Amy Dowden’s friend Sara Davies has admitted she’s been unable to reach her since she announced she wouldn;t be returning to the 2024 series of Strictly Come Dancing.
The 40-year-old Dragon’s Den star, who took part in the 2021 competition, disclosed on Tuesday’s episode of Loose Women that the Welsh dancer has been “unreachable”. This follows Amy’s decision to step down from the BBC One show due to an injury.
Earlier this month, the professional dancer was rushed to hospital after collapsing backstage post-live show. Last weekend saw Amy replaced by Lauren Oakley, who danced with celebrity partner JB Gill.
In a heartfelt statement, Amy confirmed that a foot injury was the cause of her hospital visit and she decided to withdraw from the rest of the series to focus on her recovery.
While on the ITV daytime programme, Sara disclosed her attempt to reach out to Amy via text without a response. She told the panel: “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.”
She went on to say: “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 and say, ‘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,'” reports the Mirror.
Sara disclosed that Amy was ready to take a step back from the show to concentrate on her recovery, with the aim of returning stronger next year. “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,” Sara explained.
The 34-year-old dancer, who was diagnosed with breast cancer last year, had to pause her dancing career for a year due to her diagnosis and subsequent treatment. She made an impressive comeback to the dance floor this year, partnering with ex-JLS star JB, and was tipped to reach this year’s final.
However, she confirmed that she would not be continuing in the competition following a medical emergency.
“My heart is breaking right now. The past few months I finally felt like me again. Cancer was no longer the first thing I thought of when I woke up. It was choreography, music choices, which dances in which order, what we needed to work on. I felt free again,” Amy expressed in a statement released on Sunday.
“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. My heart right now is breaking having to pull out of the competition due to a foot injury and I know only too well ‘this too shall pass’ and I’ll be soon better and back dancing… I’m sure at some point we will dance again JB.”
Loose Women is on ITV1 weekdays at 12.30pm and ITVX