Strictly Come Dancing star Amy Dowden will not return to show this year following 'medical emergency'
4 November 2024, 19:08
Strictly Come Dancing star Amy Dowden has confirmed she will not return to the competition following a foot injury.
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
Dowden, 34, returned to the dance competition this year after undergoing treatment for breast cancer.
JLS star JB Gill will now partner up with Lauren Oakley who had been without a celebrity this year and stepped in to replace Dowden on last weekend's show.
A spokeswoman for Strictly said: "Sadly, Amy Dowden MBE will not be partaking in the rest of the competition this year.
"Whilst Amy focuses on her recovery following a foot injury, fellow professional dancer Lauren Oakley will step in as JB's dance partner.
"The health and wellbeing of everyone involved in Strictly are always the utmost priority. The whole Strictly family sends Amy love and well wishes."
The BBC confirmed the news during the spin-off show, Strictly: It Takes Two.
Dowden fell ill during last Saturday’s live show.
The fire service and ambulance were called to Elstree Studios where they used specialist equipment to help her into the ambulance and keep her completely flat.
A spokesperson for the East of England Ambulance Service said: "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."
Dowden's spokesperson told MailOnline following the emergency: "Amy was feeling unwell and so an ambulance was called as a precaution.
"She is feeling much better and would like to thank the Strictly family for their love and concern.
"We request Amy's privacy in matters of health is kindly respected."
Dowden announced in February that she would return to the show this year, after a mastectomy and chemotherapy left her with “no evidence of disease” following tests.
Following her comeback, she said she was "so happy [she] could burst."
Dowden was originally diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2023, after finding a lump the day before her honeymoon.
