Strictly Come Dancing professional Amy Dowden will be honoured by King Charles today at Buckingham Palace as she will receive and MBE.

Professional dancer Amy, 34, will be formally made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for her services to fundraising and raising awareness of inflammatory bowel disease. As an advocate and ambassador for charity Crohn’s & Colitis UK, Amy will be honoured for her efforts today.

An MBE is a Member of the Order of the British Empire, an honor given by the British monarchy to people who have made significant contributions to society. It’s the third highest ranking Order of the British Empire, after CBE and OBE.

Marianne Radcliffe, Chief Executive of Crohn’s & Colitis UK, said of Amy’s amazing accolade: “People never used to talk about Crohn’s or Colitis, but Amy has really helped to normalise conversations about these conditions by being open and honest, and adding some of her trademark sparkle.

“Every year, 25,000 people in the UK are told they have Inflammatory Bowel Disease, and there will be many who feel less afraid about what lies ahead because of her work. She has inspired so many with her determination and considerable achievements and we are proud to have Amy as a Crohn’s & Colitis UK Ambassador.”

Amy revealed in 2019 that she was living with Crohn’s disease before fronting a BBC programme titled Strictly Amy: Crohn’s And Me, where she delved into her how her life had dramatically changed due to struggles with the condition. Three years later, Amy was admitted to hospital in Manchester following a Crohn’s flare-up while on the Strictly Come Dancing live tour.

Sadly, Amy’s health took an even bigger turn for the worst in 2023 when she was dancer was diagnosed with breast cancer shortly after coming back from her honeymoon with husband Ben Jones. Amy revealed in the 2024 BBC documentary titled, Strictly Amy: Cancer And Me that she has frozen some embryos in the hopes of starting a family in the future.

Back in June, when it was announced that Amy would receive the MBE, the professional dancer admitted that she was in shock. At the time, she said: “I am still in shock, but so thrilled to be made a Member of the Order of the British Empire, it is beyond my wildest dreams. I accept it on behalf of all those who live with Crohn’s disease, and will continue campaigning to raise awareness for and research into this terrible chronic illness.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the wonderful NHS staff who have helped me over the years and Crohn’s & Colitis UK who do so much to support fellow sufferers.”

In May 2023, Amy, who is married to co-star Ben, wrote on Instagram: “Hey all, I’ve got some news which isn’t easy to share. I’ve recently been diagnosed with breast cancer but I’m determined to get back on that dance floor before you know it.”

The dancer went on to speak about the first moment she discovered a lump in her breast, a day before her honeymoon to the Maldives with Ben in April 2023. She had only just begun checking herself, following a charity trek with the breast cancer charity CoppaFeel!.

“I was in the shower and I felt this hard lump in my right breast. I was in shock; I checked again,” she told HELLO! Magazine. After realising the lump had grown while on holiday, Amy went to see her GP and was sent for an emergency referral. It was then she was suddenly diagnosed with aggressive stage three breast cancer.

“You just don’t ever think it’s going to happen to you. I hadn’t thought it was possible to get breast cancer at my age,” she continued, explaining that her mum had breast cancer in her fifties.

That month, Amy underwent a mastectomy and surgeons removed three tumours and further cancer specks, plus some lymph nodes from her right breast. However, days afterwards, doctors discovered a second type of breast cancer in the tissue they removed, plus more tumours, including one close to her chest, and specks in her other breast. It came as a huge shock to Amy. She was advised to have chemotherapy, but her first reaction was to refuse it.

“I thought that’s Strictly with a partner wiped out, that’s my hair gone, that’s my life gone. I was like, I don’t want to do that,” she told the Mirror. While her surgeon kept telling her she could “dance forever and ever afterwards.” Amy was adamant she didn’t want to do it – until her former dance teacher stepped in.

Amy pressed ahead with her second cycle of chemo, only to be faced again by terrifying circumstances. “I got blood clots, I ended up back in hospital,” she explained, adding that it was “frightening”. Amy recovered and as chemo continued, her hair began falling out at home, which was a horrific experience for her.

“I found losing my hair really traumatic and it didn’t matter how much I prepared for it I couldn’t even brush my own hair in the end I couldn’t even look in the mirror in the end because I was bald in top,” she said.

Then in November of that year, Amy told fans she was ‘proud of herself’ as she shared a health update after ringing the chemotherapy bell, marking the end of her treatment. In February 2024, the Strictly professional revealed her health check showed “no evidence of disease”, describing the news from doctors as “words I dreamed of” and her “biggest accomplishment yet”.

Posting an incredibly emotional video of herself ringing the cancer-free bell, Amy wrote: “My toughest journey yet. These past few months I look back and think how did my body get through this both physically and mentally.

“From the words I’m so sorry Amy, it’s cancer and what’s your fertility plans. To having a mastectomy, two weeks later hormone daily injections for egg retrieval, a little Crohns’ flare up and then on to chemo plus shutting down my ovaries on the same day which sadly lead to sepsis, blood clots, losing my hair, my eyebrows, lashes (I have a few hanging in there) and three toenails.

“But also it’s taken away my love of life these past few months and of course my DANCING! It’s been tough. But hopefully has now given me chance of more life which I’m eternally grateful for and I will never take for granted again. I’ll never be the same Amy again but, what I do know is I’m so much stronger than I ever knew and I have made the most amazing friends along the way.

“I hate looking in the mirror at the moment but I know this is a small price to pay and ‘this too shall pass’. I’m so grateful to the wonderful Sheldon oncology unit and my family and friends who have been there endlessly for Ben and I. We did it!

“All though my journey isn’t over yet, this day of ringing the chemo bell felt like an endless distance away and at points I thought I’d never make it to. I’m so proud of myself. I now await an MRI to determine if I need more surgery but for now I’m celebrating my chemo journey coming to an end. Thank you all for your love and support along the way. Now please remember to check yourselves, if you aren’t who is?”.

If you have been affected by this story, advice and support can be found at Breast Cancer Support.

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