Strictly Come Dancing professional Amy Dowden has shared an emotional family update after battling breast cancer.

Amy Dowden shared an emotional update on her family plans (Image: BBC)

Strictly Come Dancing star Amy Dowden has opened up about her dreams of starting a family after bravely freezing five embryos following her breast cancer diagnosis in 2023. The 34 year old dancer, who underwent a mastectomy and chemotherapy, joyfully announced in February 2024 that she was free of disease according to recent tests.

She made a triumphant return to the BBC dance floor in September before an injury led to an early withdrawal from the competition.

Prior to her chemotherapy, Dowden was informed she would enter menopause, prompting her to undergo egg retrieval to preserve the possibility of having children with her husband Ben Jones in the future.

Discussing her aspirations on the What If? podcast with Lorraine Kelly and Rosie, Dowden shared her zest for life and her hopes for parenthood: “I’m just saying yes to as many opportunities and living life to the full, spending time with loved ones as well,” she revealed. “And obviously, we would love a family, and we’ve got embryos, because, obviously, I’ve got a hormone-fed cancer, so I was put into menopause, which happened the day I started chemo.”

Amy Dowden is happily married to husband Benjamin Jones (Image: -)

She continued optimistically, “So, in a couple of years, when they feel it’s safe, hopefully, we’ll have the opportunity. And if not, there’s still lots of other opportunities, which we have spoken about.”, reports Bristol Live.

Dowden added, reflecting on the past year’s challenges, “Hopefully in years to come we’ll be lucky enough to become parents too, but (we’re) taking every day as it comes. At the moment… this time last year, we were about to go through a rollercoaster.”

Amy Dowden has spoken candidly about her cancer journey and the incredible support she’s received, recalling a touching moment with her mother: “My mum said a couple of weeks ago, she came up to Blackpool to watch my students dance, and she said to me, ‘Last year, I said to you we were going to come and watch and to be honest with you, the fact you’re still here is everything.'”

The pro dancer made a triumphant return to Strictly Come Dancing in February 2024 alongside JLS sensation JB Gill. Dowden has been open about her fertility treatment, which was documented in the revealing BBC piece, Strictly Amy: Cancer And Me.

Set to dazzle audiences on the Strictly live tour with Gill later this month, Dowden has clarified that her November competition exit had “nothing to do with any previous health scares”. After finding a lump in her breast just before her honeymoon with her husband, fellow professional dancer Ben Jones, Dowden took a necessary step back from her celebrity dance partner duties in 2023 due to her diagnosis.