Amy Dowden speaks out ahead of emotional Strictly return and says 'I'm coming back home'

The professional dancer was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer last year

BBC Strictly Come Dancing star Amy Dowden has spoken out ahead of her return to the show. It comes one year after the professional dancer was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer.

She is set to return to the dancefloor for the new series of Strictly and is paired with JLS member JB Gill. Ahead of the first live show for the show’s 20th anniversary series, Amy appeared on Saturday's episode of BBC Breakfast.

In a pre-recorded interview with David Sillito, the 34-year-old gave an insight into her return, The Express reports. David said: “For Amy Dowden this truly is part of an emotional journey as she returns to the show after treatment for cancer.”

READ MORE: The scandalous truth about Birmingham's child poverty emergency laid bare

He then turned to Amy and asked: “How are you?” Amy confirmed: “I’m much better thank you and what a difference a year can make.”

David replied: “It’s quite tough though coming back I’m guessing.” Amy said: “Um, it just feels like I’m coming back home and I didn’t really go away I guess because I was so lucky last year with the production team keeping me involved.

“My Strictly family have been with me every step of the way so it doesn’t feel like I’ve been away. It’s different now because I get to come back dancing this year and I’ve got a fabulous partner and I’m going to make the most of every second because we don’t know what is around the corner.”

Standing with his arm wrapped around Amy, JB added: “I was basically born on that big Saturday night of course with the X-Factor but I had a couple more people standing next to me then but I’m in great hands here with Amy.”

Birmingham: A Child Poverty Emergency

Child poverty is soaring in Birmingham and without urgent change, will only get worse. Having worked with charities and community groups, BirminghamLive is campaigning for the following changes to start to turn the tide:

1. End the two-child benefit cap
2. Provide free school meals to every child in poverty
3. Create a city “aid bank” for baby and child essentials
4. Protect children’s and youth services
5. Create permanent, multi year Household Support Fund and give more Discretionary Housing grants
6. Set up child health and wellbeing hubs in our most deprived neighbourhoods
7. Appoint a Birmingham child poverty tsar
8. Provide free public travel for young people

You can see why in more detail here.

Read our full report Birmingham: A Child Poverty Emergency here.

What you can do to help.