Strictly Come Dancing's Amy Dowden 'collapses backstage' as ambulance called

Strictly Come Dancing chiefs were forced to make an urgent 999 call after Amy Dowden became unwell backstage. The 34-year-old professional dancer, who has made a full-time return to the series this year following her cancer battle, reportedly fell ill just moments after her performance with JLS star JB Gill on Saturday night.

As reported by the Mirror, a representative for Amy said: "Amy was feeling unwell and so an ambulance was called as a precaution. She is feeling much better and would like to thank the Strictly family for their love and concern. We request Amy's privacy in matters of health is kindly respected."

Confirming the incident, a spokesperson for the East of England Ambulance Service stated: "We were called just after 9pm on Saturday to attend a medical emergency at Elstree Studios in Borehamwood. An ambulance was dispatched to the scene and one patient, an adult female, was taken to Barnet Hospital for further care."

Earlier, Amy and JB Gill had danced their way to a score of 32 with their foxtrot to Dancing In The Moonlight by Toploader. Du Beke thought it was a "super duper performance" while Revel Horwood thought Gill could have gone further with the scarecrow character, reports the Mirror.

Amy was delighted to return to Strictly full time this series. In an August interview with Prima magazine, Amy Dowden reflected on the impact of Strictly Come Dancing on her life, saying: "Strictly has changed everything, from the opportunities it's given me – I've got to do tours, travel the world, buy a house, open a dance studio – to the people it's brought into my life... I've been in life-or-death situations, so dancing a one-minute-30-second routine for entertainment isn't quite the same as walking into chemotherapy."