EXCLUSIVE: Amy Dowden talks about returning to Strictly, menopause, IVF and marriage to Ben as she discusses life after chemotherapy and finding her new normal

Amy Dowden thought her life would return to normal after completing cancer treatment(Image: Instagram)

When she rang the bell to mark the end of her breast cancer treatment, Strictly Come Dancing star Amy Dowden thought her nightmare would end. Instead she found herself at an “all time low” as she came to terms with her new reality – she was bald, menopausal and too weak to dance.

Amy told The Mirror: “I thought my life was going to get back to normal. I was deluded. I honestly thought that I’d be back dancing on Strictly in no time and that my hair was going to grow back far quicker than it did. I thought that I’d be back to the old Amy, and it hit me really hard. I was scared and petrified. It was a very daunting, difficult time as well as being put into menopause.”

Amy said: “I started IVF treatment two weeks after the mastectomy. I was still recovering from surgery and then that was another journey. And then two weeks after I started chemo.”

Amy reflects on her journey after ringing the bell(Image: PinPep)

After eight rounds of chemotherapy, Amy completed her treatment and rang the bell. Sadly it didn’t herald an instant change in fortune and just a few days later Amy broke her foot, compounding her fears she’d never dance again. Amy said: “A few days later I broke my foot. I felt more of a cancer patient than ever. I felt isolated and lonely. And I didn’t know what my life ahead was going to be.”

Menopause is a notoriously difficult time for any woman, but coming after chemotherapy, it left Amy exhausted, emotional and suffering debilitating hot flushes. She said: “When I finished treatment, I actually hit an all time low. I went from this super fit young lady used to the spotlight and hair and make up to not liking to look in the mirror. But also there was a voice in my head saying, ‘Cancer can’t take away your dancing.’”

Amy has always dreamed of being a mother and thanks to the IVF wedged in between her mastectomy and chemotherapy, she has five frozen embryos that could hold the key to her future happiness.

Amy Dowden shared her cancer journey in her BBC documentary(Image: BBC/Wildflame Productions)

However, doctors have warned Amy that even though she’s cancer free, she cannot yet risk undergoing IVF as the hormones she would have to take could raise her risk of the cancer returning.

Amy said: “I always wanted the honour of being a mother. My oncologist said he won’t speak to me about it yet. It’s too soon. We were lucky enough to get five embryos, but right now, it’s still too soon. I only finished active treatment just over a year ago. My body has just got to recover first, hopefully.”

Amy is sharing her recovery story after making a short film called Beyond the Bell, which is part of the Keep Ahead campaign from Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK, to shed light on life post-breast cancer.

While ringing the bell might appear as a moment of joy for people outside of cancer treatment, Amy wants to prepare people going through treatment for the reality.

Last year (2024), Amy triumphantly re-joined Strictly Come Dancing and was partnered with singer JB Gill. However, she was forced to withdraw in November with a stress fracture, and was replaced by Lauren Oakley, who made it to the finals with JB.

Amy on Strictly Come Dancing(Image: BBC/Ray Burmiston)

In hindsight, Amy realises her return to Strictly was too soon for her physically – though she believes dancing on the show was vital to her mental and emotional recovery.

Amy said: “I went back to Strictly far too early last year because I just wanted to get what I thought was my normal back. I needed it mentally to go back, otherwise I don’t think I would have ever gone back. I needed that normality. I couldn’t have watched another series from the sofa. It was killing me. Physically I wasn’t ready, but I thought I was. The BBC put so much in place to ease me back in gradually and I’m so grateful for them and they constantly had my best interests at heart.”

With the 2025 series of Strictly looming, Amy believes she’s fitter than ever and is grateful that her body has adjusted to the menopause.

She said: “I still get the occasional hot flush. This time last year it was really tough but now I really feel my body’s adjusted to it.”

Amy and Ben have just celebrated their third wedding anniversary and despite the traumatic start to their marriage, their love is deeper than ever before. Amy said: “We’re even closer than ever now, especially this past year getting our life back together, enjoying holidays and doing our house renovation. My husband said to me earlier this year, ‘I love my life and I’m really happy.’ It makes you realise how precious life and your loved ones are after a cancer diagnosis. We just enjoy every little bit of time we get together.”

Part of Amy’s new normal is saying ‘no’ more often and prioritising her recovery. She said: “I would always work myself into the ground. I wouldn’t take a day off. I’d run Dance Academy, I’d be saying yes to absolutely everything and I’ve learned that now, actually, I need time off to recover. I need a day off or I need to go and see my family. That’s what I learnt most about cancer – life is precious.”

Another unexpected side effect of cancer is that Amy has lost close friends who never reached out to her after her diagnosis, leaving her hurt and confused. Amy said: “There were people sat at my wedding six months before and I still haven’t heard from them today. Everyone deals with it differently, but it’s still very tough. So much has changed for me.”

Amy and her husband Ben are closer than ever(Image: Amy Dowden Instagram)

However, cancer has brought new people into her life and her true friendships and relationships have strengthened. Amy said: “I learned who my true friends and family were and I only surround myself with them, that’s the new normal for me.”

Amy has shared her early breast cancer journey from the beginning, hoping her story helps others who are also affected by the disease. She said: “If a lady’s diagnosed with cancer she can say it, ‘Well, Amy got back on the dance floor or she can say to her little girl, ‘Look, Mum’s got what Amy’s got and she’s back on Strictly, she’s got a smile on her face.’”

While her recovery has been gruelling, Amy believes that she’s now fitter than she’s ever been. She said: “Everyone is different but actually I feel stronger and fitter than I did now before my cancer treatment. I’ve done that hard work in the gym and I’ve really loved seeing the differences made and doing one up on cancer.”

So it’s with an unflinching smile that Amy heads into this year’s Strictly.

While she dreams of being victorious and lifting the glitterball trophy with her celebrity partner, Amy admits just completing the competition would mean the world to her.

She said: “Watching your celebrity fall in love with dancing, that for me is a win. It would just be wonderful to be able to complete the whole Strictly series. I just can’t wait to just soak myself in all the Strictly magic.”