Amy Dowden

Amy Dowden is a celebrated Welsh professional ballroom and Latin American dancer, best known for her role on BBC One’s “Strictly Come Dancing” and for raising awareness of inflammatory bowel disease and breast cancer. After achieving the prestigious title of British Open Latin Dance Champion in 2017 alongside partner Ben Jones, Amy Dowden made history as part of the first all-British pair to win in over three decades. Her distinguished early career includes multiple accolades such as British Dance Federation Champion, English Closed Champion, and Welsh Closed and Open Champion. Dowden cemented her status among the UK’s highest-ranking Ballroom and Latin American professional dancers as a four-time British National Finalist and a World Championship semi-finalist.

Beyond her celebrated dance career, Dowden has become a prominent advocate for health awareness. She has openly shared her journey of living with Crohn’s disease, a narrative powerfully documented in the BBC documentary, ‘Strictly Amy: Crohn’s and Me’, which earned a BAFTA Cymru award in 2020. This commitment to transparency and education continued in May 2023, when Dowden announced her diagnosis with grade III breast cancer, subsequently undergoing a mastectomy and chemotherapy. Despite facing additional health challenges, including sepsis, a broken foot, and a blood clot, she has consistently used her platform to raise critical awareness for breast cancer.

Her unwavering dedication to raising awareness for inflammatory bowel disease and breast cancer was formally recognized in 2024 when Amy Dowden was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for her services to fundraising and public health advocacy. Her determination to return to the dance floor following her cancer diagnosis further underscores her profound commitment to her profession and inspires countless individuals.