What did you miss?
Sara Davies has said she believes her friend Amy Dowden will be “utterly beyond devastated” to have dropped out of Strictly Come Dancing over a foot injury.
The Dragons’ Den star spoke to Loose Women on Tuesday, where she admitted she had been unable to get in touch with Strictly pro dancer Dowden, but gave an insight into how much having to quit the series would have affected her.
Dowden, who took last year off the BBC One show while she was having treatment for breast cancer, has said she is heartbroken to have to leave this year’s show where she had been partnering JB Gill. She has been replaced by Lauren Oakley.
What, how, and why?
Sara Davies became close friends with Amy Dowden during the 2021 series of Strictly Come Dancing and has been one of her trusted supporters during her recent cancer treatment, so she told Loose Women she was only too aware of how devastated the dancer would be by having to quit this year’s series over injury.
Dowden had announced on Monday night that she would not be able to return to the 2024 series because of a foot injury, and speaking on Tuesday’s episode of the chat show Davies said that it would have come as a huge blow to her because “Strictly is her life”.
Admitting she had not had a reply yet from Dowden after reaching out to her with support, Davies said that her friend “goes into herself” during her health problems, which have included breast cancer, Crohn’s disease and breaking her foot last year.
Read more: Amy Dowden
Asked how Dowden was doing, Davies said: “I’ve tried reaching out to her and I know from experience when these things happen – and I mean, she’s had a lot of these things happen, god love her, with the Crohn’s and then everything with the cancer and the chemo and then everything with the foot – she just goes into herself. I know she’ll be in a heap on the couch, utterly beyond devastated.”
Talking about Dowden missing last year’s series during her cancer treatment, Davies added: “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, taking a celebrity on that journey. To have it pulled away from her was absolutely devastating last year.
“I had to sit her down as that friend that has to give you the tough love and said, 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.
“I got her teed up thinking 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. There she was, you see her every week having the time of her life. She leaves her heart on that dance floor and then a foot injury…it’s so unfair. Life’s unfair.”
Davies also spoke about taking part in a trek to the Himalayas for breast cancer charity Coppafeel, which leaves this weekend, saying that she became involved with the cause through Dowden.
It will involve trekking for nine hours a day over four days with a group of 120 women. One of them will be Giovanna Fletcher, Coppafeel’s celebrity supporter whose husband Tom Fletcher danced with Dowden in the same Strictly series that Davies took part in.
What has Amy Dowden said about dropping out of Strictly Come Dancing?
After the BBC confirmed her exit on Monday, Dowden posted a long statement to Instagram where she wrote: “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 to which, with my incredible team, we got there. Something I wanted to do for myself and loved ones.”
She added: “There was no feeling like it, dancing again in the ballroom with my Strictly family. JB I know you and Lauren will continue to ace that dance floor. I’ll forever be your biggest cheerleader.”
Her 2024 partner, JLS singer JB Gill, commented: “Heartbreaking news @amy_dowden but our moments will be forever in strictly history, never forget that. Thank you for being the best teacher. Nothing but love from all of the Gill family.”
Lauren Oakley, who will replace her as Gill’s partner, added: “This too shall pass. We’re still a team. Love you. You did the ground work, I’ll carry your partnership forward and hopefully make you proud XXX”
Loose Women airs on ITV1 at 12.30pm on weekdays.