STRICTLY dancer Amy Dowden has been forced to bow out of the contest after a blue light dash to hospital following her collapse during Saturday night’s show.
The Welsh pro, who has Crohn’s Disease and has been battling cancer for almost 18 months, was last night said to be “doing much better” but will be unable to return this week.
Lauren Oakley, 33, will step in to partner JB Gill, 37, during training and Saturday’s show.
Bosses will then take a view on Amy’s condition.
More updates will be given in tonight’s episode of It Takes Two.
A Strictly Come Dancing spokesperson said: “Amy Dowden MBE is doing much better and the Strictly family send her love and wish her well.
“She is delighted that fellow professional dancer, Lauren Oakley, is able to step in for rehearsals and to perform in Saturday’s show for JB Gill’s Couple’s Choice dance.
“We are all hopeful that Amy will be back to dance with JB next week.”
Amy’s condition was so serious that the fire service were called to Elstree Studios and specialist equipment used to help her to an ambulance while keeping her completely flat.
She was unable to appear in the recording of the second half of the show, which aired last night.
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.
This weekend JB and Lauren will perform a dance to a medley of Bruno Mars’ hits for the special themed week around Icons.
Lauren partnered Krishnan Guru-Murthy last year but failed to appear on the main show partnerships for 2024.
She stood by under fire dancer Giovanni Pernice, 33, during the probe into his behaviour on the show, performing on his solo theatre tour.
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.
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.
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.
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…
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.
No pro dancer has ever dropped out of Strictly in its 20 years.
Amy, from Caerphilly in South Wales, 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, which she has battled since she was a teenager.
Following a mastectomy, she was told the tumours had spread and was diagnosed with cancer for the second time that July.
But she was given the all-clear to return to Strictly for this series.
