Strictly’s Amy feels she’s let down fellow cancer sufferers by finishing last

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Last year, Strictly Come Dancing’s Amy Dowden deeply touched the nation with her brave comeback to the dance floor. She had faced a serious battle with stage-three breast cancer and a frightening bout of sepsis while undergoing treatment.

The Welsh dancer, a popular contestant on the BBC show, has shared her disappointment about being the first couple eliminated this season. She feels sad about potentially letting down others who are battling cancer, as she and her partner, Thomas Skinner, were voted off early.

She expressed deep disappointment about leaving the competition, explaining she was eager to represent cancer survivors and felt she had failed them. She shared this at the Women of the Year Awards held at the Royal Lancaster hotel in London.

I hoped Thomas would succeed, but honestly, I was also motivated by wanting to help others facing cancer. After my own diagnosis, my participation was a bit of a rollercoaster – I started, had to withdraw, rejoined, and ultimately finished the race.

Amy, age 35, received a breast cancer diagnosis in 2023, just months after marrying her husband, Benjamin Jones, who is also a dancer.

After having a mastectomy, she began IVF treatment only two weeks later, hoping to still be able to have children someday.

Amy received a clean bill of health after battling breast cancer last year. However, her return to Strictly Come Dancing was unfortunately brief. She had to stop after six weeks because of a foot injury, despite being partnered with JLS singer JB Gill.

‘I just wanted to show what you can be capable of following life after cancer,’ she says.

I constantly remind myself that returning to Strictly and dancing again will demonstrate to everyone that you can still enjoy life, even after being diagnosed with cancer.

 

Sir Michael Palin, known and loved for his travel documentaries, remembers initially having to prove himself to the renowned travel presenter Alan Whicker.

The Monty Python star recalls that Alan Whicker was initially critical of his round-the-world trip, which he took with Michael Palin in 1989 for the show *Around the World in 80 Days*. Whicker reportedly said he wasn’t a ‘proper traveller’ but simply an actor.

You know, working with Alan Whicker initially felt a bit intimidating! He had such a strong presence. But honestly, he really softened over time, and it was wonderfully ironic – I ended up winning a travel programme award one year, and guess who presented it? Alan Whicker himself! It was a lovely full-circle moment, and showed me that first impressions aren’t always the whole story.

‘And after that we corresponded quite a lot.’

 

Paradise? No, Bali’s rubbish!

Rose Ayling-Ellis, known for winning Strictly Come Dancing and her groundbreaking work as an actress, recently felt disappointed after visiting Bali, despite the island’s reputation as a beautiful paradise.

‘It’s overrated,’ says the actress, who was the first deaf contestant to appear on Strictly.

I had a certain image in my head before visiting Bali, but it was nothing like I imagined. Unfortunately, there was trash and plastic pollution all over the island.

I listen to the Travel Secrets podcast regularly, and the host recently shared something I really related to. She said she just couldn’t seem to connect with the people who travel purely for spiritual experiences – and honestly, that’s exactly how I feel too!

 

The Duchess of Rutland runs a tight ship at Belvoir Castle.

The 62-year-old who runs the family estate in Leicestershire – the one featured in *The Crown* – takes on interns every season. She describes the estate as a place where young people gain valuable life skills, but emphasizes that it’s a demanding experience. In exchange for their work, interns receive room and board, a weekly stipend of £150, and a clear understanding of the workplace hierarchy: they’re expected to follow instructions without question. She jokingly says, ‘When I tell them to jump, they ask how high!’

 

Dame Joan on a not so Iron Lady

At a dinner celebrating the 100th birthday of Margaret Thatcher, actress Dame Joan Collins honored the late prime minister. Former Conservative leaders Boris Johnson and Iain Duncan Smith were also among the guests.

Joanie, 92, recalls attending the 80th birthday of a friend and noticing the friend sizing up her then-young husband. She explained the friend seemed to be assessing him.

Dame Joan Collins’ husband, Percy Gibson, celebrated his 60th birthday yesterday. When they married in 2002, people questioned their age difference, but Dame Joan famously quipped, “If he dies, he dies!”

 

Alexandra Tolstoy’s epic hospital dash 

Alexandra Tolstoy, known for her adventurous spirit, is now guiding horseback riding tours for those seeking exciting travel experiences.

Alexandra recently returned from a trip to Kyrgyzstan, exploring some of its most pristine and beautiful landscapes. Unfortunately, the trip ended with a rush to get medical attention. After developing bronchitis in very cold weather – a complication of her asthma – she had to travel eight hours by taxi to Bishkek and then be taken to the hospital by ambulance. She received an X-ray and steroid treatment to help her breathing before beginning the long, 18-hour flight back to London.

‘Frightening,’ Alexandra, who is on the mend, concedes.

 

Richard Tice, the deputy leader of Reform UK, is being extra careful with his phone in London, which has seen a rise in crime under Mayor Sadiq Khan. He explained to me at a dinner celebrating Margaret Thatcher’s birthday at The Guildhall that he uses a wrist strap attached to his phone as a precaution.

The 61-year-old Member of Parliament hasn’t been a victim of theft himself, but says many of his friends have been.

When a journalist accused Nigel Farage of exaggerating the problem of theft in Britain, Farage challenged them, saying, ‘I double dare you to walk through London’s West End after 9 p.m. wearing jewelry.’ He confidently stated, ‘You wouldn’t do it,’ implying the area was unsafe.

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2025-10-15 03:23