Strictly Come Dancing professional Amy Dowden has spoken of her anger and guilt following her breast cancer diagnosis at the age of 33. The dancer, from Caerphilly, revealed she feels she has let people down by being unable to return to the show this year.
In an interview with Women's Health magazine, Dowden said: 'I just think I've been dealt a difficult one... it'll take a while to accept. I've always worked so hard, I've always been a good person, I looked after myself, I've exercised well, haven't smoked... I do get angry.'
The dancer, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in May, also has Crohn's disease, diagnosed in 2019. She said she will not fully accept her situation until she is back dancing and 'back to my normal self'.
Dowden recently fractured her foot, dashing hopes of returning to Strictly this year. She said she never asked for this to happen and finds it difficult to accept.
Despite the challenges, Dowden chose to appear on the cover of Women's Health without a wig, hoping to inspire others with cancer. She said: 'I imagined teenagers being able to go to school and being able to embrace (not having hair) or go swimming and just be like 'I'm like Amy who's off Strictly'. That just gave me the confidence to go: 'Yeah, let's do this'.'
She urged people not to offer pity but to treat her normally: 'Just ask how I am - I will answer you. We don't want you to feel sorry for us. We're embracing it. Stand strong with us... don't give me that pity look - I don't need it!'
