AMY Dowden is hoping to make a shock return to Strictly before the end of the current series.

It was revealed today that Amy, 34, would no longer be taking part in the programme, owing to a recent medical emergency.

4

Advertisement

4

She missed last weekend’s show and was replaced by Lauren Oakley, 33, in her partnership with JLS star JB Gill, 37,

Now the change has been made permanent as she recovers from a foot injury.

Her spokesperson has stated that, although Amy is understandably upset about having to withdraw, she is anticipated to make a full recovery in the coming weeks.

They told The Mirror: “Amy is hoping to be able to dance again on Strictly before the end of the series.

“It is a different injury to the one she had a year ago. It’s the same foot but a different bone. It’s just terribly bad luck.

“She did it during training, it was one of those things, nobody’s fault, but it got worse over the next few days.”

Today, it was confirmed that the medical emergency had forced Amy out of the contest for good.

Amy, who has Crohn’s Disease and has been battling cancer, missed the results programme last week after she was rushed to hospital.

Breaking her silence earlier this evening, Amy said: “My heart is breaking right now. The past few months I finally felt like me again.

“Cancer was no longer the first thing I thought of when I woke up. It was choreography, music choices, which dances in which order, what we needed to work on. I felt free again.

“My goal since hearing those words you have cancer was to get back on the Strictly dance floor. It’s been such a challenge to get back, one I devoted 2024 too.”

She went on to add: “My heart right now is breaking having to pull out of the competition due to a foot injury and I know only too well ‘this too shall pass’ and I’ll be soon better and back dancing.

Amy Dowden’s statement in full

“My heart is breaking right now. The past few months I finally felt like me again. Cancer was no longer the first thing I thought of when I woke up. It was choreography, music choices, which dances in which order, what we needed to work on. I felt free again.

“My goal since hearing those words you have cancer was to get back on the strictly dance floor. It’s been such a challenge to get back, one I devoted 2024 too. Which with my incredible team we got there. Something I wanted to do for myself and loved ones.

“There was no feeling like it dancing again in the ballroom with my strictly family. Then I was partnered with the talented,kind, gentle soul JB. Every day our training room was chilled, hardworking and full of big smiles enjoying what we was creating together with a blossoming friendship.

Advertisement

“JB thank you for being the perfect partner back. We topped the leader board week one and continued to work so hard and thank you for being so passionate about understanding the ballroom and Latin fundamentals.

“For me that rumba will always be one of my favs. I’m so sad, so upset and asking why me, why now that our journey has been cut short. My heart right now is breaking having to pull out of the competition due to a foot injury and I know only too well ‘this too shall pass’ and I’ll be soon better and back dancing.

“Something I’ve had to get used to in my life. I’m sure at some point we will dance again JB To all the fans, to my loved ones, my strictly family thank you.

“JB I know you and Lauren will continue to ace that dance floor I’ll forever be your biggest cheerleader.”

Advertisement

“Something I’ve had to get used to in my life. I’m sure at some point we will dance again JB.”

Her most recent foot injury comes after her fractured foot last November, which occurred whilst rehearsing a dance at home, three days after she finished cancer treatment.

It came after two gruelling rounds of chemotherapy, during which she contracted life-threatening sepsis.

Over the weekend, fans were left in tears as they watched Amy cheer on JB from the clauditorium.

Amy sobbed as Lauren and JB scooped a hugely impressive 39 out of 40 for their routine.

One fan was quick to take to the Strictly forum and wrote: “Amy’s putting on a brave face but she looks crushed. It’s making me cry.”

Strictly Amy’s cancer ‘nightmare’

The Sun’s Jamie Downham takes a look at the beloved Strictly star’s ups and downs…

AS Strictly Come Dancing viewers know, you’ll struggle to catch Amy Dowden without a huge smile on her face.

Advertisement

But recently the Welsh star – one the best-rated Ballroom and Latin American professional dancers the UK has ever produced – has suffered a string of “nightmare” blows to her health.

She was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer in May last year and underwent a full mastectomy, before having chemotherapy towards the end of 2023.

However, she later reported docs had found a clot on her lung, telling fans sadly: “Unfortunately I’ve had another nightmare this week.”

Nonetheless, brave Amy, seen here dancing with James Bye, made an epic return to Strictly the following month with an appearance that left many viewers in floods tears.

Advertisement

As 2024 dawned, she admitted: “I feel I was robbed of the year I had planned and reflecting for me makes me upset and angry.”

However, she was soon smiling again. Amy, her hair starting to grow back after her cancer treatment, was seen messing around with her co-stars Dianne Buswell and Vito Coppola on the Strictly tour earlier this month.

And despite another spell in hospital in February, she still mustered a cheeriness many would struggle for, telling fans: “The sun is shining – and I certainly can’t wait for Spring.”

And we certainly can’t wait to see you dancing again, Amy…

Advertisement

4

4

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails

Sign up to our free breaking news emails

Sign up to our free breaking news emails

The latest star to be eliminated from Strictly Come Dancing has revealed an off-camera Amy Dowden moment that made her realise there are “more important things” than the BBC show.

Hockey player Sam Quek has been open about feeling “gutted” over her surprise exit from the series, which many viewers believe to be premature.

However, Quek has credited Dowden, 34, with putting the stress of the show into perspective for her and her fellow celebrity contestants with a “sobering” one-liner.

Professional dancer Dowden, who is “heartbroken” after being forced to pull out of the dancing competition for the rest of the year, underwent a mastectomy, chemotherapy and fertility treatment after being diagnosed with cancer in May 2023. In February 2024, she was told she had “no evidence of disease”

In a Facebook post shared online after the results show on Sunday (3 November), Quek said that the moment occurred last month, when Dowden and her celebrity partner, JLS singer JB Gill, unexpectedly found themselves in the dreaded dance off despite being one of the favourites to win the show.

“I want to share with you a little off camera moment that helped put everything into perspective for me, which happened a couple of weeks ago,” Quek wrote.

“When JB and Amy found themselves in the bottom two, the entire audience were in a state of shock. As the two of them took to the floor to do their dance off, they weren’t greeted with the usual warm applause and support from the crowd, such was the tension, surprise and awkwardness in the studio.

Quek revealed that Dowden “turned around to the audience and said, ‘Come on folks… it’s just a dance off… it’s not a year of chemotherapy!’

She called it “a sobering reminder that there are bigger and more important things going on around the world then Strictly Come Dancing… amongst the glitz, glamour, twirls and lifts you can sometimes forget that.”

Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days

New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled

Advertisement

Try for free

Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days

New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled

Try for free

In response to Quek’s post, Dowden wrote: “Beautiful human and a beautiful dancer! Loved this partnership so much.”

Dowden was rushed to hospital as a “precaution” on 26 October after suffering a foot injury, and did not perform with Gill on the latest episode.

She has been replaced by Lauren Oakley and, after the pair received a near-perfect score, Dowden was left in tears of happiness.

Here is a list of the most devastating deaths that have taken place in soapland over the years.

EASTENDERS

Barry Evans – Evil Janine (Charlie Brooks) lured her trusting fiance to Scotland for a quickie marriage after learning he was dying. 

Her plan to inherit Barry’s fortune was thwarted when Barry told her that the doctors had mixed up his medical files. 

Furious that she was no longer set for a windfall, she pushed Barry off a cliff after telling him their love was “fake”. 

Bradley Branning – Bradley was accused of killing Stacey Slater’s rapist Archie Mitchell (Larry Lamb) after he punched him twice on the night he died. 

He was spotted in the Square by a police woman who chased him up a fire escape.

Bradley lost his balance and tragically plunged to his death. 

CORONATION STREET

Tina McIntyre – Tina was getting it on with Peter Barlow – despite him being married to Carla Connor.

When she threatened to reveal the truth, Carla’s brother Rob got into a physical altercation with her.

Tina lost her footing and fell off a balcony – then warned Rob she was going to tell the cops he pushed her.

In a panic, Rob brutally clobbered her over the head with a metal pipe.

Molly Dobbs – Molly was one of the victims in Corrie’s 2010 tram crash, alongside Ashley Peacock (Steven Arnold).

Married to Tyrone (Alan Halsall), Molly had been having an affair with Kevin Webster (Michael Le Vell) in the months before her death.

This resulted in the birth of their son, Jack (Kyran Bowes), who was named after Jack Duckworth.

As fate would have it, Kevin’s wife Sally (Sally Dynevor) was by Molly’s side in her final moments.

Sally was stunned as Molly confessed Kevin was Jack’s father, before dying of her injuries.

Vera Duckworth – Having appeared regularly in Corrie since the 1970s, there was no denying Vera Duckworth was an iconic character.

Alongside her husband Jack, the pair formed one of the soap’s most beloved couples.

Viewers were heartbroken when Vera was killed off in 2008, being discovered having passed away peacefully in her chair.

Liz Dawn, who played Vera, made a brief return two years later for Bill Tarmey’s exit as Jack.

Paul Foreman – Fans were heartbroken when Paul Foreman succumbed to his illness after battling motor neurone disease.

Introduced in 2018 as David Platt’s (Jack P. Shepherd) cellmate, he later embarked on a romance – and marriage – with vicar Billy Mayhew.

The MND storyline was announced in 2023 – with the expectation it would result in the character’s death.

EMMERDALE

Sarah Sugden – After the family got into financial problems, Sarah’s son Andy (Kelvin Fletcher) decided to make some quick cash from an insurance company by setting fire to the Sugden barn.

He didn’t realise his mum was inside the building, and she got trapped in the blaze.

Nine villagers – The shocking 1993 plane crash episode brought in 18 million viewers for Emmerdale.

Mark Hughes was killed by a falling wall, Archie Brooks was burned by jet fuel, Elizabeth Pollard was killed by debris and newcomer Leonard Kempinski died in a car crash caused by the crash. 

Five other non-recurring characters from the village also died. 

HOLLYOAKS

Carmel McQueen – The talented singer died in shocking scenes when a train crashed into a her family’s car.

Carmel managed to free her cousin Theresa from the rubble – but got stuck in it herself.

Moments later the train exploded and Carmel died in the arms of her family members, promising to be their guardian angel.

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails

Sign up to our free breaking news emails

Sign up to our free breaking news emails

James Van Der Beek will strip off to raise awareness for cancer after being diagnosed with the disease.

The Dawson’s Creek actor shared his diagnosis in a statement earlier this month, stating: “I have colorectal cancer. I’ve been privately dealing with this diagnosis and have been taking steps to resolve it, with the support of my incredible family.”

He apologised added: “There’s reason for optimism, and I’m feeling good,” and apologised after loved ones discovered his diagnosis through the press

Van Der Beek, 47, will take part in The Real Full Monty, which is based on the UK show of the same name that sees famous stars strip in an attempt to get people talking about cancer and checking themselves to raise awareness of the disease.

The televised event, launched in 2017, was originally inspired by The Full Monty – an Oscar-nominated 1997 film about a group of unemployed men who decide to get involved in the stripping business to earn a living.

Van Der Beek will appear on The Real Full Monty alongside actors Taye Diggs and Anthony Anderson, former Strictly Come Dancing judge Bruno Tonioli, musician Tyler Posey and Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones.

In the special, six celebrities will train and rehearse for “the most revealing performance of their careers”, which will end with “a big strip-tease dance, where they will bare all in front of a live audience”.

The synopsis for the special that’s set to air on Fox reads: “Leading up to the final disrobing, the men will push their limits of comfortability, modesty and brotherhood with a series of rehearsals and experiences, both private and public, designed to build confidence and remove them far from their comfort zone and strengthen their bond as a group.”

A source told MailOnline that Van Der Beek “really wants to help others by doing this show”.

Meanwhile, The Best Man actor Diggs told PEOPLE of the special: “Embarrassingly, I thought I was just doing Anthony Anderson a favour and supporting cancer. But then once we got there and we really started to talk about these issues, everyone started opening up and we got to know each other on a different level.”

Colorectal cancer is a type of cancer which starts in either the colon or the rectum, which are both part of the large intestine in the body’s digestive system.

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails

Sign up to our free breaking news emails

Sign up to our free breaking news emails

Netflix users have been left grumbling about new series The Diplomat – but for a rather positive reason.

The TV series, which was compared to The West Wing when it first started in 2023, has returned for a second, with the series rapidly shooting to the top of the streaming service’s most-watched list alongside some new films that are receiving more negative reviews.

Season one introduced viewers to Keri Russell‘s US Ambassador Kate Wyler as she gets caught up in an international crisis, and won fans with its fast-paced narrative and many twists and turns.

While the new episodes have been even more acclaimed than the ones featured in season one, the common complaint is that there just aren’t enough of them: The Diplomat season two has just six episodes, which is two less than the first.

Six episodes is commonplace for a British TV drama, but not that typical for Netflix shows, which usually last for anything from eight to 13 episodes.

Fans are now expressing their frustration over the low episode count on social media, which should be read as praise by the show’s creator Deborah Cahn, who began her career as a writer and producer on The West Wing before working on Homeland.

However, Netflix has good news for fans of the show: a third season is on the way and it was filmed back-to-back with season two, meaning it will most likely arrive in 2025.

Still, this has not abated the anger in the interim: “Whyyyyyy is S2 of The Diplomat only 6 episodes when S1 was 8????” one fan wrote, with another stating: “Six episodes are not enough, I wished it was a 26-episode season. Geopolitical storytelling at its best and I wish I’d been in the writers room. Twisty AF.”

One fan waded in: “We waited 18 months for a six-episode season!? I hate Netflix so much. Please bring back network television with respectable 22-episode seasons.”

Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days

New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled

Advertisement

Try for free

Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days

New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled

Try for free

An additional viewer, who has been lapping up season two, also stated on X/Twitter: “Just finished Season 2 and I’m so mad it was only 6 episodes because it was the best 6 episodes I’ve watched all year. I’m trying hard to think of something better I’ve seen in 2024 and honestly I can’t!

One person said that they felt “cheated” by the lower episode count.

The Diplomat is available to stream on Netflix now

MARRIED At First Sight UK viewers were left stunned after Luke took a swipe at Amy’s appearance in an old photo. 

This week, the remaining couples of the E4 experiment are on homestays, with each visiting their loved ones and local areas to see how they fit into each other’s lives. 

6

Advertisement

6

6

However, with Luke and Amy already struggling, it appeared the couple went from bad to worse when Amy brought her new husband home to Blackburn. 

Showing him around her home, Luke stopped when he saw an old photo of Amy on her staircase wall.

Amy beamed that the picture was from when she went with her family in Ibiza, but was left far from pleased with Luke’s comments.

Shocked, Amy asked him to repeat himself, causing him to say she looked “bloated” in the picture and was “skinnier” now. 

“I prefer you now, is this before the glow up?” he asked, causing her to sarcastically say “thanks”.

“You look stunning there, but you look stunning here more. You look skinnier now than in there,” he continued.

“You look skinnier now than in here. In here you look… bloated.”

“I’m absolutely fuming right now. Luke’s saying i basically look hideous in this photo,” she told cameras.

“Nothing’s changed I just had my teeth done. Bit of filler in my lip. That’s it. Glow up? Bloated?!”

Viewers were stunned at his comments, and believe that Amy has begun to “check out” of the relationship after multiple arguments with little change. 

“Luke is 100% being petty now comments about her ‘pre glow up’, the mould in her room lmao,” one fan wrote on X. 

“Lol Amy and Luke need to call it a day,” said a second. “How he communicates and how she receives said communication are polar opposites. They shouldn’t even finish the week together.” 

A third noted: “Luke just verbalises every single thought he has. He needs to take a moment and think about what he’s about to say before he says it.”

“Brother, Luke, please, just stop,” said a fourth. “I mean, you’re hilarious but come on man, you’re not helping yourself.” 

Things went from bad to worse for the couple, with the next morning not making things any easier. 

While he got on like a house on fire with her beloved dog, it seemed he and Amy were not on the same page when it came to communication. 

He later pointed out the mould in the corner of her bedroom, prompting yet another argument between them. 

Prior to their Blackburn visit, the couple had already had a barney at Luke’s house, when he was caught out lying about cutting up a photograph he had on his wall. 

When Amy asked why half a photograph on his wall was missing, Luke initially said he “wanted it to be a portrait photo”. 

However, Amy didn’t buy it, and he eventually admitted that there was a woman in the photo he had since cut out. 

Fans think that this is the beginning of the end for the couple, with nothing seeming to get them on the same page. 

“Why is Luke just digging himself holes left right and centre hahahah just tell the truth big man,” one wrote.  

While another said: “Amy’s checked out and wants Luke to do something bad enough to justify her dumping him.” 

“Amy and Luke are done, she’s checked out,” noted another. 

By the end of the episode, Luke had declared himself a “single man” to her friends, saying that he felt “disrespected” and was “being portrayed in the wrong way”.

Married At First Sight UK continues tomorrow at 9pm on E4.

6

Advertisement

6

6