Is Amy Dowden returning to Strictly Come Dancing this weekend?

At the start of the season Gill was paired with Amy Dowden, who returned to the ballroom this year after she was unable to take part in 2023, as she was undergoing treatment for cancer at the time.

After competing in the first six weeks of the show this year, Dowden fell ill backstage on Halloween week (Saturday 26th October), although it was later confirmed that she was "feeling much better".

It was then announced that she would be missing the next week of the show, Icons Week, due to an injury, with Lauren Oakley stepping in to partner Gill.

Dowden did still make an appearance on that week's show, watching and cheering on, and praising Gill and Oakley's performance. But will she be back for this week's Strictly Come Dancing on Saturday 9th November?

Read on for everything you need to know.

Is Amy Dowden returning to Strictly Come Dancing next weekend?

Amy Dowden will not return to the competition, following a foot injury.

The BBC confirmed the official news during this weekend’s spin-off show, Strictly: It Takes Two.

A spokeswoman for Strictly said: "Sadly, Amy Dowden MBE will not be partaking in the rest of the competition this year.

"Whilst Amy focuses on her recovery following a foot injury, fellow professional dancer Lauren Oakley will step in as JB's dance partner."

She added: "The health and wellbeing of everyone involved in Strictly are always the utmost priority. The whole Strictly family sends Amy love and well wishes."

During a recent appearance (Wednesday 6th November) on Strictly's companion show, Amy Dowden stressed that the reason for her absence has "nothing to do with any previous health scares". Dowden confirmed that is was due to an "insufficiency stress fracture"on her shin. She also tearfully shared her hopes of at least featuring in another group number before the series is over.

Today on Lorraine (Thursday 7th November), the professional dancer spoke in depth about her devastating exit from this year’s series.

Amy said: "I’m heartbroken, I’m going to do my best, as you know, not to cry. I know lots of people will say it’s just an entertainment show, and I know, we were prepared every week we could be in that dance off, but I’m gutted that it’s ended this way. I feel I’ve let JB down."

Speaking more about the foot injury that has led to her departure, Amy said: "It’s an insufficiency fracture and I just need a couple of weeks of not hard impact on it, basically. It’s just so frustrating."

She also explained that this weekend would have been a special milestone; Saturday, 9th November, marks a year since she rang the chemo bell.

"I just had [planned] this samba, the joyful, carnival, happy dance," she revealed on the morning show." I know as well, the way I planned the whole series, JB has got the most phenomenal dances because he has this natural body rhythm and I just knew it was going to be fantastic.”

Amy added: "Saturday is going to be tough because I really wanted to be on the actual floor to show myself how far I’ve come in that year."

In another update to fans on Instagram on Monday (4th November), Dowden said her "heart is breaking".

She wrote: "My heart is breaking right now. The past few months I finally felt like me again.

"Cancer was no longer the first thing I thought of when I woke up. It was choreography, music choices, which dances in which order, what we needed to work on. I felt free again… I’m so sad, so upset and asking why me, why now that our journey has been cut short.

"My heart right now is breaking having to pull out of the competition due to a foot injury and I know only too well 'this too shall pass' and I’ll be soon better and back dancing."

Dowden returned to Strictly line-up in 2024, having missed the previous season after being diagnosed with breast cancer.

On her first week back on the dance floor, she was met with a standing ovation.

Lead judge Shirley Ballas said: "Amy, you're home where you belong, and I have to say, that choreography was absolutely outstanding."

During an appearance on BBC Radio 2, JB Gill told host OJ Borg: "We've been able to build an incredible rapport over the last six/seven weeks, and it's been great going to the training room with her and working on the new routine and, you know, for me, learning different styles - whether it's a Ballroom style or new Latin style - and then watching that process, sort of, as it builds into the show that we put on, on the Saturday night.

"So, to not have her in rehearsals this week has been a bit surreal. But, you know, the best thing […] is that she’s taken some time to get better. We're obviously wishing her all the best as she recovers."

Strictly Come Dancing continues on Saturday 9th November at 6:35pm on BBC One and iPlayer.

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