Strictly Come Dancing favourite Amy Dowden reveals why doing Who Do You Think You Are? left her in tears

by

Amy Dowden joined the new season of Who Do You Think You Are? hoping to uncover the truth behind a family murder rumour, prove her Welsh heritage, and find out if any of her ancestors were dancers. She expected a lot of exciting discoveries and planned to share daily updates with her parents, who still live in her hometown of Caerphilly.

“It was a real emotional journey,” she shared. She was completely surprised to learn her great-grandmother Louisa had died from breast cancer in 1921, at just 39 years old. Dowden herself has faced significant health challenges, living with Crohn’s disease since she was 19. More recently, at 32, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, requiring extensive treatment, a double mastectomy, and resulting in side effects like a blood clot in her lung. Hearing medical historian Dr. Agnes Arnold-Forster reveal Louisa’s cancer diagnosis in this week’s episode was a shock for her.

Hearing Louisa’s story reminded me of my own cancer diagnosis in 2023. Agnes explained that cancer was considered a death sentence back then, meaning Louisa faced the illness without treatments like chemotherapy or modern medicine – which made me appreciate the NHS even more. Thinking about her leaving behind her husband and six young children was really moving, and I definitely got emotional while filming. But that’s okay – my nurse always encouraged me to let my feelings out and have a good cry during my own treatment.

Dowden knew her great-grandfather, Bill, had given up his youngest son, Frank, for adoption, but didn’t know the reason why. Learning about Louisa’s death finally explained it. Bill had served in the navy during World War I and wanted to return to his job as a miner, but the mines had been sold to new owners in 1921. These new owners cut workers’ pay in half, forcing many miners to rely on soup kitchens. Louisa died during the resulting conflict with the mine owners. As Dowden learned, “Bill worked incredibly hard, just like my father, but he had six children and couldn’t afford to feed them all. That’s why Frank – my grandfather – was raised by a kind family nearby.”

Dowden attributes her strong family background and dedicated work ethic to generations past, qualities she sees in her parents and within herself. She’s been a passionate dancer since childhood, achieving success as a four-time British national finalist and ultimately becoming a British national champion. As one of the UK’s top ballroom and Latin dancers, she’s proud to have been the first Welsh professional to join Strictly Come Dancing ten years ago, and she’ll be returning to the show this autumn.

It’s been a challenging journey, with time off due to illness and an early exit from last year’s competition with her partner, Thomas Skinner. However, she firmly believes that Strictly Come Dancing was a turning point in her life. She describes the show as more than just entertainment, explaining it helped her through a very difficult period. The past decade has brought significant changes – joining Strictly, getting married to fellow dancer Ben Jones, receiving a cancer diagnosis, and ultimately, returning to dance. She credits dancing with saving her, and is grateful to the BBC for giving her the strength and hope to rebuild her career, though as a changed person.

She’s clearly doing well, and credits a recent trip to Majorca with helping her feel revitalized. What struck me most was her description of herself – she feels like a completely new person, and understandably so, after everything she’s faced. She’s adopted a different outlook on life, realizing how precious each day is and letting go of old worries. It’s a powerful message, and she delivers it with a genuine sense of gratitude. She really seems to have embraced a ‘live in the moment’ philosophy, and it’s incredibly inspiring.

I’m really excited to see the show back in production, even though when we talked, they hadn’t announced the new hosting lineup – Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe, and Johannes Radebe. It’s definitely bittersweet seeing an era end, but I’m hopeful these new faces will keep Strictly going strong for years, maybe even decades! What’s always made the show special, for me, is watching the celebrities learn and grow. It’s all about the partnerships and friendships they build – that’s what everyone loves, and the previous hosts always understood that it wasn’t about them at all.

Besides appearing on Who Do You Think You Are?, where I watched her become a real detective trying to solve a family mystery from 1888, and her recent work on Strictly, Amy is really excited about doing more presenting. She’s already made a couple of powerful documentaries – one about her experiences with Crohn’s disease in 2020, and another about cancer in 2024 – but she’s hoping to take on a different kind of project next.

I used to dance, but illness stopped me, so I’m really enjoying life now. I’m a very social person – I love connecting with people! I had a fantastic time co-hosting The One Show and I also enjoy radio work. I’m more interested in hearing other people’s stories than sharing my own.

Who Do You Think You Are? returns to BBC One on Tuesday 26 May at 9pm.

Authors

Amy Raphael

Read More

2026-05-25 19:41