Amy Dowden branded an 'inspiration' by fans after sharing breast cancer journey in emotional BBC documentary

Amy Dowden's followers were deeply touched and praised her as a source of inspiration on Monday night after she bravely opened up about her battle with breast cancer in her emotional BBC documentary, Strictly Amy: Cancer and Me. The 34-year-old Strictly Come Dancing contestant received a stage three breast cancer diagnosis in May 2023. Throughout the toughest year of her life, Amy faced a mastectomy, chemotherapy, fertility treatments, and a life-threatening struggle with sepsis.

By bringing cameras into her life, the dancer recorded her battle with the illness, giving viewers a personal insight into her experience.

The movie showed many heartbreaking moments, from her initial chemotherapy treatment to the stressful wait for test outcomes, and her tearful decision to shave her head when dealing with hair loss.

People on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) were fast to show their love for the Welsh dancer, with a lot of them saying they were moved to tears by her story.

People saw her crying during her treatment on TV (BBC)

One person wrote: "It was hard to watch, but it was very inspiring."

"Oh my goodness, #AmyDowden is truly inspiring. My heart is filled with gratitude for her. Tears are streaming down my face," another person wrote emotionally.

Another person commented: "I am currently watching Strictly Amy: cancer and me, and it is bringing tears to my eyes. Sending love to you, Amy."

"This story about Amy Dowden is really hard to watch. Wow. She is such a strong and courageous woman," a viewer commented.

A supporter said: "Wow, #AmyDowden is truly inspiring! I couldn't stop crying for the first 14 minutes of the show, but she is so strong!"

During a very emotional moment, viewers saw her in tears as she tried to hold back her emotions while wearing a cold cap before starting her first round of chemotherapy. Her mother and nurses were there to support and comfort her during the difficult moment.

This story about Amy Dowden is difficult to watch. Wow. She is such a strong and courageous woman. #amydowden

Rewrite the blog post using different vocabulary: - Clive Woodfield (@Clivewo) on August 26, 2024

"I don't feel like doing this," she cried, showing her emotional and exposed side.

In another emotional moment, the television celebrity courageously shaved her head before joyfully dancing in the garden, enveloped by the love and encouragement of her loved ones. Even through the tough times, her resilience was evident.

Following her first diagnosis, she experienced increased anxiety and doubt when she was faced with a second cancer scare in July 2023. The documentary shows the tense instance when her cancer specialist told her about "spots" discovered on her scan, resulting in a nerve-wracking period of waiting to determine if the cancer had come back.

Thankfully, Dowden was given the green light and stayed committed to getting better to go back to dancing on Strictly Come Dancing.

In a joyful and moving moment, onlookers witnessed her ringing the bell at the hospital after being told she was cancer-free, signaling the conclusion of her lengthy fight against the illness.

Even though she had a lot of love and encouragement from her family and friends, the film also showed her talking about the terrible harassment she faced for sharing her experiences with cancer publicly.

Dowden cried while talking about the hateful messages she's gotten while dealing with cancer treatment.

The dancer was very upset as she told how mean people called her a "narcissist" and an "attention seeker" for shaving her head outside.

In a moment, Dowden was laying in her hospital bed and displaying a collection of hateful messages from internet trolls to her cancer nurse.

In her personal statement, the famous BBC personality showed great emotion as she read out more of the messages. She also expressed, "There have been numerous occasions when I regretted sharing my story."

I already felt like everything that made me who I am had been taken away, my sense of self... And I would have done anything to be dancing with my friends on Strictly Come Dancing instead of shaving my head in my front yard.

She said, "I wasn't sure what the result would be. It was difficult to even face myself in the mirror with people writing such hurtful messages."

If you have been touched by this story, please go to breastcancernow.org or contact their toll-free helpline at 0808 800 6000 for additional details and assistance.