BBC Strictly Come Dancing fans in agreement over 'sad' part of Amy Dowden missing from show

Strictly Come Dancing professional Amy Dowden has temporarily stepped back from the competition due to a health scare over the weekend. The 34-year-old dancer was hospitalised after the weekend show and has been replaced for rehearsals.

Amy, who is currently partnered with JLS star JB Gill on Strictly, was noticeably absent from the results show following her backstage collapse moments after the live episode aired on BBC One. Fellow Strictly colleague Lauren Oakley, 33, has stepped in for Amy so that JB can continue his rehearsals.

During Monday night's episode of Strictly spin-off It Takes Two, Amy's co-stars addressed her absence. Host Fleur East read out a statement from the BBC which said: "Amy Dowden MBE is doing much better and the Strictly family send her love and wish her well. She is delighted that fellow Professional Dancer Lauren Oakley is able to step in for rehearsals and perform in Saturday's show for JB Gill's Couple's Choice dance. We are all hopeful that Amy will be back to dance with JB next week."

Get breaking news on BirminghamLive WhatsApp, click the link to join

Fans were quick to share their support for Amy, with one saying: "Get better soon, Amy!" Another added: "Get well soon, Amy, or should I say Amy Dowden MBE, as they just specified on #ItTakesTwo."

Someone else commented: "How sad that Amy misses JB's couple's choice.", reports the Mirror.

A fourth wrote: "Poor wee Amy, hope she is getting lots of rest. She's my favourite, she's the bravest of them all."

Amy Dowden's dance partner JB Gill has expressed his gratitude to fans following her recent health scare. Taking to Instagram, the JLS star wrote: "On behalf of both @amy_dowden and I, I just want to say a huge thank you to everyone for voting for us and wishing us well. We absolutely loved our performance on Saturday night and are so grateful to be through to another week on @bbcstrictly Thank you, thank you, thank you for your support."

Following the incident, Amy's representative released a statement saying: "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."

The situation became apparent when JB appeared solo during Sunday night's pre-recorded Results Show. The BBC explained that Amy was "unable" to participate in the episode due to "unforeseen circumstances," which is filmed after the live show on Saturday.

A spokesperson for the East of England Ambulance Service provided details of the emergency response: "We were called just after 9pm on Saturday to attend a medical emergency at Elstree Studios in Borehamwood. An ambulance was sent to the scene. One patient, an adult female, was transported to Barnet Hospital for further care."

Amy made a comeback to Strictly Come Dancing this year after receiving treatment for breast cancer, which included a mastectomy and chemotherapy. The Welsh professional dancer discovered a lump in her breast while on honeymoon with her husband Ben Jones, who is also a professional dancer.

Strictly Come Dancing's Amy Dowden has been open about her stage three breast cancer journey, sharing positive news in February that she has "no evidence of disease" following treatment. The professional dancer has taken her challenges public, inspiring many by documenting her experiences with Crohn's disease in the series 'Strictly Amy: Crohn's And Me', where she also connected with others living with the condition.

Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease, characterised by symptoms such as abdominal pain, severe diarrhoea, fatigue, weight loss and malnutrition, as defined by the NHS. During the Strictly live tour in 2022, Amy had to be hospitalised in Manchester because of a Crohn’s-related health issue.