Amy Dowden ‘uncontactable’ after BBC Strictly withdrawal as former co-star speaks out amid health woes

Strictly Come Dancing star Sara Davies – who competed in 2021 – has revealed she has tried to contact Amy Dowden since hearing the news of her exit but is unable to reach her.

Last week, Dowden was unable to perform for Icons Week and left Lauren Oakley to step in and perform with JB Gill.

On Tuesday, November 4, it was announced that the Welsh professional dancer had pulled out of the competition for good after struggling to recover from a foot injury.

A Strictly Come Dancing spokesperson said at the time: “Sadly, Amy Dowden MBE will not be partaking in the rest of the competition this year.”

“Whilst Amy focuses on her recovery following a foot injury, fellow professional dancer, Lauren Oakley, will step in as JB’s dance partner. The health and wellbeing of everyone involved in Strictly are always the utmost priority. The whole Strictly family sends Amy love and well wishes.”

Dowden later released her own statement via her Instagram page which read: “My heart is breaking right now. The past few months I finally felt like me again.

“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 to.

“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.

“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.

“I’m sure at some point we will dance again JB. To all the fans, to my loved ones, my Strictly family thank you.”

Oakley issued a vow to Dowden underneath the post which read: “This too shall pass. We’re still a team. Love you. You did the groundwork, I’ll carry your partnership forward and hopefully make you proud XXX.” (sic)

When she pulled out of Icon’s Week last week, Dowden kept her silence until the day before the show and issued a simple statement about how she was feeling.

Now, Dowden has gone silent once again as former Strictly star Davies has admitted to not being able to get in touch with her.

Speaking on Loose Women yesterday, Davies revealed: “I tried reaching out to her and I know, from experience, when these things happen – and she’s had a lot of these things happen, God love her – she just goes into herself.

“I just know that she’ll be a heap on the couch. The thing with Amy is Strictly is her life. It’s not a job to her. It’s her passion, dancing is her life. And she lives for that time on Strictly and taking a celebrity through that journey.

“And to have it pulled away from her was devastating for last year. And I remember having to sit her down as that friend that kind of has to give you the tough love.

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“[I said] ‘Amy, I know it’s your life, but it’s not going anywhere. It’ll be there next year.

“You need to put your health first. You need to go through the chemo. You need to get better. And then you can go and give Strictly your all’.

“I’ve got her teed up feeling, right, ‘I can do this. I’m just going to give it my all, getting better this year because next year I can do Strictly.’

“And then there she was. And you see her every week. Having the time of her life. She leaves her heart on that dance floor. And then a foot injury.”