Strictly Come Dancing's final at the weekend saw Ellie Leach and partner Vito Coppola lift the glitterball trophy, after a brilliant show which also involved Layton Williams and Bobby Brazier.
But for many, the highlight of the evening came before any of the finalists had even set foot on the dancefloor. Professional dancer Amy Dowden returned to the show to appear in the opening routine with her fellow pros, an incredibly emotional moment that surprised and delighted viewers.
Welsh dancer Amy joined Strictly back in 2017, making the final in 2019 with celebrity partner Karim Zeroual, but she was unable to take part this year after her breast cancer diagnosis in May.
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Amy has bravely documented the highs and lows of her cancer journey on social media, including an emotional video of her shaving off her hair, with the help of her family and friends. Her aim has been to raise awareness of breast cancer symptoms and to give courage to those who have also been diagnosed.
This series of Strictly has allowed Amy to continue raising this awareness on an even bigger platform. She appeared on It Takes Two, speaking to host Janette Manrara about the progress of her treatment, and she decided not to wear a wig when she first returned to the main show in October, generating an incredibly positive response from viewers.
But this is not all Amy has contributed to Strictly this year. While she might not have been able to dance and take part in the series in the way she hoped, she has remained a professional on the show in every other sense and has been kept as involved as possible.
She has created social media content for the show, presented VTs for It Takes Two and interviewed contestants in the last show before the final. She appeared in the launch show group dance as well as the final routine, and for several weeks she has been seen standing in the 'Clauditorium' with the rest of the pros and celebs.
Amy even had promotional photos taken pre-series like the rest of the professionals and still appears in the opening titles of the show. These are small actions but they send a clear message that even though her role has changed this year, she is still as much a part of the team as ever.
The dancer has faced a multitude of setbacks this year. While she intended to make a fuller return to the show following the end of her chemotherapy, Amy revealed last month that she had sustained a foot injury which scuppered these plans. However, Strictly continued to adapt around her changing circumstances, allowing her to still take part in the final group dance albeit in a more static role – creating the magic moment we saw on Saturday.
The show always talks about the 'Strictly family', a phrase used so much that the more cynical might dismiss it as a meaningless platitude. But Strictly's treatment of Amy this year proves that this is more than just a sentiment, with their constant support both on screen and off showing how much they value her as a much-loved member of this family.
This is not the norm for all talent shows.
With Dancing on Ice, it feels like we never really get to know the professionals and they never get the respect they deserve, with skaters joining and leaving the show to little fanfare. The Strictly pros, meanwhile, are as much the stars of the show as the celebrities and are always celebrated for their hard work throughout the series.
The way Strictly looks after and nurtures its own creates a positive atmosphere that translates to viewers and is the reason why the show has maintained its success, outlasting previous hits like The X Factor.
Strictly's support has clearly meant a lot to Amy. In an Instagram post about her appearance in the group dance, she opened up about how important the show has been to her during her illness, and said: "To have that adrenaline rush from performing in front of an audience, to be back with the gang made me feel like Amy again (the first time since my diagnosis).
"Thank you @bbcstrictly for helping me through these past few months. You’ve helped me more than you will ever know!
"This has been my only bit of normality the past few months and given me the distraction and focus to be there on Saturdays when I could with the team."
But perhaps most importantly, we can only imagine what Amy's visibility on the biggest show on TV – showing that cancer doesn't have to hold you back from anything – will have meant to people who are going through something similar to her. Strictly made that happen, and this shouldn't go unremarked.
We all look forward to seeing Amy return to the dancefloor properly, hopefully next year. But her inclusion in this series has been so beautiful to see – a reminder of how much we love Amy, and how much we love Strictly.
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Soaps Writer, Digital Spy and Inside Soap
After studying for an English degree at the University of Exeter, Erin completed a PPA-accredited Masters in Magazine Journalism at Cardiff University. She first joined the Digital Spy team in late 2023, writing across both news and features.
Erin is a fan of all things TV, from comedy and drama to reality TV and soaps.
