Strictly Come Dancing star Amy Dowden has detailed issues with her stomach amidst her cancer treatment.
The professional dancer was diagnosed with breast cancer in May, and has regularly documented her road to recovery.
The star has previously revealed she has recently undergone treatment to cure blood clots, one of which was on her lung, and revealed on Lorraine that injecting herself daily has resulted in injuries on her stomach.
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“I’ve had two blood clots on my arms; one on my lungs, and at the beginning of December I was rushed [into hospital] as doctors were worried it was travelling to my heart. I’ve been injecting myself every day and my stomach is black and blue from it.”
Dowden, who made several returns to the Strictly studio in the current series, also reflected on her year as a whole, revealing that her diagnosis had scuppered several plans she had for 2023.
“At the beginning of the year, I had so many lovely plans,” she began. “I was on the Strictly arena tour, [had a] honeymoon planned with my husband and then [it all changed] within a day. It doesn't just change during the treatment and surgery.
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“It changes forever – it has changed me as a person. My parents, my family, I see the pain in their eyes, it affected all of us, my husband, my lovely dance school and my students.
"I look back and I did find some amazing opportunities but also […] you're watching everybody else share these lovely photos and reels and I was a bit jealous."
Dowden continued: “I just want to get myself back on that dance floor and it would be amazing to win Strictly, but winning would be to be back with the gang, dancing, doing what I love, in front of an audience with the people I love. I've missed it so much."
Strictly Come Dancing will return later this year on BBC One, while spin-off Strictly: It Takes Two airs on weeknights on BBC Two. Both shows are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
Tickets for Strictly's 2024 live arena tour are available now.
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If you would like more information or support about living with cancer or treatment, please click here for guidance from Macmillan Cancer Support, or click here to learn more from Stand Up to Cancer.
Reporter, Digital Spy George is a freelance writer who specialises in Movies and TV. After graduating with a degree in Film Studies and Journalism from De Montfort University, in which he analysed the early works of Richard Linklater for his dissertation, he wrote for several websites for GRV Media. His film tastes vary from blockbusters like Mission: Impossible and John Wick to international directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Hirokazu Kore-eda, and has attended both the London and Berlin film festivals.
