Amy Dowden "scared and nervous" for cancer documentary to be released
The dancer becomes very candid about her cancer journey.
Amy Dowden is taking the public on her journey of being diagnosed with cancer, going through surgery, chemotherapy, fertility treatment and uncertainty in a new documentary, Strictly Amy: Cancer and Me.
Described as a "raw, deeply personal and honest" film, the documentary follows the Strictly Come Dancing professional and she navigates "the most turbulent years of the her life".
Throughout the documentary, viewers will see Dowden as she shares how she was diagnosed and all the events that followed, and with such a raw portrayal her life, the dancer has some fears ahead of its release.
Speaking to RadioTimes.com and other press, Dowden was very candid and explained she is "really scared and nervous" about the documentary being released, but above all else is "hoping that it helps raise awareness".
"I never thought at 32 years old I would be diagnosed with breast cancer," she began. "If it wasn't for the Coppa Feel trek, I wouldn't have ended up checking myself and if I hadn't found it with the grade three, I wouldn't be here right now.
"I just want people to know to not wait until you're in your 50s to have mammograms. You need to be checking yourself. If you're not checking, who is? And if just 10 people from watching this documentary ended up checking themselves, I could potentially save a life."
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Throughout the documentary, Dowden can be seen going to scans and going through intense chemotherapy, showing the realities that many people face when going through cancer treatment – something she hopes viewers will truly get to understand.
Read more:
- Amy Dowden opens up on fertility journey and how Strictly saved her life
- Strictly's Amy Dowden has "no evidence of disease" after cancer check-up
Dowden told RadioTimes.com: "I wanted to show the reality of going through cancer treatment, what it's like to have a mastectomy, what it's like for your loved ones, losing your hair, the fertility treatment side of things.
"So people [can be] aware and maybe they know somebody going through chemotherapy, so they don't ask a question about children, and to be a little bit sensitive around that, and also in this day and age, how fertility is such a big thing, and people do need to be more educated on it."
But this isn't the first time Dowden has let the public into her personal life via a documentary, with her releasing Strictly Amy: Crohn's and Me back in 2020, which she contributes to be a factor of wanting to do this one.
"I think that's what gave me the courage and confidence to do this one," she said. "And knowing what that did to raise awareness, help and break down the stigma, and what it did for me as well. So I guess that's why I ended up doing a breast cancer documentary. I'm not sure I would have done had I not done the Crohn's one before. So that's what gave me the courage."
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Strictly Amy: Cancer and Me will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Monday 26th August 2024.
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