Strictly Come Dancing live: Amy Dowden to undergo second mastectomy after 2023 cancer diagnosis
All the updates from week six of the BBC competition on Saturday and Sunday
Strictly stars are supporting Amy Dowden, who has revealed she will undergo a second mastectomy after being diagnosed with cancer in 2023.
The professional dancer, who was partnered with Thomas Skinner on this year’s series, said she has not received a new diagnosis, but will have the operation upon the advice of her medical team.
In 2024, Dowden said that, despite having no evidence of cancer in her system. she wouldn’t get the all-clear for five years – and would still require treatment.
The news follows model Ellie Goldstein’s elimination from the latest series of the BBC dancing competition in Sunday night’s results show.
Judges Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke, who all embraced spooky season with elaborate costumes, chose to save EastEnders star Balvinder Sopal after a tense dance off.
The undeniable highlight of this week’s episode was Lewis Cope and Katya Jones’s Couple’s Choice routine, which led to the first perfect score of the series.
Recap this weekend’s show as it happened below...
Zoe Ball admits she wants Strictly presenting gig
Zoe Ball admitted on her Dig It podcast episode with Jo Whiley that she would like the Strictly presenting gig.
“I think everyone would like to do that job,” the BBC Radio 2 broadcaster said, praising the dance competition for "bringing so much joy to people's lives."
She added: "Everyone's going to want that job. There will be queues going around the block."
Watch the full clip here:
Huge BBC star throws hat in ring for Strictly host job
The stars most likely to replace Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly
Strictly Come Dancing odds: Who will replace Claudia and Tess?
Week six song choices revealed
Here's who is dancing to what for Halloween week of the competition:
- Alex and Johannes - Salsa to “Horny” by Mousse T feat. Hot 'n' Juicy
- Amber and Nikita - Viennese Waltz to “I See Red” by Everybody Loves an Outlaw
- Balvinder and Julian - Samba to “Stay” by Shakespears Sister
- Ellie and Vito - Tango to “Abracadabra” by Lady Gaga
- George and Alexis - Cha Cha Cha to “Apple” by Charli XCX
- Harry and Karen - American Smooth to “Mystical Magical” by Benson Boone
- Karen and Carlos - Argentine Tango to “Red Right Hand” by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
- La Voix and Aljaž - Paso Doble to Beethoven's 5th
- Lewis and Katya - Couple's Choice to “Creep” by Radiohead
- Vicky and Kai - American Smooth to “Total Eclipse of The Heart” by Bonnie Tyler
A look back at last week's leaderboard
In case you need a reminder of last week’s scores, here’s the leaderboard from Icons Week of the competition:
Lewis Cope and Katya Jones: 9 + 9 + 8 + 8 = 34
Vicky Pattison and Kai Widdrington: 8 + 8 + 8 + 9 = 33
Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin: 8 + 8 + 8 + 9 = 33
Alex Kingston and Johannes Radebe: 7 + 8 + 8 + 9 = 32
Harry Aikines-Aryeetey and Karen Hauer: 6 + 9 + 7 + 8 = 30
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Lauren Oakley: 7 + 8 + 7 + 8 = 30
Karen Carney and Carlos Gu: 7 + 7 + 7 + 7 = 28
Ellie Goldstein and Vito Coppola: 6 +8 + 7 + 7 =28
Balvinder Sopal and Julian Caillon: 7 + 7 + 7 + 7 = 28
La Voix and Aljaž Škorjanec: 6 + 7 + 7 + 8 = 28
George Clarke and Alexis Warr: 6 + 7 + 6 + 8 = 27
Traitors star Cat Burns to appear on Strictly this week
In a prime time TV crossover, Celebrity Traitors star Cat Burns is set to appear on Strictly this week.
The singer, known for her single “Go” and her UK top 10 album Early Twenties will perform on Sunday’s results show alongside one professional couple.
Read the full story here:
Celebrity Traitors star Cat Burns to perform on Strictly this weekend
Vicky Pattison tearful over families support
It’s been an emotional week for Vicky Pattison who welled up on It Takes Two on Wednesday after her father John told her he was “so proud” of her.
More below:
Strictly’s Vicky Pattison fights back tears over sweet family message on live TV
Amber Davies says week five dance off was 'awful'
Amber Davies, who was in the bottom two last week alongside Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has dubbed the dance off an “awful” experience.
The former Love Islander said being in the bottom two against the footballer was one of the “worst feelings in the world”.
“I wasn’t sad because we were in the dance-off, I was sad because I loved him so much,”she said.
“I felt awful that it was us that had to be a part of them getting knocked out”, she continued, adding that the sports star and his professional partner Lauren Oakley were an “amazing team”.
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink says he achieved what he set out to on show
Hasselbaink said he proved that “a footballer can dance” following his shock elimination from Strictly.
“While I left earlier than I’d hoped, I walk away proud of what I achieved. In just a few weeks, I made my point – a footballer can dance, it’s more than okay to put yourself out there,” he wrote on Instagram.
Read the full story here:
‘I made my point’: Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink speaks out after Strictly elimination
Strictly pro criticises judge's harsh feedback
Strictly’s Karen Hauer has spoken out on the “harsh” criticism she received from the judges over her choreography.
The professional dancer said it was a “shame” that the judges weren’t impressed with her and Harry Aikines-Aryeetey’s Argentine tango during Icons Week as she “loved it”.
Both Craig Revel Horwood and Shirley Ballas criticised the “bump and grind” moves used in the Usher song, with the former saying: “I wasn’t entirely fond of throwing all the groove stuff in there.”
Hauer suggested if the judges wanted her to choreograph a classical Argentine tango, then “give me the music and I’ll do it”.
“That was the assignment,” Karen said. “I was just a bit like”, she said, pulling a face.
Who is Lewis Cope? The soap star topping the Strictly leaderboard
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