Strictly Come Dancing star Amy Dowden will not return to the show this year, a spokesman has said.
Dowden taken to hospital as a “precautionary measure” after she began “feeling ill” during her main show two Saturdays ago.
On Monday, a Strictly spokesperson said the professional dancer would not be returning as she was “focused on recovering from a foot injury”.
Pro Lauren Oakley will take her place, teaming up with Dowden’s celebrity partner, JLS singer JB Gill.
The spokesman added: “The entire Strictly family is sending their love and best wishes to Amy.”
Last Saturday, Oakley replaced Dowden and the two performed the Bruno Mars Medley, scoring 39 points.
They share the top spot on the charts with former Love Island star Tasha Ghouri and her dance partner Aljaz Skorjanec.
Dowden returned to the Strictly line-up in 2024 after missing the previous series after being diagnosed with breast cancer.
An ambulance was called to Elstree Studios in Boreham Wood two Saturdays ago when the dancer began to feel unwell.
The next day, a spokesman for the dancer said “an ambulance was called as a precaution” and that she was now “feeling much better”.
But in a statement on Monday, a Strictly spokesperson said: “Sadly, Amy Dowden MBE will not be competing for the remainder of the year.
“While Amy focuses on recovering from her foot injury, professional dancer Lauren Oakley will step in as JB’s dance partner.”
A spokesman said the “health and well-being” of everyone on the show was always the “top priority”.
Dowden, 32, was initially diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer in May 2023 when she discovered a lump in her breast the day before leaving for her honeymoon.
Later that year, at the age of 34, he was diagnosed again. She returned to the hospital in August 2024 for further examination as doctors were concerned about abnormalities in her breasts after examination. She later gave the all-clear.
Dowden opened up about her ordeal with breast cancer in the BBC documentary Strictly Amy: Cancer and Me, which aired in September.
She also suffers from Crohn’s disease – a lifelong condition that causes part of the digestive system to become inflamed – and has previously spoken out about the impact it has had on her health.
Oakley, who has no celebrity co-star this year, joins the BBC show in 2022.
Last year, Oakley worked with Channel 4 News presenter Krishnan Guru-Murthy. The pair finished eighth.
