Strictly Come Dancing professional Amy Dowden has admitted she was "so selfish" for hiding her Crohn's disease diagnosis early in her career, fearing it would put celebrities off dancing with her.
The Welsh dancer joined the BBC programme in 2017 and has since been paired with the likes of Brian Conley, Tom Fletcher and Tom Skinner. This year, she was matched with celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton, though the duo became the first to be eliminated.
Fear of Being Seen as a 'Risk'
Beyond the dance floor, the 36-year-old has spoken openly about her cancer journey, which saw her sit out the 2023 series while receiving breast cancer treatment, as well as her ongoing struggle with Crohn's disease, a chronic condition causing inflammation in the digestive system.
Speaking on The Lewis Nicholls Show on YouTube, Dowden confessed she was initially terrified to disclose the condition to anyone. She kept her diagnosis under wraps early in her career as choreographers and partners regarded her as a "risk" who could potentially miss work during flare-ups.
Dowden said: "I was scared celebrities would not want to dance with me because of it. And I really wanted to make my name as a dancer. But looking back, I was so selfish and silly, and I find it so important nowadays to use my platform and raise awareness in the right way. For two years I didn't help anybody because I wanted to become Amy the dancer."
Raising Awareness and Recognition
Crohn's disease can trigger symptoms including abdominal pain, diarrhoea and fatigue. Dowden has also endured serious flare-ups that have necessitated hospital care.
She has dedicated herself to raising awareness of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In 2025, she received an MBE in recognition of her services to dance and her efforts in raising awareness of Crohn's disease.
Return to Strictly
Despite her elimination from the programme, Dowden made an emotional comeback to Strictly at the weekend, stepping in for Delta Goodrem, who was forced to withdraw from Icons Week due to a rib injury, with the announcement confirmed by Lorraine Kelly.
Following her original departure, former Strictly professional Brendan Cole bluntly suggested she was no longer "up" for the challenge, telling Sky Vegas that she hadn't "been doing a very good job for the last few years" on the programme.
