Amy Dowden

Amy started dancing at the age of 8, but it wasn’t until after completing her A-levels she committed to it full-time, making her rapid rise in the rankings all the more remarkable, competing against much more experienced couples. For eight years her path to success was also blighted by misdiagnosis after misdiagnosis of a debilitating stomach complaint which left her hospitalised at least once a month, meaning she missed out on training, key competitions and many milestones of teenage life.

Alongside her partner (both in life and on the dance floor) Ben Jones, she achieved her dream of becoming British National Latin Dance Champion in 2016. They were the first all-British pair to win the championships in over 30 years. Other successes include becoming British Dance Federation Champions, English Closed Champions and Welsh Closed and Open Champions.

​Following this success she was invited to become one of the professional dancers on Strictly, partnering comedian Brian Conley later that year. For the 2018 series she was partnered with actor Danny John-Jules, the pair gaining the first 10 of the series. During this series Amy made her presenting debut, fronting a film on spin-off show It Takes Two.

​Her Strictly highlight so far is undoubtedly topping the leaderboard in the final alongside CBBC presenter Karim Zeroual. Other celebrity partners include presenter JJ Chalmers, McFly’s Tom Fletcher and EastEnders star James Bye.

Caerphilly-born Amy is the first Welsh professional dancer in Strictly history. When not filming the series she enjoys the ever-popular Strictly tour at arenas around the country and has fronted two series of Dare to Dance for BBC Wales in which Amy teaches people a spectacular routine for them to dance at a special occasion.

​In 2019, Amy very bravely announced that she has suffered from Crohn’s disease since a child. She did this in conjunction with the launch of the It Takes Guts campaign run by Crohn’s & Colitis UK which promotes awareness of the disease and encourages sufferers to be open about their illness. For this work Amy won the Raising Awareness Award at the Hello! Magazine Star Women Awards 2019 and in 2023 she received a Points of Light Award from the Prime Minister at 10 Downing Street. In 2020 the BBC broadcast a documentary, Strictly Amy: Crohn’s & Me.

In 2023 Amy was diagnosed with Breast Cancer, undergoing a mastectomy and a 3-month course of chemotherapy. Once again Amy turned this experience into a positive by raising awareness of breast cancer and its treatment, working closely with the charity CoppaFeel!. A BBC documentary about her battle with cancer is due to broadcast in 2024.

​Amy remains a fixture on the dance competition circuit and is also a highly successful tutor. With her partner Ben she runs the Art In Motion Dance Academy in the West Midlands, which has produced several students who have competed at national level. She is particularly passionate about working with children with special needs and learning difficulties.