The Strictly Come Dancing crew paid a heartfelt tribute to Amy Dowden during the National Television Awards on Tuesday amid her breast cancer battle.
The professional dancer, 33, is unable to participate as a dancer in the new series after she began her chemotherapy treatment in August after she was diagnosed with breast cancer earlier this year.
However, she did attend the NTAs at London’s 02 alongside her fellow pro dancers and joined them on stage when the show won the Talent Show award.
Former contestant and new It Takes Two host Fleur East gave Amy a special shoutout during the acceptance speech saying: ‘Of course the Strictly professional dancers.
‘It’s extra special because we are joined by the fabulous Amy Dowden on stage who looks absolutely incredible.’
Support: The Strictly Come Dancing crew paid a heartfelt tribute to Amy Dowden during the National Television Awards on Tuesday amid her breast cancer battle
Heartwarming: Fleur East gave Amy a special shoutout during the acceptance speech saying: ‘It’s extra special because we are joined by the fabulous Amy Dowden’
Fellow ex contestant Tyler West added: ‘We love you Am, honestly.’
At the ceremony, Amy cut a glamorous figure in a dusky pink ruffled gown that boasted a sheer boned bodice and flowing skirt.
The star proudly pointed to her sparkly Cancer Research UK badge which was pinned to her frock as she beamed for the cameras.
Amy was diagnosed with breast cancer in May, and revealed in July that doctors had discovered she has ‘another type of cancer’ after an MRI revealed more tumours in her body.
Talking about the news at the time Amy said: ‘For me, my journey, everything changed. I was originally going to have a lumpectomy, radiotherapy and hormone treatment.
‘But then, after my MRI, they found another tumour so then it changed into a mastectomy and then, after my mastectomy, unfortunately, they found even more tumours.
‘And my pathology wasn’t what they were expecting, and they found another type of cancer and then they told me I needed chemo – for me that was a massive blow.
‘It wasn’t in the plan, originally – and I know the plan you can’t get fixated on.
Sending love: Fellow ex contestant Tyler West added: ‘We love you Am, honestly’
Radiant: The star proudly pointed to her sparkly Cancer Research UK badge which was pinned to her frock as she beamed for the cameras
‘So, all of a sudden, then I realised, and you get scared, but the oncologist did say that with chemo I’ve got a really good chance of a cure.
‘I was really scared and I didn’t want to do chemo but then seeing someone like yourself (Erin) who’s carried on and for me straightaway it was my dancing, like, you can take away my boob but you can’t take my dancing away from me and that’s what I get really upset about.’
It comes just hours after the dancer shared a health update with fans after her latest round of chemotherapy.
Taking to Instagram Amy assured followers she was ‘getting there’ as she detailed the side effects she had been suffering following the chemo.
She said: ‘I had a bit of sickness, tiredness but you can’t sleep because of the steroids. Got my steroid moon face, which I am used to anyway by now’.
But the dancer added that she was ‘feeling a lot more like Amy today’.
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