Strictly Come Dancing star Amy Dowden has said she is doing “much better” after being unexpectantly admitted to the respiratory unit last week amid her ongoing treatment for breast cancer.
The Welsh professional dancer, 33, was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer in May last year and later underwent a mastectomy and is currently receiving monthly injections as part of her cancer treatment.
As she shared a health update on Instagram, Caerphilly-born Dowden revealed she had received some “nasty” messages online and encouraged others to “be kind”.
In an Instagram story post, she shared a photo of her lying in a hospital bed while using a respiratory mask.
Alongside the picture, she wrote: “So last week didn’t exactly go to plan! Feeling much better now and still taking it easy.
“But can’t thank the NHS and the care I received on respiratory unit enough!”
In another post she thanked her family and husband Ben for “always dropping everything” and “spending endless hours” next to her bed while she slept.
The professional dancer added: “Feeling much better and thanks for the many messages after going quite!
“Off to the oncology unit today for my monthly injection (missed it last week with being poorly).”
Dowden was diagnosed with stage three cancer after finding a lump in her breast in April 2023, the day before going to the Maldives on her honeymoon with fellow professional dancer Ben Jones.
She later had to miss out on being a competitor on Strictly during the latest series.
On Monday, the dancer also posted a selfie video in which she encouraged others to get any unusual lumps checked out and encouraged others to “be kind”.
She said: “With me sharing it, I’ve had so much love and support, and I wasn’t doing it for that, I was doing it to raise awareness. Never did I think at 32-years-old I was going to be diagnosed with cancer.
“I certainly don’t do it for sympathy but I get so many lovely messages, but I get so many nasty ones…
“Can I just say, for anyone going through this, its enough to be going through it, never mind with any added trolls.
“And there is no textbook on how you should deal with it and how I deal with it to how anyone else deals with it, there’s no right or wrong, you do what you need to do, and just be kind guys.”