Strictly Come Dancing stars and viewers have rallied around Amy Dowden after the professional dancer was rushed to hospital over the weekend.
JLS star JB Gill was forced to stand solo for Sunday night’s results show after his partner Amy collapsed backstage after filming wrapped on Saturday’s live show.
Amy, who missed the 2023 series of Strictly after being diagnosed with breast cancer, was forced to miss Sunday’s Results show, which was pre-recorded shortly after her collapse on Saturday night.
JLS star JB shared an Instagram message on Sunday as the pair made it through to another week, writing ‘on behalf of both @amydowden and I.’
‘I just want to say a huge thank you to everyone for voting for us and wishing us well. We absolutely loved our performance on Saturday night and are SO grateful to be through to another week Thank you, thank you, thank you for your support.’
JB’s message was met with an outpouring of love for Amy from her co-stars and fans.
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Strictly Come Dancing star JB Gill was forced to stand solo for Sunday night’s results show after his partner Amy Dowden was rushed to hospital on Saturday night (pictured on Saturday night’s show)
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JLS star JB shared an Instagram message on Sunday as the pair made it through to another week, writing ‘on behalf of both @amydowden and I’
Pete Wicks and Amy’s close friend on the show, fellow pro Dianne Buswell both posted heart emojis. JB also reposted messages from fan accounts voicing their excitement that the pair would be competing for another week.
Amy has so far not posted on social media since Saturday night.
But fans rushed to X – formerly known as Twitter – to send the professional dancer well wishes and a speedy recovery.
‘Sending our heartfelt best wishes for a speedy return to the studio! We love watching you and JB dancing!; Wishing best wishes and a speedy recovery to the wonderful, inspirational Amy Dowden.’
‘Sending love & best wishes to #amydowden She is so inspirational… overcoming so much. Great to see her back on #Strictly Please be well enough to continue this series…’
‘Sending lots of love to Amy Dowden. And I hope she is feeling so much better now; Hoping Amy Dowden is doing ok & wishing her well’
‘Hope @AmyDowden feels better soon. Sending much love and prayers.’
At the start of the show hosts Tess Daly and Claudia confirmed Amy would not be appearing in the results show on Sunday after she was rushed to hospital on Saturday evening.
Giving an update to viewers at home as she opened the show, Tess said: ‘Amy is unable to be with us for tonight’s show.’
Appearing solo on Sunday’s show, viewers also saw JB tell host Claudia: ‘Amy, of course is going to be so happy that we are through to Icon’s week.’
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JB stood on his own during the results show after it was reported Amy was rushed to hospital after she collapsed backstage following the live show on Saturday
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Giving an update to viewers at home as she opened the show, Tess said: ‘Amy is unable to be with us for tonight’s show’
Fans rushed to X – formerly known as Twitter – to send the professional dancer well wishes and a speedy recovery
A spokesperson for the East of England Ambulance Service said on Sunday: ‘We were called just after 9pm on Saturday to attend a medical emergency at Elstree Studios in Borehamwood.
‘An ambulance was sent to the scene. One patient, an adult female, was transported to Barnet Hospital for further care.’
Moments earlier the dancer had performed the Foxtrot to Toploader hit Dancing In The Moonlight with her celebrity partner, JLS star JB Gill.
But fans noted the dancer was partially seated during her latest performance.
The pair climbed to number five on the Strictly leaderboard after being awarded a collective score of 32 from show judges Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel-Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke.
A statement from Amy’s spokesperson confirmed: ‘Amy was feeling unwell and so an ambulance was called as a precaution.
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After getting through to Icon’s week without Amy by his side, JB said: ‘Amy, of course is going to be so happy that we are through to Icon’s week’
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The Sunday Results show for Strictly is recorded after the live show on Saturday night, with Amy thought to have collapsed during the brief break the cast takes between shows (pictured with dance partner JB Gill during Saturday’s live show)
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The Wesh ballroom dancer, 34, who is understood to be in remission after battling breast cancer, was taken to hospital by paramedics at around 9pm on Saturday
‘She is feeling much better and would like to thank the Strictly family for their love and concern.
Amy returned to the show following a one year absence in September.
Her world came crashing down when she was diagnosed with cancer the day after she came home from her honeymoon with dancer husband Ben Jones in 2023.
Amy had found a lump in her breast the day before she flew to the Maldives.
While she hoped it could be cured by surgery, two months later in June doctors found another type of cancer.
In what became the toughest year of her life, the professional dancer underwent a mastectomy, chemotherapy, fertility treatment and also almost died of sepsis.
Amy, who also battles Crohn’s disease, confirmed she was cancer-free in February.
While she will not get the all-clear for five years and will still need treatment, she thanked her family and friends for their support amid her ‘toughest year’.
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Amy, who also battles Crohn’s disease, confirmed she was cancer-free in February
Sharing a jubilant picture with Instagram followers, she wrote: ‘NO EVIDENCE OF DISEASE! Words I dreamed of! My biggest accomplishment yet!
‘I won’t be getting the all clear for 5 years especially with a hormone fed cancer. But it was all worth it. Words I never thought I’d hear at one point.
‘So grateful for all the care I received and continue to have.
‘To my husband, family and friends who supported me unconditionally and to you guys! Thank you!’
She continued: ‘I will still need a monthly injection for 5 years and regular check ups.
‘Chemo and this past year has certainly took its toll on my body both physically and mentally, so I’ll be taking the next few months to heal and recover.
‘I have so much to strive and live for, and so grateful for another chance at life! Something I know not all get. I certainly see life differently and my life has changed forever!
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The Strictly Come Dancing star was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer in May 2023 and in what became the toughest year of her life
Her friend, Dragon’s Den star Sara Davies, who competed on Strictly in 2021, recently revealed that she had to convince Amy to go ahead with her treatment when it was offered because Amy was scared she’d miss out on her Strictly career.
Businesswoman Sara said Amy had been ‘hardwired’ to dance from a young age and the thought of taking time off to concentrate on her health scared her.
Sara said on the Invite Only podcast: ‘I spent a lot of time with her at the start of the cancer diagnosis when she wasn’t feeling positive. She’d been dealt a bad hand and she was struggling with it.
‘I knew then I needed to be the friend that was filling her tank, but also if you just want someone to give you a hug and tell you it’s gonna be okay, I’m not the one to go to.
‘I was the one who was like, “What’s the plan, Amy?” and pushing her to make difficult decisions. She wasn’t sure if she was going to have chemo so we talked about that.’
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The Welsh dancer recently admitted she was so scared of taking time off from Strictly Come Dancing that she almost decided against having chemotherapy
She added: ‘What I’ve realised with the dancers is that from being little, they are hardwired to dance. And the biggest blow for her was, “If I don’t go down that route, I won’t be able to do Strictly this year”.
‘I had to look her in the eye and say, “Amy, you’ve got cancer. They’ve literally just cut your boob off. They are telling you you need to have this chemo to get better. Don’t worry about dance and Strictly”.
‘Her response was, “But they might not want me back next year”. So I said, “Amy, you’re amazing at what you do, of course they will want you back. You’re so well-loved. Please, it’s really important. Get well”.
‘And then she went on the show without her wig as well. What a phenomenal moment. When I saw her, I cried.’
As well as filming a BBC documentary during her treatment Amy wrote a book, Dancing In The Rain, and has recalled how the process was so important during her healing process as it gave her ‘purpose’.
She said: ‘When you suffer from a chronic illness or cancer, there’s a weird sense that the world is spinning without you. Your normality is taken away and you lose a sense of purpose. I’m usually such a busy bee, but I was waking up every day and not doing what I love, so the book gave me purpose in what was a very lonely dark time.’
In September, shortly before making her Strictly comeback, the star hosted a Ring The Bell party to celebrate her journey, where she told friends how she’s taking a positive outlook on life after, admitting she’s no longer ‘angry’ at the disease.
