Strictly's Amy Dowden Embraces "New" Self After Cancer Battle

Amy Dowden, the beloved *Strictly Come Dancing

professional, has spoken candidly about her remarkable recovery following a breast cancer diagnosis. The Welsh dancer, who was forced to miss the 2023 series due to her illness, is now back in rehearsals, preparing for her much-anticipated return.

Dowden's journey began last May when she was diagnosed with breast cancer just before her honeymoon. Following a mastectomy and gruelling chemotherapy, she faced a multitude of health challenges, including blood clots and a broken foot, highlighting the intense physical toll of her treatment.

While she received the positive news earlier this year that there was no evidence of disease, she is still undergoing monthly injections as part of her ongoing treatment and will not be given the "all clear" for five years.

Reflecting on her experience, Dowden took to social media to share her journey with her fans. "It has really made me reflect and realise, literally, how far I've come," she wrote. "I finished my active treatment, rung the bell in November... then broke my foot, the blood clots and all that, but back now at Strictly, loving it. Super grateful."

Dowden candidly discussed the physical changes she has experienced, acknowledging the weight gain she endured during treatment. "I gained two stone in weight and it was fine, it was what my body needed to go through in order to survive," she explained. "I lost all my hair, my eyebrows, my eyelashes, I had everything stripped away from me."

Despite the challenges, Dowden is embracing her "new" self. "It has definitely changed me as a person," she admitted. "Yeah, I struggled to get the weight off me and I actually don't care. It is about being fit and healthy and how certain things really don't matter. I am just so happy being back dancing, doing what I love and I just appreciate it so much."

She concluded her message with a powerful declaration of her resilience. "I always kept saying during my cancer treatment, 'Oh, I want to get back to the old Amy'," she wrote. "Only the last few days have I thought this, actually I don't wanna be back to the old Amy, I am a new Amy and I want to be an even better Amy."

Dowden's powerful message of strength, resilience, and self-acceptance is sure to inspire many who have been touched by her journey. Her return to *Strictly

will be a testament to her fighting spirit and a celebration of her "new" self.