Strictly's Amy Dowden 'shocked and thrilled' as she breaks silence on receiving MBE

Strictly Come Dancing sensation Amy Dowden has been made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the King's Birthday Honours for her services to fundraising and raising awareness of Crohn's disease. At 33, the accomplished dancer, who revealed last year that she was battling breast cancer while also managing Crohn's disease, graciously accepted the award in recognition of her relentless efforts advocating on behalf of those afflicted by this demanding bowel condition.

Amy shared her astonishment about the honour, telling PA news agency: "I am still in shock, but so thrilled to be made a Member of the Order of the British Empire, it is beyond my wildest dreams. I accept it on behalf of all those who live with Crohn's disease, and will continue campaigning to raise awareness for and research into this terrible chronic illness."

Not only does she pay homage to her fellow Crohn's warriors, but also extends profound gratitude towards the healthcare heroes and the incredible support from Crohn's and Colitis UK, adding: "I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the wonderful NHS staff who have helped me over the years and Crohn's and Colitis UK who do so much to support fellow sufferers."

Her breast cancer diagnosis was publicly disclosed in May last year, which unfortunately led to her stepping back from the glittering Strictly dance floor during its latest season, reports the Mirror.

Amy marked a year since her operation last week, sharing a throwback photo from her hospital bed. She jubilantly wrote: "Can't believe it's a year since surgery! Happy 1st birthday to my new cancer-free boobie!!"

Her original post read: "Step one to beating cancer! Rrrrrrready for this fight and more determined than ever to get back on the dance floor."

This week, Amy announced her return to the dance floor with an emotional message about her Strictly Come Dancing future. She expressed: "I'm so happy and grateful to be back on @bbcstrictly MY HEART IS SO HAPPY.

"The best team on and off the dance floor. I can't wait to be back doing what I love most in the world, dancing! Feel blessed and more excited than EVER. Bring it on! Thank you @bbcstrictly for your support always. Eeeeeekkk."

The dancer added a series of hashtags including: "#amysback #strictlycomedancing #letsdothis #excited #cantwait #myheartissohappy."

Amy discovered a lump in her breast the day before jetting off to the Maldives for her honeymoon with fellow professional dancer Ben Jones. She was later diagnosed with stage three breast cancer.

After recently completing chemotherapy, tests show she has "no evidence of disease".

In 2019, Amy revealed her battle with Crohn's disease and fronted the BBC programme Strictly Amy: Crohn's And Me.

In this show, she shared her experiences and connected with others suffering from the same condition.

In January 2022, she was hospitalised in Manchester due to a flare-up of Crohn's while on the Strictly live tour.

The dancer had previously experienced a flare-up in November 2021, just after filming Strictly Come Dancing.

During this time, she temporarily moved in with her celebrity partner, McFly's Tom Fletcher, and his wife Giovanna, while her husband was away.

The NHS describes Crohn's as a lifelong condition where parts of the digestive system become inflamed.

If this story has affected you, advice and support can be found at Breast Cancer Support.