Strictly Come Dancing star Amy Dowden has shared an emotional health update after learning her great-grandmother died from breast cancer while filming the BBC genealogy show Who Do You Think You Are?. The 35-year-old dancer, who was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer in 2023 and is currently in remission, discovered the heartbreaking family history during the episode airing tonight.
“As soon as I saw it was carcinoma, my heart ached for her,” Dowden told The Telegraph ahead of the broadcast. She described the discovery as “heartbreaking” and said she became visibly upset while reading about her relative’s illness.
Dowden also credited her Strictly Come Dancing partner Tom Fletcher’s wife, Giovanna Fletcher, for encouraging her to check for lumps regularly. The dancer said she would not be alive today if she had not been paired with Tom in 2021, as Giovanna’s advice led her to detect her own cancer early.
Now in remission, Dowden is campaigning to raise awareness of breast cancer and Crohn’s Disease, which she has had since age 11. She said she receives daily messages from people who have sought medical help after hearing her story.
Dowden’s episode of Who Do You Think You Are? airs on BBC One at 9pm tonight.
