Amy Dowden has shared a light-hearted message to her Strictly Come Dancing co-star Carlos Gu after he and his celebrity partner knocked her out of the 2026 series in a dance-off. The professional dancer was eliminated earlier this month alongside her partner, celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton, becoming the first couple to leave the competition.
During the first results show of the series, following Movie Week, Chris and Amy found themselves in the bottom two against actress Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu. Both couples performed their routines again, with Chris and Amy dancing a cha cha to I’ll Be Ready from Baywatch, while Jaime and Carlos performed the same dance to Oh, Pretty Woman from Pretty Woman.
Reunion and Social Media Exchange
On Tuesday (October 20), Amy and Carlos were reunited at a Strictly party hosted by TikTok. Posing for a selfie together, Amy wrote on her Instagram Story: "@gkx_carlos my soul friends always (even if you did knock me out of the dance off [crying laughing emojis]). Love youuuuuu." Carlos reshared the post and replied: "Forever [heart emoji]."
The exit marked the second consecutive year Amy was the first to be voted off, having been in the bottom two with Thomas Skinner during the previous series. Fans have noted that Carlos is also Amy's best friend and dance partner outside the ballroom.
Reflection on Early Exit
Amy spoke about her departure at the Pride of Britain Awards on Monday (October 19), telling the Mirror: "It's gutting leaving so early. I'm lucky to be back every week dancing, and I'm still dancing and seeing Chris so it's all good. I still speak to him every day."
The dancer also responded to criticism from former Strictly professional Brendan Cole, who had said she had not "been doing a very good job for the last few years." Amy replied: "What more do we expect from him? Let's not give him any more attention that he so desperately craves."
