BBC Strictly Come Dancing's Amy Dowden says 'I didn't recognise myself' in emotional reflection to co-star support

Amy Dowden has said that she 'didn't recognise' herself when she saw a picture from her documentary which focussed on her cancer journey.

The Strictly Come Dancing star bravely underwent treatment for breast cancer in 2023 and has since been dedicated to raising awareness to encourage other to check their chests like she did, discovering a lump in her left breast. She had a mastectomy and several rounds of chemotherapy treatment before ringing the bell to signal the end of that part of her journey.

It was then last February that Amy confirmed she'd been told scans showed 'no evidence of disease' and despite still needing to visit the hospital monthly for an injection due to the cancer type, Amy made a triumphant return to her beloved dancing and to the Strictly ballroom.

Her return to the dancefloor during Strictly 2024 was, however, cut short when she suffered an injury at the end of October. The injury to her foot, which wasn't related to any other health concerns experienced previously, meant she couldn't continue in the 2024 run of the competition and was replaced by fellow pro Lauren Oakley.

But Amy's now back with her Strictly co-stars as they kicked off the Strictly Come Dancing Live tour 2025 earlier this month and she'll soon be out on the road with her Strictly co-star Carlos Gu in their own joint show, Reborn.

Amy, however, has told how she was taken aback to see a photo of herself in the press from when she was fighting cancer. Alongside the picture on Instagram, she reflected on how far she has come, writing: "I saw this picture today in the media (taken from my documentary), I didn’t even recognise myself and reflected how far I’ve come and just how proud I am.

"Back then, just over a year ago, I dreamed