Amy Dowden has spoken out about the upcoming changes to Strictly Come Dancing, telling fans that the heart of the show remains the same. The professional dancer appeared on Good Morning Britain on July 30 to address concerns over new presenters and a reshuffled dance lineup.
New Presenters and Dancers
The new series, returning in September, will be hosted by Emma Willis, Johannes Radebe and Josh Widdicombe – replacing long-serving hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, who left after the 2025 series. Five new professional dancers have joined: Aleksandra Isaeva, Cristian Priori, Lethabo Monametsi, Maddie Ingoldsby and Mark Karmalita. Meanwhile, Karen Hauer, Gorka Marquez, Nadiya Bychkova, Luba Mushtuk and Michelle Tsiakkas will not return. Amy is among the returning pros, alongside Jowita Przystal, Alexis Warr, Aljaz Skorjanec, Dianne Buswell, Julian Caillon, Kai Widdrington, Katya Jones, Lauren Oakley, Nancy Xu, Neil Jones, Nikita Kuzmin, Vito Coppola and Carlos Gu, who won last year's series with Karen Carney.
Amy's Message to Fans
Speaking on Good Morning Britain, Amy emphasised: “The format of the show is not changing. I’m a fan of the show, I’ve grown up watching it so it’s so surreal to have been a part of it and I’m so proud to be a part of it whilst they’ve been introducing new presenters. What we all love is the competition side, and at the end of the night, we’re all talking about the best numbers, who improved the most, who might be at risk and that is the heart of the show. I’m just so excited.”
Celebrity Hunted Appearance
Amy and Carlos will next appear on Celebrity Hunted on August 3, raising money for Stand Up To Cancer. She described the experience as tougher than Strictly: “It’s really hard, and the only break you get from one another is when you go to the bathroom. For us, we kept saying, this is harder than Strictly, it’s so intense… You have your film crew with you but unfortunately for us, we did make a plan but Carlos forgot to delete it from his phone so the hunters were onto us.” Other participants include EastEnders actor Brian Conlen and his daughter Lucy, presenters Scarlette and Stuart Douglas, comedians Jen Brister and Laura Smythe, JJ Chalmers and Sophie Morgan, and Love Islanders Chris Taylor and Toby Aromolaran.
