Strictly's Shirley Ballas pays touching tribute to co-star Amy Dowden
EXCLUSIVE: Strictly Come Dancing's head judge Shirley Ballas has praised her "absolutely remarkable" co-star Amy Dowden who had been battling cancer.
Welsh professional dancer Amy Dowden was forced to pull out of Strictly Come Dancing last year after being diagnosed with stage three cancer in May. The 33-year-old and her loved ones were overjoyed when they discovered she was "cancer-free" a few months ago and will be taking part in this year's series of the BBC show.
She will also be the focal point of a documentary film about her battle with breast cancer. The BBC film documents 15 months of Amy's journey from her diagnosis to the moment she was given the all-clear by doctors.
Ahead of both the film and Strictly hitting BBC screens, Shirley Ballas opened up with Express.co.uk at this year's TRIC Awards about her "remarkable" Strictly colleague. The head judge shared: "I am just excited for the series to begin in September - everybody is ready and moving forward and it's going to be a spectacular series."
Gushing over Amy and the incredible news she's able to return to the show, Shirley exclaimed: "Amy Dowden, my girl, I think it is absolutely remarkable that she is back. She's looking gorgeous and glamorous... MBE can we say?"
Amy was recognised in the King's Birthday Honours list and made a Member of the Order of the British Empire for her services to battling Crohn's Disease. The star is an ambassador for the charity Crohn's & Colitis UK.
Shirley, 63, affectionately added: "I couldn't be more proud of a human being than I am of her, she's absolutely spectacular."
Strictly Come Dancing will return to BBC One this autumn, and the professional dancers taking part have been confirmed.
A total of 18 professional dancers will be involved in the series, including fan favourite Aljaž Škorjanec. However, Giovanni Pernice will not be part of the upcoming series.
The upcoming series marks the 20th season of the popular programme and viewers can expect to see special performances from past contestants, judges and professional dancers.
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The official celebrity line-up for 2024 has been kept tightly under wraps, but several celebrities have been tipped to take part. They include Hannah Waddingham, Clive Myrie, Jill Scott and Roman Kemp.
Executive Producer Sarah James told the BBC: “This year Strictly marks two decades of entertaining the nation and we will be back with a bang in September as we celebrate in style with our incredible team both on and off screen.”
Strictly Come Dancing will air on BBC One later this year at a date yet to be confirmed.
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