Amy Dowden admits feeling 'jealous' at people celebrating their New Year on social media

The professional dancer announced she had been diagnosed with stage three cancer in May. Credit: PA Images

Amy Dowden has admitted feeling jealous at people celebrating their New Year highlights on social media.

The Strictly star announced she had been diagnosed with cancer days before her honeymoon, last year.

Looking back over 2023, she says she has changed as a person, having undergone a mastectomy, chemotherapy and fertility treatment.

Talking with Lorraine, she said, “On New Year’s Eve, when you wake up, and you see everyone’s posts about a year, I was actually quite bitter."

The professional dancer was diagnosed with cancer in 2023. Credit: PA Images

The professional dancer joined Strictly in 2017. She announced she had been diagnosed with stage three cancer in May after finding a lump in her breast in April, the day before going to the Maldives on her honeymoon with fellow professional dancer Ben Jones.

She missed out on competing on the show this year because of her treatment, and a planned dance about her cancer treatment had to be shelved after she broke her foot.

She told Lorraine: “On New Year’s Eve, when you wake up, and you see everyone’s posts about a year, I was actually quite bitter.

“At the beginning of the year, I had so many lovely plans. And I was on the Strictly arena tour and had a honeymoon planned with my husband.

“And within a day, it doesn’t just change during the treatment and surgery, it changes forever to be honest, because it has changed me as a person.

“I looked back and I did find some amazing opportunities that I had but also, when I looked back, I thought, I’ve had cancer, I’ve lost my hair, I’ve lost my boob, I’ve had sepsis, and I went into septic shock and I’ve had blood clots, I broke my foot.

"Then you’re watching everybody else share these lovely photos and reels and I was a bit jealous.”

Looking ahead to 2024, she said she just wants to get back to dancing.

She said: “I just want to get myself back on that dance floor. It would be amazing to win Strictly but winning will just be being back with the gang dancing, doing what I love in front of an audience with the people I love. I’ve just missed it so much.”

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