Strictly Come Dancing star Amy Dowden broke down in tears during an episode of BBC's Who Do You Think You Are? after discovering that her great-grandmother died of breast cancer at the age of 39 in 1921.
The Welsh dancer, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2023 at age 32, learned that her great-grandmother Louisa had the same type of breast cancer. Amy, who found a lump before her honeymoon with husband Ben Jones, said: 'She was only in her 30s. I wonder if there's a link between her and me.'
Amy's mother also had breast cancer, making the discovery particularly poignant. 'Knowing what she went through is horrible, but I'm lucky, I'm still here; it took her life, so it's a bit raw,' Amy said.
Louisa left behind six children, including Amy's grandfather Frank, who was informally adopted after her death. Amy reflected on the family's loss: 'You instantly just feel for these children. To lose their mum, the girls grew up without a mother and probably also had to become a mother really to the younger siblings.'
Amy's episode of Who Do You Think You Are? airs on Tuesday 2 June at 9pm on BBC One and iPlayer.
