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Strictly Come Dancing star Amy Dowden has revealed she has been diagnosed with breast cancer.
The 32-year-old, from Caerphilly, made the announcement in an interview with Hello! magazine.
She told the magazine: “I’ve been through quite a lot in my life and this is another hurdle.
“But if I’m positive and strong, I’ve got a really good chance of getting back out on the dancefloor as soon as possible.”
Amy received the news just last week, after noticing a lump in her right breast the day before she flew abroad for her honeymoon last month.
How to check for breast cancer
When she was 19, Amy was diagnosed with Crohn’s – a lifelong condition affecting the digestive system.
Throughout childhood, Amy experienced bouts of illness which caused her to be in and out of hospital. Ten years after her diagnosis, Amy began to speak publicly about the condition, having kept it quiet out of fear of discrimination and missing out on job opportunities.
In 2020, she starred in the BAFTA Cymru-winning documentary Crohn’s and Me, which showed the realities of living with the condition, which includes symptoms such as extreme abdominal pain, vomiting, exhaustion and diarrhoea.
Amy is also an ambassador for Crohn’s and Colitis UK.
The NHS’ Breast Cancer Now helpline can be reached on 0345 077 1893.
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