Amy Dowden has described her former Strictly Come Dancing partner Brian Conley as 'like family' after the pair reunited ahead of her return to the dancefloor later this year. The professional dancer, who first joined the BBC One show in 2017 as the first Welsh dancer on the programme, spent the weekend with Conley and his family at their home.
Reunion and TikTok Fun
Amy, along with her husband and fellow professional dancer Benjamin Jones, visited Conley and his daughter Lucy. In a TikTok video shared by Amy, she, Ben, and Lucy took part in a dance trend. Captioning the post, Amy wrote: 'When you spend the afternoon at the first #strictly partners house and TikTok with our @Lucy Conley, who was so young when we did the show! Conleys are like family to us x #trend #brianconley #fyp #friends.'
Amy also shared a picture of herself and Brian on her Instagram Story, gushing: 'Lovely afternoon and catch up! Thank you soooo much @realbrianconley,' before sharing a video of Brian in his chef whites.
History with Brian Conley
Amy partnered with actor and comedian Brian Conley in her first Strictly season, the fifteenth series. They were voted off in week five after performing a Jive to Tom Jones' 'It's Not Unusual'. Despite their early exit, the pair have remained close friends. Brian even served as master of ceremonies at Amy and Ben's wedding in July 2022 in South Wales.
Amy's Health Journey and Return
Amy took a break from Strictly after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2023, undergoing chemotherapy and two mastectomies. She made a full return to the ballroom in 2025, partnering with The Apprentice star Tom Skinner on the latest series. Amy has been confirmed to return for the upcoming series later this year, alongside fellow professional Carlos Gu, who won the glitterball trophy in the latest series with former footballer Karen Carney.
