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Amy Dowden has made a statement after it was announced she will no longer take part in this year’s Strictly Come Dancing series.

The professional dancer, 34, was rushed to hospital as a “precaution” on 26 October and did not perform on the Saturday night show on 2 November.

Dowden will be replaced by fellow professional dancer Lauren Oakley as JB Gill’s dance partner for the remainder of the competition.

Writing on Instagram, Dowden 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.

“Then I was partnered with the talented, kind, gentle soul JB. Everyday our training room was chilled, hardworking and full of big smiles enjoying what we was creating together with a blossoming friendship.

Addressing her Strictly partner directly, Dowden said: “JB thank you for being the perfect partner back. We topped the leaderboard week one and continued to work so hard and thank you for being so passionate about understanding the ballroom and Latin fundamentals.”

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Of their time on the dancefloor together, she added: “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.”

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Signing off, Dowden said: “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.”

The Strictly proffesional’s replacement responded to her heartfelt message in the Instagram comments.

“This too shall pass,” Oakley said. “We’re still a team. Love you. You did the groundwork, I’ll carry your partnership forward and hopefully make you proud.”

While Dowden did not perform during Saturday night’s show, she watched from the sidelines as Oakley and Gill danced a couple’s choice to a medley of Bruno Mars songs, and scored a near-perfect 39 points.

During one moment in Saturday night’s show, Gill turned to the camera and mouthed “For you Amy” after he danced – and Dowden said the gesture made her cry.

The dancer was unable to compete in last year’s competition as she underwent treatment for breast cancer.

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In May 2023, she was diagnosed with an “aggressive” form of stage three breast cancer finding a lump in her breast the day before her Maldives honeymoon with fellow professional dancer Ben Jones.

She underwent a mastectomy, chemotherapy and fertility treatment in those nine months and was eventually told she had “no evidence of disease” in February 2024.

When Dowden’s name was announced in the 2024 line-up for Strictly, she celebrated the news and told her fans that she could not wait to be back doing what she loves the most: dancing.

“My heart is so happy,” she wrote. “The best team on and off the dance floor. Feel blessed and more excited than ever. Bring it on!”

EMMERDALE villain Tom King exposed himself today as an abuser after the villagers burned an effigy of him over all he’d done.

The vet – who is played by actor James Chase in the ITV soap – is slowly being unmasked as an abuser who controlled, beat and terrorised wife Belle Dingle during their short marriage.

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In today’s episode Tom discovered that his plot to gain sympathy by staging attacks on himself had failed.

Instead the village came together to burn an effigy of him for Bonfire Night – and he was horrified and then made a fatal mistake.

Amelia begged him: “Don’t rise to them Tom, because that’s exactly what they want.”

But he wanted to make a show of it and raged: “Is it not enough that I got a brick through my window, attacked and now this? 

“Can you believe the absolute gall of that bunch of inbreds? I can’t believe they would pull a sick stunt like this.”

Jimmy told him to calm down and Amelia tried to get him to go home but Tom thundered over to the Dingles and demanded to know who did it.

Mandy strolled up first and told him: “I did it, what are you going to do about it?”

Paddy then joined her, adding: “No, no. I think you’ll find it was me.”

The pair were quickly joined by Chas who told Tom: “Sorry, well not so sorry.”

“Busted!” then said Sam as Aaron pushed through them to confront Tom head on.

“Why don’t you have a pop at me because it was me that did it?” he said as John backed him up offering to hold Tom’s coat.

Aaron added: “Oh yeah, I forgot, you only attack women, don’t you?”

Paddy stepped in and told Aaron: “Leave it, battering him isn’t going to help Belle is it?”

And then Amelia decided to shout from the sidelines: “The poor girl’s sick, can’t you see that?”

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She went after Tom as he fled the confrontation and he turned on her in front of everyone.

“I didn’t even want to come here, it was your idea,” he raged.

Belle Dingle’s biggest Emmerdale storylines

Mineshaft fall

One of her first storylines occured when the character was just seven-years-old. She was under the care of her uncle Shadrach Dingle (Andy Devine), who fell asleep. Daz Eden (Luke Tittensor) paid them a visit where he brought his pet ferret Spike. Although she was sternly warned against it, Belle let the animal out the cage and chased it through the fields. She she pursued the animal, she accidently fell down a mine shaft and had to be rescued.

Killing of Gemma Andrews

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Gemma Andrews was played by actress Tendai Rinomhota. She was initially best friends with Belle before boys got in the way. After various dramatic moments, they got into an altercation. Belle pushed her to the ground in anger and Gemma hit her head. Belle was apologetic and she tried to help, but Gemma told her to stay away and they walked off in different directions. However, Harriet Finch (Katherine Dow Blyton) was left horrified after she found Gemma’s body near a hedge and she later passed away in hospital. Although Belle confessed her actions to Lisa (Jane Cox), her mother told her not to go to the police. But she later left the funeral to hand herself in, where she was charged with murder.

Jermaine Bailey affair

Belle first encountered Dr. Jermaine Bailey (Micah Balfour) when she needed treatment after she cut her hand on some glass. She was initially attracted to him, although she soon found out that he was already married. They could not stay away from each other as they met up at a factory to have sex. However, they accidentally started a fire when a candle was knocked into a bin. When he found out she was just 17-years-old, he tried to end their relationship, but they soon got back together. Belle later confessed the details of the affair to Jermaine’s wife, Angie Bailey (Nina Toussaint-White), after she became suspicious. Although he revealed plans to leave, she told him that she was pregnant. However she was actually faking it in an attempt to prevent him from leaving.

Schizophrenia diagnosis

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After the details about the affair were revealed, Belle had a breakdown in the café. After paramedics were called, Belle went missing. A body was found by the police, but Zak (Steve Halliwell) and Lisa were relieved when they went to identify the body to discover that it was not Belle. After living rough, she collapsed from malnutrition and dehydration and was taken to hospital. When Zak and Lisa visited, Belle lashed out as she thought they would kill her. Belle was later assessed by doctors and after she claims that she could hear more than one voice, Jermaine thought she might have schizophrenia. The Dingle parents are informed that it might be best to send Belle to a unit in Surrey to recover from the episode. Six weeks later she returns to the village to visit her family.

Lachlan White

Belle was known for her relationship with Lachlan White (Thomas Atkinson). The actor was known amongst soap fans for his portrayal of the serial killer from 2014 until September 2018. During his killing spree, he committed a number of murders. These included his mum and grandfather, Chrissie and Lawrence White, his best friend Gerry Roberts and a conman who pretended to be Gerry’s uncle. He attempted to kill rival Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley) and Liv Flaherty (Isobel Steele) when he believed she discovered him. Many viewers also believed he had killed his aunt Rebecca, but both times she was revealed to be alive. When his crimes were discovered, he tried to go on the run where he kidnapped his girlfriend Belle Dingle. She then tried to escape, but was run over by Robert and Ross Barton (Michael Parr) who were looking for the duo.

Tom King

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Belle married Thomas King (James Chase) in 2024, but soon after the marriage descended into chaos as Belle became part of a coercive control storyline. He locked her inside the house, secretly filmed her using CCTV, and subjected her to severe mental and physical abuse. He would also emotionally manipulate her too as he regulated and disposed of some of her mental health medication. After he made her think her beloved dog piper was killed in a road accident, she soon discovered his true nature. She tied to break free of his grip by telling her family. After he then tried to make her life hell in revenge, she attacked him with an axe in an act of desperation.

“This was you, meddling, making things worse and look at you – chasing after me like some stray dog. Do you see how pathetic you look?”

She fled in tears as the villagers watched her humiliation and Jimmy and Nicola looked concerned.

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Ben Shephard attempted a risky stunt on his co-host Cat Deeley on Tuesday’s episode of This Morning, and it backfired spectacularly.

The duo replaced Holly Willoughby and Philip Schofield earlier this year after the departure of the veteran presenters.

Deeley and Shephard have taken well to their new employment, and have shared a number of intimate moments including Shephard presenting his co-host with a personalised poem that left her in tears.

During the live 5 November episode, the pair attempted to recreate a dance lift that has gone viral on social media.

The Dancing With The Stars leg lift has seen social media users imitate US sportsman Danny Amendola and his partner and professional dancer Witney Carson on the latest season of the popular US dancing contest.

Shephard performed the complicated manoeuvre on Deely as he lifted her from the ground by holding on to her ankle.

Deeley fell dramatically as Shephard appeared concerned, asking: “Do you need medical assistance?”

They then showed behind-the-scenes footage of them practising for the dance, but Deeley was overcome by laughter as Shephard struggled to pick her up off the floor.

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Last week, the former CD:UK presenter was comforted by Shephard as she struggled to hold back tears on her birthday.

The presenter, who rose to fame in the Nineties and Noughties for presenting SMTV Live alongside Ant and Dec, was given a caterpillar cake with her face on it by her co-host Shephard to celebrate her 48th birthday.

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Deeley was left emotional after Shephard revealed that renowned British poet Pam Ayres had composed a personalised poem to celebrate the occasion. She explained that she had been woken up at 5:30am to be presented with birthday cards by her family.

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The TV presenters took over from ex-hosts Philip Schofield and Holly Willoughby who left the programme in 2023 after 14 years. Schofield resigned after admitting to having a relationship with a teenage crew member who had started working at the show when he was aged 15. Schofield admitted the affair was “unwise, but not illegal”.

Meanwhile, Willoughby left shortly after and has remained away from the public eye following a thwarted kidnap, murder and rape plot.

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.

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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.

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“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.”

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“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.

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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.

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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…

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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.”

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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.