Strictly Come Dancing professional Amy Dowden has revealed she reached the “lowest point in her life” during her breast cancer battle. The dancer, 36, underwent two mastectomies and chemotherapy after finding a lump in her breast.
In an interview with Express.co.uk, Dowden admitted: “I was at an all time low [after my diagnosis] I’m not going to lie.”
Lessons from chemotherapy
Dowden said: “I learned so much from chemo. It’s your soul that matters and that shines through. I think it’s about remembering that. I wish I was kinder to myself throughout the whole process – I was too hard on myself.”
The dancer described getting back on the dance floor as her “biggest dream” and spoke of finding confidence in “the new version of me.” She also mentioned going trekking with breast cancer charity CoppaFeel and appearing on Celebrity Hunted with Carlos Gu, saying: “It’s about embracing life, grabbing life.”
Hair loss and recovery
August is National Hair Loss Awareness Month, and Dowden admitted losing her hair during chemotherapy was difficult. She said: “It was really hard [losing my hair], especially being a dancer. Hair is our identity, we have hairography. Losing my eyelashes and my eyebrows, it was a tough period, I’m not going to lie.”
She now uses the UK Hair by UK Lash serum, saying: “When it was growing back it was growing back quite patchy, and I really felt like that made a difference. It’s about looking after it and embracing it.”
CoppaFeel partnership at Lingfield
Dowden teamed up with CoppaFeel, who were helping Pink Lady apples run a hobby horse race at Lingfield Park Ladies Day. Naked Attraction star Anna Richardson also attended the event.
Pink Lady launched its Find Your Fizz campaign after research found that only one in five women do something purely for their own enjoyment or fun once a week. The survey also found that 87% of women said it had been more than a week since they did something completely unexpected for fun, and a third of women surveyed could not remember the last time they did.
