Strictly's Amy Dowden teary as she admits she's 'heartbroken' over BBC show exit

Strictly Come Dancing pro Amy Dowden broke down in tears on Wednesday's It Takes Two as she spoke about her show exit.

Amy, 34, expressed earlier this week that her heart was "breaking" following her withdrawal from the BBC One series due to a foot injury.

The professional dancer returned to competing in the BBC show for its 20th anniversary series after missing out last year due to undergoing treatment for stage three breast cancer. In February, Amy revealed that tests showed she has "no evidence of disease".

Due to Amy's Strictly exit, her celebrity partner, JLS star JB Gill, will now be paired with fellow pro Lauren Oakley, who stepped in to replace Amy over the weekend.

During her emotional appearance on Wednesday's It Takes Two, Amy admitted: "I'm absolutely gutted, unfortunately I have an insufficiency stress fracture, if I've said that right, on my shin. Nothing to do with my injury last year, so yeah I'm just absolutely gutted", reports the Mirror.

Opening up further, she added: "I need to rest for a couple of weeks so unfortunately JB has obviously got to continue, he's got the amazing Lauren. Hopefully I'll be back dancing in some capacity, maybe a group number by the end of the series fingers crossed!"

During the interview, Amy also heartbreakingly broke down in tears as she was comforted by host Janette Manrara. The tearful pro admitted: "Sorry, I'm heartbroken! Being back with the Strictly family was the best rehab."

Amy shared her heartbreak, adding: "I'm just gutted but this injury could have happened to anybody. I want to stress it's nothing to do with any previous health scares or what I've been through. It's just one of those things, it happens!"

In a touching moment on It Takes Two, JB sent a heartfelt surprise message, praising Amy as a "wonderful teacher" and a "beautiful soul".

Writing an emotional Instagram post on Monday evening, Amy admitted she had felt "free again" in the "past few months" after getting to focus on choreography rather than cancer.

She penned: "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.

"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 too.

"Which with my incredible team we got there. Something I wanted to do for myself and loved ones. There was no feeling like it dancing again in the ballroom with my Strictly family."

Amy thanked her dance partner JB for being the "perfect partner" to return to, describing him as a "talented, kind, gentle soul" and their training room as "chilled, hardworking and full of big smiles enjoying what we were creating together with a blossoming friendship".

The pair topped the leaderboard in week one and continued to do well in the competition, with their last dance together being a foxtrot to Dancing In The Moonlight by Toploader during Halloween week, which landed them a score of 32.

Amy emotionally added: "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 and I know only too well 'this too shall pass' and I’ll be soon better and back dancing. Something I’ve had to get used to in my life. I’m sure at some point we will dance again JB."

She also told JB and his new dance partner Lauren that she will "forever be your biggest cheerleader" and thanked her fans, loved ones and Strictly family.

It comes as a Strictly spokesperson said: "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."

Strictly Come Dancing continues on Saturday night at 6:35pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.