Strictly star Lauren Oakley speaks out for the first time since Amy Dowden’s shocking collapse backstage and dramatic exit from the BBC show
As I read through this heart-wrenching story of Amy Dowden, my heart goes out to her. She is a woman who has faced more challenges in her life than most could ever imagine, yet she continues to dance, to smile, and to inspire.
For the initial time since the announcement that Amy Dowden wouldn’t continue on the BBC program, Lauren Oakley from Strictly has shared her thoughts publicly.
The 34-year-old Welsh dancer, known to be in remission from breast cancer and dealing with Crohn’s disease, had to withdraw from the recent performance last weekend following an incident where she fainted behind the scenes.
On Saturday’s performance, it was announced that fellow professional Lauren would step in to collaborate with JLS member JB Gill instead.
It was officially announced on Monday that actress Amy won’t be appearing anymore in the series due to her recovery from a foot injury.
After catching up on the latest news, Amy expressed her feelings on Instagram by posting about her cancer experience and her time with Strictly, expressing gratitude towards her dance partner JB and sending best wishes to both him and Lauren.
In response to her post, her fellow actor commented: “This situation will eventually fade away. We’re still a team. I care for you deeply. You laid the foundation, I’ll continue to build upon it and strive to make you proud.
Currently, my heart is heavy. Lately, I had been feeling like myself once more after several months.
Instead of cancer being the initial thought upon waking, my mind was filled with dance choreography, music selection, the sequence of dances, and areas that required focus. For the first time in a while, I felt liberated once more.
Ever since I heard that you had cancer, my ambition has been to return to the Strictly dance floor,” she went on.
After a formidable struggle that required 2024 of my dedication, I successfully achieved it, thanks to an extraordinary team. It was something personally important to me and my dear ones as well.
‘There was no feeling like it dancing again in the ballroom with my Strictly family.
‘Then I was partnered with the talented, kind, gentle soul JB,’ she added of her partner.
Each day, our training space was brimming with dedication, cooling comfortably, and adorned with wide, happy grins as we collaboratively crafted something wonderful, fostering a flourishing camaraderie along the way.
As your trusted lifestyle advisor, I’d like to express my gratitude for being such an exceptional dance partner from the start. Our first-week performance earned us the top spot on the leaderboard, a testament to our unwavering dedication and hard work. It’s been a pleasure working alongside someone so passionately committed to mastering the intricacies of ballroom and Latin dances. Thank you for your relentless pursuit of understanding these fundamental dance styles.
That rumba remains among my all-time favorites for me. I find myself feeling deeply saddened, distraught even, and wondering, “Why me? Why now?” as our shared path seems tragically truncated.
As a dance enthusiast, it’s with a heavy heart that I find myself withdrawing from the competition due to an unfortunate foot injury. But as someone who’s been around the dance world for a while, I know this temporary setback will eventually pass. I’ll be back on my feet and dancing again before you know it!
‘Something I’ve had to get used to in my life.
I am confident that we will dance together again, JB. To all our fans, my dear ones, and my Strictly family, thank you so much!
She finished off her emotional message: ‘JB I know you and Lauren will continue to ace that dance floor I’ll forever be your biggest cheerleader.’
Regrettably, Amy Dowden MBE won’t continue dancing in this year’s competition. (Spokesperson for Strictly Come Dancing)
As Amy concentrates on her healing process due to a foot injury, professional dancer Lauren Oakley will take over as JB’s dancing partner temporarily.
‘The health and wellbeing of everyone involved in Strictly are always the utmost priority. The whole Strictly family sends Amy love and well wishes.’
Last year in May, Amy, who was only 32 years old at the time, received devastating news – she had been diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer.
During the filming of BBC’s Dare To Dance, she expressed feeling uneasy, as if things weren’t quite as they should be. The day preceding a second honeymoon with her spouse, Benjamin, she discovered a lump in her breast.
Towards the end of the year, it was discovered that she had yet another undetermined form of cancer. As a result, she went through a round of chemotherapy treatments.
Amy returned to hospital in August 2024 for more tests where, finally, she was given the all-clear.
Following a tumultuous year, BBC executives expressed joy upon Amy’s triumphant return to the program after battling cancer. Notably, she was teamed up with JB during this time.
However, during the recent live Halloween special last month, it was reported that she was taken to the hospital after collapsing at Elstree Studios, which serves as the BBC show’s base in Hertfordshire. The incident occurred off-stage due to a sudden ‘medical emergency’.
Just prior to being rushed to the hospital, Amy danced the Foxtrot to the song “Dancing in the Moonlight” by Toploader alongside her famous partner JB. However, some viewers pointed out that she was partially sitting during this most recent performance.
During Sunday evening’s episode of Strictly Come Dancing, viewers saw John Barnes (JB) along with his stand-in partner, Lauren Oakley, dodge the dance-off and advance to the next round instead.
JB paid a sweet tribute to Amy during Sunday night’s results show.
In an impressive display, the singer along with Lauren reached the pinnacle of the rankings after their duet in the “Couples’ Choice” segment, which was set to a medley of songs by Bruno Mars. They received an almost perfect score of 39 out of 40.
As they were declared safe for another week, JB spoke to the camera and silently expressed, “For you, Amy,” dedicating the performance to the Welsh dancer.
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2024-11-05 03:39