Strictly Come Dancing star Amy Dowden has received support from her co-stars as she reveals she has started treatment for cancer.
The professional dancer, 32, shared a picture from her hospital bed as she gave a thumbs up to the camera and said she is ‘ready for this fight’.
The star announced she had been diagnosed with grade 3 breast cancer just last month, after finding a lump in her breast the day before her honeymoon with Ben Jones.
She booked an appointment with her GP when she returned and was sent for a biopsy and MRI scan.
@amy_dowden / Instagram
Amy, from Caerphilly, South Wales, said that although she doesn’t know when she’ll be able to return to the hit BBC One show, she is ‘determined to get back on that dancefloor’.
Ahead of her treatment yesterday (June 7th), she posted the photo of herself as she shared with her 371,000 followers that she is starting ‘step one to beating cancer’. Amy has been sharing her journey in a bid to help others and raise more awareness.
In a caption alongside the picture she told fans: “Step one to beating cancer! Rrrrrrready for this fight and more determined than ever to get back on the dance floor.”
@amy_dowden / Instagram
Amy’s co-stars and followers quickly took to the post to share their support for her including Gorka Marquez who wrote: “You got this,” whilst Kevin Clifton said: “Love u sis.”
Karen Hauer, also commented: “Love you. You’ve got this,” and Vito Coppola added: “Come on @amy_dowdenYou are Strong.”
Last month, the dancer, who joined Strictly in 2017, said in an exclusive interview with Hello!: “You just don’t ever think it’s going to happen to you. I hadn’t thought it was possible to get breast cancer at my age.
“My mum has had breast cancer, but she had it at a later age, in her 50s.”
@amy_dowden / Instagram
She added: “My doctor explained to me that there are three grades, and three is the most aggressive, but they feel like they’ve caught mine early and to not be too alarmed because grade 3 would be expected in somebody of my age.”
Amy said she received heartfelt support from friends Giovanna and Tom Fletcher when she told them the news, saying they were ‘central’ in her decision to tell her story in a bid to help others.