ā Reborn. Iām determined.
“I’ve had a lot of setbacks in my life, since 11 years old, Iām used to having to pick myself back up and saying āDonāt get bitter, get betterā, I tell myself and āThis too shall passā. And right now, Iām heartbroken, but I know Iāll feel better.ā
Amy also admitted to Lorraine that she feels as if she has ‘let JB Gill down’ with her exit. She said: “I’m heartbroken. I’m doing my best not to cry. I know lots of people say it’s just an entertainment show but I’m gutted that it’s ended this way. I feel I’ve let JB down. And after those words ‘You’ve got cancer…'”
Amy also revealed that she is hoping to be back on the dancefloor before the end of the series. She said: āI am feeling good, I was in the gym with the physio yesterday and Iām hoping to dance by the end of the series. Next year Iāve got my tour with Carlos, Reborn, and Iām determined. Iāve had a lot of setbacks in my life, unfortunately since I was 11-years-old, so Iām used to picking myself back up.
“The saying is donāt get bitter, get better. Now Iām heartbroken, but I know Iāll feel better soon.” And talking about one day lifting the famous Strictly Glitterball trophy Amy said: “The glitterball for me was no evidence of disease, and getting back on the dancefloor.”
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