Amy Dowden Height, Husband, Age, Illness, Family, Partner, Married, Wedding, Twin Sister, Brother, Parents, Wiki, Instagram

September 5, 2022 Primal Information

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Amy Dowden Biography – Amy Dowden Wiki

Amy Dowden is a Welsh professional ballroom and Latin American dancer. She is best known for her appearances on the BBC One television show Strictly Come Dancing. Amy first started dancing at the age of 8. She was the 2017 British National Champion and remains one of the highest-ranking Ballroom and Latin American professional dancers in the UK. Amy is also a four-time British National Finalist and in 2015 she reached the semi-final of the World Championships.

Amy’s dancing journey started at the age of 8 and during her childhood taking her ballroom and latin dance exams and was part of winning formation teams before then taking to the open competitive circuit. Which since gone on to win many titles both Nationally and Internationally. Amy and her partner Ben Jones are British National Latin Champions, 4 x British National Finalist, Ultimate World Cup challenge Finalist, BDF Star Championship winners and 10 x Welsh Open Champions. While Amy’s passion is for Ballroom and Latin dance, she has also been trained and has experience in Ballet, Contemporary, Freestyle and Zumba.

Amy has also appeared and co-hosted on many tv shows such as CBBC, Blue Peter, This Morning, BBC Morning Live, Lorraine, The One Show, Sin Bin Six Nations and The Great Indoors.

In 2017, Dowden appeared as a professional dancer in the fifteenth series of the British BBC TV talent show Strictly Come Dancing, partnered with comedian Brian Conley.

Amy returned in 2018, where she was partnered with Danny John-Jules. The couple was awarded the first 10 score of the series when Darcey Bussell marked their Jive to “Flip, Flop and Fly” in week 5. The pair was eliminated in Week 8 after losing a dance-off to Graeme Swann and Oti Mabuse, their elimination came days after controversial bullying allegations, with tabloids reporting that John-Jules had reduced Dowden to tears.

In 2019, she appeared as a professional dancer in the seventeenth series of the show partnered with CBBC presenter, Karim Zeroual. The two received the first perfect 40 of the series for their Jive in Week 11. She made it all the way to the Grand Final with celeb partner Karim Zeroual. She had a strong run to the 2020 Quarter Final with JJ Chalmers. In 2021, Amy partnered with musician and author Tom Fletcher. They were eliminated in week 9 of the competition after a dance-off against Rhys Stephenson and Nancy Xu.

Dowden has also taken part in The Strictly Live Tour since 2018. In 2020, She announced her appearance with Jones at 2021 Dancing With The Stars Weekend.

Amy Dowden Strictly Come Dancing

Welsh dancing star Amy Dowden joined the Strictly family in 2017. She made history by being the first ever Welsh professional to enter the Ballroom.

Amy joined Australian Dianne Buswell and Nadiya Bychkova, from Ukraine, in replacing Joanne Clifton, Oksana Platero, and Natalie Lowe in the 17-strong professional dancer ranks.

She said: “Becoming a professional dancer on Strictly Come Dancing has made my wildest dreams come true, it does not feel real. I have always been proud of my Welsh roots and feel so honoured to be the first Welsh professional dancer on the most loved show on TV.”

Louise Rainbow, executive producer on Strictly Come Dancing, added: “We’re delighted with our line-up of pros for this year’s series. They are all brilliant dancers and wonderful teachers and Strictly is so lucky to have them.”

Amy Dowden Strictly Partners

Strictly Come Dancing professional Amy Dowden has partnered with Brian Conley (Series 15), Danny John-Jules (Series 16), Karim Zeroual (Series 17), JJ Chalmers (Series 18) and Tom Fletcher (Series 19).

Amy’s first dancing partner was Brian Conley.The duo only made it to Week Four of the competition. Amy fared better the following year with actor Danny John-Jules, as the pair scored the very first 10 of Strictly 2018, but sadly their journey was cut short in Week Eight of the competition.

She made it all the way to the Grand Final in 2019 with celeb partner Karim Zeroual, and had a strong run to the 2020 Quarter Final with JJ Chalmers. In 2021, Amy partnered with musician and author Tom Fletcher. They were eliminated in week 9 of the competition after a dance-off against Rhys Stephenson and Nancy Xu.

Amy Dowden Illness

Strictly dancer Amy Dowden has Crohn’s disease, a lifelong condition where parts of the digestive system become inflamed. The professional dancer first revealed she was living with the condition in 2019 in an effort to help other sufferers. She did this in conjunction with the launch of the It Takes Guts campaign run by Crohn’s & Colitis UK which promotes awareness of the disease and encourages sufferers to be open about their illness.

For this work Amy won the Raising Awareness Award at the Hello! Magazine Star Women Awards 2019.

According to the NHS, Crohn’s disease affects people of all ages. The symptoms usually start in childhood or early adulthood. The exact cause of Crohn’s disease is unknown. The main symptoms are: diarrhoea, stomach aches and cramps, blood in your poo, tiredness (fatigue) and weight loss.

The Caerphilly-born dancer first started experiencing symptoms of Crohn’s when she was 11 years old, but wasn’t diagnosed until she was 19.

At the age of 11, Amy started getting “serious stomach cramps, I was in a lot of pain, i’d pass out, and I went from this really energetic child to one that couldn’t get out of bed,” she said.

“And then when I finally got told, “You have Crohn’s disease,” I actually celebrated. For me it was finnaly, I’ve got answers. Finally I can get on the treatment ot have the surgery.And for me I was just like, okay, I can get back dancing.”

In November 2021, Strictly Come Dancing professional Amy Dowden was admitted to hospital in Manchester following a Crohn’s flare-up while on the live tour.

On 31 January 2022, she shared a picture of herself ready to take to the Strictly stage alongside a juxtaposing image taken hours later of her lying in a hospital bed. She captioned the Instagram post: “Not quite the weekend performing in Manchester I was expecting.

“The one pic is me all ready to dance the following is literally a few hours later. Just want to help spread the awareness of hidden chronic illnesses. I know we get so many comments oh you look fine, on the outside yes, but not the inside. Comments why do you push yourself? Well, I wouldn’t do anything in life if I spent the whole time worrying if I might get a flare up. I’ve always said it won’t define me! To me, my condition is at it’s cruellest when it takes me away from my biggest passion, dancing! I can’t thank my fellow cast enough… it certainly helps to have some strapping male dancers there to help carry you too 🤣. I love you all!

“To the entire @strictlycomedancinglive team, thank you!Thank you for the Incredible care I received in Manchester hospital and biggest thanks to all the fans who have sent such beautiful messages, I’m so sorry for not being able to perform for you! I’m feeling SO MUCH BETTER and I’ll be back dancing with the gang, living the dream before you know it! Lots of Welsh love 💖 #chronicillness #raisewareness.”

Following her November flare up, she was looked after by her celebrity partner Tom Fletcher and his wife Giovanna, moving into their family home while Dowden’s husband, Ben Jones, was working away.

Amy Dowden Age

Strictly Come Dancing professional Amy Dowden was born to parents Richard and Gillian Dowden, on 10 August 1990 in Caerphilly, Wales, United Kingdom. She is 32 years old (2022).

Amy Dowden Family

She is the daughter of Richard Dowden and Gillian Dowden. Amy has a twin sister named Rebecca, and a brother named Lloyd.

Amy Dowden Husband

Is Amy Dowden married? She is married to Ben Jones, her professional dance partner. Dowden and her partner Ben Jones are former British National Latin Dance Champions. Dowden and her partner Ben Jones were engaged in 2018 and were married on 2 July 2022, after delaying her wedding twice amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Amy Dowden Wedding

Strictly Come Dancing star Amy Dowden’s wedding with her partner Ben Jones, took place on 2 July 2022 on South Wales’ Gower Peninsula at luxury wedding venue Oldwalls.

“I always knew I wanted to get married in Wales,” the professional dancer told HELLO! “It was a day I’d dreamt of since I was a little girl and, well, it was even more than that. Everything was perfect – from the flowers to the food to partying all night long.”

The dancer grinned as she walked arm-in-arm with her father Richard towards a lily pond, where the outdoor wedding ceremony took place. “I dance in front of millions but I was nervous to walk down the aisle” admitted Amy.

Following performances from The Voice finalist Leanne Jarvis, Tom Fletcher serenaded the couple with his McFly hit All About You. “I originally asked Tom to sing as I walked up the aisle, but he told me he always cries at weddings, so I wanted to let him enjoy the ceremony,” said Amy.

Amy’s bridesmaids included Dianne Buswell as well as Amy’s twin sister and maid of honour Rebecca, and close friends Kate and Katie.

Strictly pros Janette Manrara, Aljaz Skorjanec, and Katya Jones were also on the star-studded guest list, alongside 2021 contestant Sara Davies, judge Craig Revel Horwood and make-up artist Lisa Armstrong, who was responsible for Amy’s dewy bridal make-up.