Shirley Ballas gave Amy Dowden a tear-jerking welcome back to Strictly Come Dancing tonight. The judge said simply: “Amy, you’re home,” after the dancer’s first performance back on Strictly following her cancer treatment. The 34-year-old Welsh ballroom dancer, who first joined the cast of Strictly in 2017, was too ill to compete in last year’s series as she recovered from treatment for stage three breast cancer, so tonight’s performance was a special one for her.
The star Strictly revealed earlier this year that her latest health check showed “no evidence of disease” after undergoing treatment for breast cancer, but it was a long time coming for the star who couldn’t wait to get back on stage following the emotional experience. Amy Dowden, who is paired with the celebrity contestant, JB Hill from JLS, performed an emotional Waltz to When I Need You by Leo Sayer, and although the Welsh star did not appear to cry, she looked emotional as she awaited feedback from the judges with JB.
Motsi Mabuse told Craig to “save it for later”, adding “there’s space for joy” after he began to give negative feedback on JB Hill and Amy Dowden’s Waltz. But the pair did not seem too rattled as they came off stage. Shirley exclaimed: “Amy, you’re home where you belong and I have to say that choreography was absolutely outstanding.” She also noted, reacting to JB: “You, sir are an absolute diamond and this is going to be an absolute epic partnership.”
Amy added: “I’m so happy I could burst” after the pair came off stage. They also achieved one of the highest scores of the night so far with a total of 31, given by the judges. Shirley Ballas’ heartfelt words to Amy Dowden had the Strictly audience on their feet, showing their support for the Welsh ballroom dancer’s return to the show following her battle with cancer. The emotional moment captured the essence of resilience and determination showcased by Amy in her performance.
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