Strictly Come Dancing professional and breast cancer and Crohn's awareness advocate, Amy Dowden, shares her journey from growing up in the Welsh Valleys to dancing on the glittering stage of prime-time television. Through her debilitating illness as a teen and her recent chemotherapy treatment for stage 3 breast cancer, Amy's is a story of an unbreakable spirit with an irrepressible joy for life and dance; she is living proof that our darkest times do not define us.

From her first dance lesson, Amy never wanted to be off the dance floor; when the music is on, nothing else matters, and it has been what has kept her going in the toughest of times. Despite facing the relentless challenges of undiagnosed Crohn's disease through her teens, Amy's love for dance remained unwavering. Her passion led her to win the British Championships with her partner and become the first Welsh professional dancer on Strictly Come Dancing.

However, Amy's journey took an unexpected turn when she discovered a lump in her breast just before her honeymoon. Despite undergoing a mastectomy and enduring gruelling chemotherapy, her journey was far from over. Complications arose, and she faced the harsh reality of reduced chances of having children. Yet, through it all, Amy's spirit remained unbroken, fuelled by her love for dance and the unwavering support of her family, friends and supporters.

In Dancing in the Rain, Amy Dowden shares her poignant and deeply personal story, offering solace and inspiration to anyone navigating life's storms. With courage and vulnerability, she reminds us that no matter the challenge, the human spirit can prevail, and that even in the darkest of times, there is always hope.

Amy Dowden, MBE started dancing at the age of 8, but it wasn’t until after completing her A-levels she committed to it full-time, making her rapid rise in the rankings all the more remarkable, competing against much more experienced couples. For eight years her path to success was also blighted by misdiagnosis after misdiagnosis of a debilitating stomach complaint which left her hospitalised at least once a month, meaning she missed out on training, key competitions and many milestones of teenage life.

Alongside her partner (both in life and on the dance floor) Ben Jones, she achieved her dream of becoming British National Latin Dance Champion in 2016. They were the first all-British pair to win the championships in over 30 years. Other successes include becoming British Dance Federation Champions, English Closed Champions and Welsh Closed and Open Champions. 

Amy joined Strictly Come Dancing in 2017 as the first ever Welsh professional dancer on the show. Undoubtedly, the highlight of her time on Strictly so far was reaching the final in 2019 with celebrity partner Karim Zeroual, where they topped the leaderboard. Other fabulous celebrities she has partnered over the past eight years include Brian Conley, Tom Fletcher and JJ Chalmers to name a few. 

In 2019, Amy very bravely announced that she has suffered from Crohn’s disease since a child. She did this in conjunction with the launch of the It Takes Guts campaign run by Crohn’s & Colitis UK which promotes awareness of the disease and encourages sufferers to be open about their illness. For this work Amy won the Raising Awareness Award at the Hello! Magazine Star Women Awards 2019 and in 2023 she received a Points of Light Award from the Prime Minister at 10 Downing Street. In 2020 the BBC broadcast a documentary, Strictly Amy: Crohn’s & Me.

In 2023 Amy was diagnosed with Breast Cancer, undergoing a mastectomy and a 3-month course of chemotherapy. Once again Amy turned this experience into a positive by raising awareness of breast cancer and its treatment, working closely with the charity CoppaFeel!. A documentary following Amy’s cancer journey, Strictly Amy: Cancer & Me, aired on BBC One in 2024.

As well as her work on Strictly and her documentaries, Amy has fronted two series of Dare to Dance for the BBC in which she helps people perform a spectacular dance for a special occasion. She is also part of the presenting line-up for Lorraine on ITV.

​Amy’s resilience to overcome the physical and mental battles to achieve her dreams are a true inspiration and she is a popular speaker at conferences and corporate events, using her journey and what she has learnt from living with a chronic illness to inspire others. Amy was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the King’s Birthday Honours in June 2024 for her campaigning work to raise awareness around Crohn’s and other inflammatory bowel diseases.

The paperback of her Sunday Times bestselling memoir is released in August 2025