Amy Dowden watches Strictly Come Dancing from home as she recovers from second mastectomy

‘Strictly’ star has confirmed the surgery is ‘not to treat a new cancer diagnosis’

Amy Dowden cheered on her Strictly Come Dancing co-stars from home as she recovered from her second mastectomy.

The professional dancer, 35, underwent the surgery this week, after previously having a first mastectomy back in 2023 following her breast cancer diagnosis.

Sharing the news on Instagram on Monday (3 November), Dowden assured her fans that the surgery was “not to treat a new cancer diagnosis” and that her medical team felt confident that “all going well, I can expect a straightforward recovery”.

“Once I have healed I look forward to rejoining my Strictly family,” she added.

On Saturday (8 November) evening, Dowden revealed that she had returned home after the procedure and was ready to watch the latest episode of the BBC dance competition.

“Home, resting up, still got my drain in but rrrrrready for the best entertainment and medicine there is for me….. @bbcstrictly,” she wrote on Instagram.

“Good luck everyone,” she added. “Cheering you all on from home! Lots of luck and love xxxxx.”

The dancer shared a photo showing her sitting on her sofa drinking a cup of tea, along with another snap of her and her friends and family gathered around the TV.

Strictly host Claudia Winkleman shared her support for Dowden by commenting with a series of heart emojis, while 2025 contestant Karen Carney said she was “sending so much love”.

Dowden is looking forward to ‘rejoining [her] ‘Strictly’ family’ (Getty Images)

Dowden was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer in 2023, after discovering a lump in her chest shortly before she was due to fly out on her honeymoon.

She underwent a mastectomy, but was then told that the tumours had spread and she would have to embark on a course of chemotherapy, which prevented her from taking part in that year’s Strictly competition.

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In February 2024, she learned that the cancer had gone into remission.

Dowden was teamed up with former Apprentice contestant Thomas Skinner in this year’s contest, with the couple eventually being the first pair to be eliminated.