Strictly's Amy Dowden says her return to the live shows will be 'beautiful for her family' after overcoming battle with stage three breast cancer

Strictly Come Dancing professional Amy Dowden has said her return to the live show on Saturday will be 'beautiful for her family' after she overcame breast cancer .

The dancer, 34, was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer in May 2023 and in what became the toughest year of her life, Amy underwent a mastectomy, chemotherapy, fertility treatment and was hospitalised with sepsis .

However, she announced in February that she would be returning to the show this year after a mastectomy and chemotherapy left her with 'no evidence of disease' following tests.

Speaking of her return to training and performing live, she told the Press Association: 'I'm absolutely loving it, JB's been the perfect comeback for me.'

'I'm just back in my happy place doing what I love most.'

'I think it's going to be just really lovely (today), because it's going to be beautiful for my family because they struggled just as much as I did having to watch me go through it.'

Admitting last year's Strictly was a 'tough watch for them' Amy said: 'Last year's Strictly was a tough watch for them because it was a reminder of exactly what we were going through.'

'It's going to be one big celebration, this whole series for me.'

The Welsh dancer will perform the waltz to Leo Sayer's When I Need You alongside her celebrity partner JB Gill, 37.

Ahead of the live show on Saturday, JB told PA he felt the pair's chemistry was 'very strong'.

He said: 'For me, I think it's just trusting Amy, she's the pro for a reason, I trust her judgment.'

'We talk a lot, and I think our chemistry is very strong, even from the outset.'

'So, you know, just trusting her decisions, and obviously we will come up with stuff together, and then once we've decided it, that's it, and we go and execute that, so that's my biggest focus in that respect.'

Gill also said the training regime has been 'mind-blowing and eye-opening' as he had found ballroom dancing to be 'completely alien' in comparison to the choreography he performed while dancing with JLS.

The Croydon-born singer said: 'In the first few days, it was mind-blowing and eye-opening because it was so completely alien.'

'I went home to my wife (professional dancer Chloe Tangney) and just said, this is what I was doing, and going through the counts, and she was like "what on earth is that? It doesn't even make any sense."'

'It took a while to sort of get into the swing of those sorts of things, but the body of course is going through lots of different things as well.'

'It's a waltz, so it's not as impactful, should I say, as perhaps some other styles on the body.'

'But you still feel it, there's certain things, like when you're holding your frame as well as your shoulders, your back, your neck even, because the positioning has got to be right if you're doing it correctly, even your hands have got to stay close, so you've got tension in your hands as well.'

'So all those sorts of things you don't perhaps expect and (they've) sort of come out in the wash this last couple of weeks, but we're in good shape.'

It comes after earlier this year Amy revealed she is now cancer-free.

While she will not get the all-clear for five years and will still need treatment, she thanked her family and friends for their support amid her 'toughest year'.

Taking to Instagram at the time to reveal the happy news, she wrote: '! Words I dreamed of! My biggest accomplishment yet!'

'I won't be getting the all clear for 5 years especially with a hormone fed cancer. But it was all worth it. Words I never thought I'd hear at one point.'

'So grateful for all the care I received and continue to have.'

'To my husband, family and friends who supported me unconditionally and to you guys! Thank you!'

She continued: 'I will still need a monthly injection for 5 years and regular check ups.'

'Chemo and this past year has certainly took its toll on my body both physically and mentally, so I'll be taking the next few months to heal and recover.'

'I have so much to strive and live for, and so grateful for another chance at life! Something I know not all get. I certainly see life differently and my life has changed forever!'

'Cancer affects too many so I will continue to do all I can to raise awareness and make sure I get as many as I can to.'

'It's time to look ahead after what's been the toughest year, and one I certainly didn't expect!'

'Dance floor I'm coming for you! Welsh love, always Amy x.'

Amy was diagnosed with breast cancer in May last year, and underwent a mastectomy in July, taking 2023 off from the BBC ballroom dance contest while she underwent treatment.

Her friend, Dragon's Den star Sara Davies, who competed on Strictly in 2021, revealed that she had to convince Amy to go ahead with her treatment when it was offered because Amy was scared she'd miss out on her Strictly career .

Businesswoman Sara said Amy had been 'hardwired' to dance from a young age and the thought of taking time off to concentrate on her health scared her.

Sara said on the Invite Only podcast: 'I spent a lot of time with her at the start of the cancer diagnosis when she wasn't feeling positive. She'd been dealt a bad hand and she was struggling with it.'

'I knew then I needed to be the friend that was filling her tank, but also if you just want someone to give you a hug and tell you it's gonna be okay, I'm not the one to go to.'

'I was the one who was like, "What's the plan, Amy?" and pushing her to make difficult decisions. She wasn't sure if she was going to have chemo so we talked about that.'

She added: 'What I've realised with the dancers is that from being little, they are hardwired to dance. And the biggest blow for her was, "If I don't go down that route, I won't be able to do Strictly this year".

'I had to look her in the eye and say, "Amy, you've got cancer. They've literally just cut your boob off. They are telling you you need to have this chemo to get better. Don't worry about dance and Strictly".

'Her response was, "But they might not want me back next year". So I said, "Amy, you're amazing at what you do, of course they will want you back. You're so well-loved. Please, it's really important. Get well".

'And then she went on the show without her wig as well. What a phenomenal moment. When I saw her, I cried.'

Strictly Come Dancing's first live show airs on Saturday at 7pm on BBC One and iPlayer.