STRICTLY dancer Amy Dowden could be forced to quit the contest after collapsing while filming Saturday night’s show and being rushed to hospital.

The Welsh pro, who has Crohn’s Disease and has been battling cancer for almost 18 months, was seen by paramedics at Elstree Studios.

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Her condition was so serious that the fire service were called and specialist equipment used to help her to an ambulance while keeping her completely flat.

Amy, 34, collapsed after she performed her dance with her celebrity partner — JLS singer JB Gill, 37 — during the main show.

She was unable to appear in the recording of the live show, which aired last night.

Instead hosts Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly explained to viewers at home: “Before we get started, Amy isn’t able to be with us for tonight’s show.”

JB was seen standing alone on the staircase. When it was announced he was going through to next week, he smiled and said “Thank you” to cheers.

A Strictly insider said: “Amy was obviously in huge distress. “Everyone around her was equally upset because they felt so helpless.

“JB had to be given a hug. Even the medic who first attended to Amy needed support and consolation. The only thing they could do was try to get her to hospital as quickly and safely as possible.”

For the Halloween Special, Amy and JB dressed as scarecrows and performed to Dancing In The Moonlight by Toploader at 7.18pm.

It’s understood Amy started to feel ill minutes after she and JB received a 32 out of 40 score from the judges at 7.25pm.

Amy cheered and jumped up and down when Motsi gave them a 9, and screamed when she got an 8 from Anton.

Amy was still seen standing and smiling with JB in the final line-up at around 8.10pm.

By 9pm an ambulance had been called and at 9.50pm the fire service were also contacted to assist.

Amy has talked at length about the excruciating pain she suffers as a result of her Crohn’s, an inflammatory disease of the digestive system often brought on by stress.

Her spokesman said yesterday: “Amy was feeling unwell and so an ambulance was called as a precaution. She’s feeling much better and would like to thank the Strictly family for their love and concern.”

‘Contingencies in place’

Yesterday morning the BBC released a statement saying: “Due to unforeseen circumstances, Amy Dowden was unable to be in tonight’s results show.”

The BBC did not give any further detail with a spokeswoman adding only: “We have contingencies in place for all eventualities.”

No pro dancer has ever dropped out of Strictly in its 20 years.

Amy is hugely popular with fans, who would hate to see her having to leave the show.

Celebrities have had to leave — including comedian and actor Robert Webb who had a serious heart condition in the 2021 series.

It could mean that another pro may be brought in to replace Amy — either permanently or temporarily — if she is not considered well enough to return to rehearsals this week.

JLS star JB may decide he cannot continue without Amy.

An insider added: “They are incredibly close.

“She has helped him remain in the top band of the scoreboard since this series started.”

The East of England Ambulance Service confirmed: “We were called just after 9pm on Saturday to attend a medical emergency at Elstree Studios in Borehamwood.

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“An ambulance was sent to the scene. One patient, an adult female, was transported to Barnet Hospital for further care.”

Assistant Chief Fire Officer Mark Barber said: “Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service were called at 9.50pm to Elstree Studios in Borehamwood. We assisted with the transfer of a female patient to an ambulance.”

Amy, from Caerphilly in South Wales, has been battling Crohn’s disease since she was a teenager.

She has been taken to hospital more than a hundred times because of it.

In a BBC documentary in 2020 she revealed the bittersweet secret that joining Strictly could have made her dreams come true — but losing her spot in the line-up would represent her worst nightmare.

I live in fear that what I love the most could be taken away

Amy Dowden

Amy said: “Strictly has been more than a dance show to me, it got me through the darkest times of my illness.

“For me it was a big inspiration to keep me dancing.

“Dancing has pulled me through my Crohn’s but it’s a battle.

“I live in fear that what I love the most could be taken away.”

In one scene in the Beeb documentary Amy was seen collapsing a day after completing the last Strictly tour, and ended up being rushed to hospital.

She said: “To the public watching me with all our make-up, fake tan, glitz, glamour and spotlights, it’s a different world. I don’t think they could ever imagine this could be me the next day.

“I knew things weren’t right but your body goes: ‘Right you’ve got to get through this, you don’t want to let anyone down, you can do this. And you can just push yourself through anything’.

“I can’t think of how many times I’ve been in hospital.

“It’s got to be at least over 100 times. When I was 18 or 19 it was every month at least for a week.”

‘What a difference a year can make’

Before her return to Strictly, Amy also faced months of cancer treatment and was forced to step back from the series last year.

She revealed that touching messages from fans help her to stay on the show, explaining: “I get so many messages about my smile.

“I always look back and think, ‘Gosh, this time last year I was having chemo, this time last year I was in hospital with a blood clot’.”

She added: “What a difference a year can make.

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“I get messages every day from people saying, ‘I’m going through chemo and you’re my hope’, or, ‘Because of you I’ve checked myself and I found a lump’, or something like this.

“I’m just grateful to be back and be in the position I am.”

Amy was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer in May 2023.

Just a couple of months later she was told she had another type of cancer, which was found elsewhere in the body.

Following a mastectomy, she was told the tumours had spread and was diagnosed with cancer for the second time that July.

And in August 2024, her return to Strictly was thrown into chaos when doctors raised concerns about abnormalities in her breast following a check-up.

Amy later received the all-clear from her consultant.

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NATALIE J Robb looked worlds away from her Emmerdale character as she glammed up for a red carpet bash.

The soap star has played the fan-favourite role of Moira Dingle in the ITV show for 15 years.

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Moira, who has been apart of some of Emmerdale‘s biggest storylines, is known for her plain looks.

But actress Natalie couldn’t be further from her on-screen character as she recently stepped out.

The 49-year-old Scottish native wore a gorgeous sequined dress for an awards bash in Harrogate.

It was part of the town’s annual awards ceremony, which celebrates its locals for their hard work.

Natalie posed with 18-year-old Cory Leach, who scooped the Bravery Award for his recent health battles.

Emmerdale fans flooded Natalie with compliments on her look, including her new blonde look.

One said: “Absolutely spectacularly stunningly gorgeous Natalie.”

A second wrote: “You look beautiful beautiful as always hope the time your off screen goes quick.”

“You look amazing,” said a third.

While a fourth commented: “You look absolutely stunning Natalie.”

Emmerdale viewers have watched as Moira battles a brain tumour in the Dales.

It left her suffering from memory loss, seizures and hallucinations in shocking scenes.

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Strictly Come Dancing has eliminated its fifth celebrity contestant from the 2024 series.

BBC One’s popular dance competition continued on Saturday (26 October) night with its Halloween special, which saw the 11 celebrity contestants and their partners transform into ghoulish characters for their spooky season-inspired routines.

The episode saw Jamie Borthwick and his partner Michelle Tsiakkas top the leaderboard with their Addams Family-themed American Smooth to the film’s original theme, with the pair playing siblings Pugsley and Wednesday. They were in joint first place with Sarah Hadland and Vito Coppola, who floored the judges with their Argentine Tango to “Ready Or Not” by Fugees, and managed to secure 36 points despite suffering a lift mishap at the beginning of their routine.

It was Dr Punam Krishan, and her pro partner Gorka Márquez, who were placed in Sunday’s dance-off (27 October) opposite Shayne Ward and Nancy Xu.

Krishan and Márquez performed their Tango to “Sweet Dreams” by Eurythmics, followed by Ward and Xu who once again danced their Paso Doble to “In The Hall of The Mountain King” by Edvard Grieg.

Krishan was ultimately eliminated from the series followed by a unanimous vote from the judges.

Asked about her time on the compeition, Krishan said: “I am really proud of myself. You know I’ve taken on something that’s so out of my comfort zone. The one thing that I’ve very much learnt is to say yes more, and that there is no point in your life when you can stop learning new skills.

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“I’ve learnt more than dancing, I’ve learnt so much from Gorka. Everyone’s been so incredible and it’s just memories that I’ll take home forever and I am very proud. I’ve made my family very proud, I’m just really grateful.”

When host Tess Daly asked whether the TV doctor’s family are proud, she responded: “They really are. My kids are so proud, my parents, my husband, everyone. This is just one of those things that I have dreamt about for years and I think to have one of your dreams genuinely come true is just a surreal feeling. Week after week it’s been incredible, I’ve made friends for life and everyone’s just been so kind, so thank you.”

Her partner Márquez said: “It’s been incredible, it’s been a fantastic six weeks. I’m very proud of what she has achieved. She’s a GP and a mum. She had never danced before and I think she improved week by week.”

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“I think she is truly what the show is about, someone who doesn’t have experience in the performance world came here and learnt to dance,” he continued. “She wanted to do so well and worked so hard. Also I feel very proud and very honoured that we got to do a Bollywood dance, to represent your culture, show your culture to the world and open doors for so many people in your culture.”

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Krishan added: “Thank you. Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for giving me the gift of dancing. I’ve never danced before, but you’ve definitely sparked so much dancing. I want to learn more, and I definitely don’t think this will be the end of my journey dancing.”

The TV medic made history on Strictly when she performed the show’s first-ever Bollywood routine.

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Performing the choreography in a nod to her South Asian heritage, Krishan left the judges in tears with the landmark dance.

The song choice for the performance, “Bhole Chudiye”, is from the 2001 film Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, one of the highest-grossing movies in the Indian film industry.

Krishan said the performance meant “everything” to her, adding “you can’t be what you can’t see” as she said her four-year-old self would be proud.

She dedicated the dance to her late grandfather, who had always had concerns that his grandchildren would be out of touch with their South Asian culture.

Krishan’s exit follows the departure of footballer Paul Merson, who was eliminated last week, as well as Toyah Willcox, Nick Knowles and Tom Dean, who all left the competition in its earlier stages.

A CELEBRITY Big Brother legend returned to the TV house – sending this year’s housemates wild.

Fans of the reality show watched as the former winner appeared in the garden.

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As part of a new task, Emma was given a secret earpiece by Big Brother and told to follow his instructions.

Called the Totally Oblivious Task, every housemate bar Segun was involved.

It saw David Potts reappear in the garden, with housemates distracting Seugan as they brought the current CBB champ safely to the diary room.

Housemates were left stunned as they spotted the former Ibiza Weekender star, who was forbidden to say anything.

Reacting at home, one viewer said: “This task is brilliant. David was hilarious.”

A second wrote: “That task with David was so chaotic.”

“I jumped to conclusions seeing the teaser and ranted about the no outside contact thing. However as that was absolutely hilarious and David didn’t interact I take back what I said. That was great, and I apologise BB,” said a third.

While a fourth posted: “The way David was stressing me out. I would have been dragging him in that diary room.”

The task also saw 10 housemates have a secret rave in the bathroom, without arousing suspicion from Segun.

Marcello also had to hide a gigantic turkey from Segun before returning it to the diary room.

Big Brother then gathered the housemates and revealed the task to a gobsmacked Segun before confirming they had successfully passed.

Big Brother continues on ITV2 and ITVX.

Big Brother 2024 cast

A brand new batch of Big Brother housemates are living it up in the famous compound.

Meet the cast of the 2024 series:

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• Rosie, 29, dental assistant from Cornwall.
• Emma, 53, aesthetics business owner from Altrincham.
• Segun, 25, charity videographer from Watford.
• Nathan, 24, pork salesman from Dumfries.
• Daze, 24, climate activist from London.
• Khaled, 23, sales manager from Manchester.
• Martha, 26, NHS administrator from Scarborough.
• Lily, 20, Chinese takeaway server from Warrington.
• Ali, 30, Forensic psychologist from London.
• Thomas, 20 amputee footballer from Carlisle.
• Ryan, 28, marketing and events from Stockport.
• Hannah, 24, HR consultant from West London.
• Izaaz, 29, sales consultant from London.
• Sarah, 27, spa account manager from Shrewsbury.
• Marcello, 34, youth mentor from East London.
• Dean, 35, barber from East London

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Strictly Come Dancing has eliminated the fifth celebrity contestant of the season, with fans torn by the outcome.

For the fifth time this year, the public cast their votes for their favourite couples on Saturday night (26 October) after Halloween week saw the duos don their scariest garb for some spooktacular performances.

Following a tense dance-off during Sunday night’s (27 October) results show, it is Dr Punam Krishan and Gorka Márquez who have departed left the dancefloor for good.

Noticeably absent from the episode was professional dancer Amy Dowden who required medical attention shortly after her performance on Saturday night. Explaining her leave from the episode, a spokesperson for the BBC stated: “Due to unforeseen circumstances, Amy Dowden MBE was unable to be in tonight’s results show.”

Krishan’s elimination follows after the judges unanimously voted to save Shayne Ward and Nancy Xu who also found themselves in the dance-off.

Both couples performed their Halloween Week routines again, with Punam and Marquez dancing their Tango to “Sweet Dreams” by Eurythmics. Meanwhile, Ward and Xu did their Paso Doble to “The Hall of the Mountain King” by Edvard Grieg.

Unfortunately for TV doctor Krishan, who made Strictly history with the show’s first-ever Bollywood routine, the judges made the unanimous decision to save Ward and Xu.

Since the judges – Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, and Aonton Du Beke – all agreed, head judge Shirley Ballas did not have to vote. She did, however, reveal that she would have voted in line with her fellow judges.

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The pair’s departure means there are only 10 couples left in the series, with the finale fast approaching and the competition heating up.

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The decision has left fans divided with some complaining that the judges made the wrong choice.

“Gutted for Gorka and Punam. They were in my fav top three,” one person wrote. “Shayne didn’t really dance, just waved a wand and walked around.”

Another person wrote: “Shane didn’t do any dancing for the first minute and then he was not in time with the music. Not happy with the decision.”

“I thought Punam should have stayed,” said someone else. “I felt that she improved on yesterday’s dance.”

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Most, however, accepted the decision as the right choice despite the fact they would miss seeing “lovely” Punam on screen.

“Right result but Punam has been lovely,” said someone else.

A third person added: “Arguably the right decision, but Punam seems utterly lovely and a very classy woman.”

“Such a shame – Punam seems like such a genuinely lovely person,” said someone else.

The mixed reaction does not come entirely as a surprise given that many viewers were unhappy with the judge’s criticism of Punam’s Halloween performance, which earned only 26 points. Ward and Xu received a total of 31 points.

“They are so harsh to Punam every week,” one person wrote at the time. “So harshly scored. Very frustrating.”

Asked by host Tess Daly about her time on the programme, Punam said: “I am really proud of myself. You know I’ve taken on something that’s so out of my comfort zone.

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“The one thing that I’ve very much learnt is to say yes more, and that there is no point in your life when you can stop learning new skills.”

Punam told Daly that her family are proud of her accomplishments on the series, going on to thank her professional partner for believing in her.

Marquez was full of praise for his partner: “It’s been incredible, it’s been a fantastic six weeks. I’m very proud of what she has achieved. She’s a GP and a Mum. She had never danced before and I think she improved week by week.”

Krishan’s exit follows the departure of footballer Paul Merson, who was eliminated last week, as well as Toyah Willcox, Nick Knowles and Tom Dean, who all left the competition in its earlier stages.

The remaining 10 couples will take to the dancefloor next week, as Strictly return on Saturday (2 November) with the results show following the night after (3 November).