S Poddar
Strictly Come Dancing professional Amy Dowden has finally spoken about quitting the BBC show. The 34-year-old favourite among Strictly viewers had to leave the popular programme due to a foot injury. This was always going to be a rather difficult decision, given that part of stepping back from her life as a dancer has been to not perform alongside her partner JB Gill, and he moves on with fellow Strictly pro Lauren Oakley, which, I can only imagine, has left Amy with a somewhat mixed-up set of emotions.
Amy holds special importance this season as she returns to Strictly Come Dancing after missing last year’s series, which was due to having cancer treatments. While in March, she came out clean after the declaration of her being cancer-free, she called this a milestone moment as it portrayed her strength and built her confidence. The timing of her exit has made the situation even more challenging for Amy who also wanted this season to be a triumphant return to the dancefloor.
Amy has confessed that this Saturday, November 9th, is going to be particularly hard to miss. It’ll be one year to the day since she completed the final round of chemotherapy and sounded the symbolic “chemo bell” to signal the end of treatment. She had planned to celebrate her anniversary by dancing a lively samba routine on Strictly, which would have made a wonderful celebration of how far she’s come in her recovery.
Speaking on Lorraine this Thursday, Amy became tearful as she opened up on how she feels her milestone is being missed. “On Saturday, 9 November it’s a year since I rang the chemo bell and I just had this samba planned—a joyful carnival happy dance,” she shared. She had choreographed a routine with JB, choreographed just to show the natural rhythm that was very accurate to his body, so she was going to celebrate in this moment. “Saturday is going to be tough,” she said, “because I really wanted to be dancing on that floor to show myself how far I have come in one year.”.
Even if she cannot celebrate dancing through her one-year anniversary off chemotherapy, Amy is grateful for the journey she has been on and the distances she has gone. The setbacks notwithstanding, Amy has said that she is proud of how far she has come and assured that she will be looking forward to being a positive person. “I’m proud that I managed to get there in the first place,” she said reflecting on her recovery and the fact that she can be coming back to the Strictly this season.
Fans and friends of Amy have filled the airwaves with supportive messages after her message was announced, claiming that she is truly an inspiring figure not only in the dance world but also in her fight against illness. Lauren Oakley, who has recently started appearing on the show partnering with JB Gill, has not been an exception in her words of encouragement towards Amy, wishing her the best and admitting it is not an easy thing.
For Amy, the season was something more than returning to the dance competition; it was an emotional celebration of survival and resilience, coupled with her passion for dancing. Now that she has to sit this one out, her presence and journey have engraved an indelible mark in Strictly Come Dancing.
