24 July 2023 , 16:35
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Amy Dowden has posted a heartfelt photo from her surprise reunion with her Strictly Come Dancing co-stars, just a few days after she announced the news that she has received a second diagnosis of breast cancer.
The 32-year-old took to Instagram on Monday to share the touching picture, which shows her smiling alongside her beloved friends from the BBC One reality series.
From the look of the slick workout attire on display, Amy popped in during a rehearsal session for Series 21, which is due to air in September. Her welcome visit comes a few days after the Welsh dancer revealed that she would not be participating in the upcoming season, having been told that she required chemotherapy to treat another type of cancer detected in her body.
Amy Dowden has reunited with her Strictly Come Dancing co-stars (Instagram/amy_dowden)"I surprised the gang!" Amy captioned the uplifting post. "Just what I needed! Seeing the @bbcstrictly family! Going to be an amazing series and I can’t wait to watch you all shine and be with you all when I can." She also posted a Story to her Instagram after she'd departed, in which she revealed that she had 'happy tears' from meeting all her talented friends in the flesh.
"It's definitely helped cheer me up because I really wanted to see them all," she said. "The next journey for me begins tomorrow."
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Despite admittedly feeling "scared" to begin chemotherapy, Amy is hopeful that the treatment will be successful.
"The oncologist did say that with chemo I’ve got a really good chance of a cure," she told her followers after sharing the news.
Amy Dowden said the visit 'cheered' her up (Instagram/amy_dowden)
She often shares updates after fans ask about her wellbeing (Amy Dowden Instagram)Her sweet update drew a flurry of supportive messages, many of which were sent by her fellow TV stars.
"What a lovely picture," former Hollyoaks actor Gemma Atkinson wrote.
"You’ll be back with them all before you know it girl, happiest that you were able to be there," one fan wrote, while another said, "Bless you and Ben, Amy. You're in our hearts and minds. You'll get through this and wow us all next year with an epic comeback. Love from Essex."
Her Strictly co-stars also shared positive energy with the talented dancer, who has become one of the show's favourite professionals ever since joining its cast six years ago.
Dianne Buswell, who signed up to the BBC One program alongside Amy in 2017, posted a trilogy of red love heart emoticons beneath the photo, while Gorka Márquez commented the symbol of two hands pressed together and two yellow hearts.
On May 24, Amy announced that she had breast cancer via a simple message on Instagram.
Amy Dowden underwent a mastectomy in June (Amy Dowden Instagram)"Hey all, I've got some news which isn't easy to share," she said, before revealing the upsetting diagnosis. Despite the difficult road ahead, she insisted that she remains "determined to get back on that dance floor before you know it."
Amy first discovered a lump in her right breast during a shower while she was on honeymoon in the Maldives with her husband, Ben Jones.
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"I was in shock; I checked again," she recalled. "I thought: 'Right, it could just be period-related, or so many things. I decided I was going to keep an eye on it for a few weeks. On holiday, putting body lotion on every day, I was noticing it." When the lump continued to grow after she and Ben had returned from their romantic vacation, she knew she couldn't wait any longer. Her GP sent her for an emergency referral to have a biopsy, which would reveal the devastating news that she had Grade 3 breast cancer.
"Three is the most aggressive, but they feel like they've caught mine early and to not be too alarmed because grade 3 would be expected in somebody of my age," Amy told Hello! magazine.
In June, she underwent a mastectomy after doctors discovered there was more than one tumour in her breast. She previously revealed that her priority is to continue to dance, telling fans, "Straightaway, it was my dancing. Like, 'you can take away my boob but you can’t take my dancing away from me'."