Strictly Come Dancing star Amy Dowden has received an MBE for her work as an ambassador for Crohn's and Colitis UK.
King Charles III honoured the professional dancer at Buckingham Palace yesterday for her charity work and advocacy around the inflammatory bowel diseases.
Amy said she also spoke to the King about her recovery from chemotherapy and the impact it has had on her body, after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2023.
Related: Best streaming services
"It was a real honour. I will keep doing what I can for Crohn's and Colitis UK charity and more recently as well for breast cancer, to get as many people as I possibly can to check themselves," she said (via Daily Mail).
"Early detection saves lives and it is an incredible honour. It still hasn't sunk in yet."
What to Read Next
The royal family's official Instagram page also shared a photo of Amy receiving her award, captioning it: "Keeeeeep dancing! Professional dancer and @BBCStrictly star @Amy_Dowden was one of many to be presented with an MBE by The King today.
"A huge congratulations to all those who received their honours at Buckingham Palace!"
Related: Former Strictly star announces "deeply personal" ITV documentary
After being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2023, Amy underwent a mastectomy and chemotherapy. In February 2024, she confirmed that there was "no evidence of disease" after treatment.
The star also lives with Crohn's disease and has candidly opened up about her flare-ups over the years.
In 2020, she fronted the BBC documentary Strictly Amy: Crohn’s and Me, in which the dancer discussed her battle with Crohn’s disease and heard about the severe impact it has had on others.
Strictly Come Dancing airs on Saturdays 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.
Interested in talking about Strictly? Visit our dedicated sub-forum
Read more Strictly news on our dedicated homepage
Social Executive, Entertainment Portfolio After completing her joint honours degree in Journalism and English Literature at Cardiff University, Iona joined Digital Spy as a Content Production Intern in 2022, where she wrote across both news and features, specialising in TV and movies. Following her internship, Iona continued contributing to the site as a freelance reporter, becoming social executive for the Hearst UK entertainment portfolio in summer 2025. Iona now leads the DS social channels, covering red carpets with stars such as Paul Mescal, Austin Butler, and more.
