Strictly's Lauren Oakley steps in for Amy Dowden in training
Professional dancer Lauren Oakley has taken over training duties for celebrity contestant JB Gill after Amy Dowden fainted backstage during Saturday night’s main event.
On Monday, Oakley is set to practice with JLS vocalist Gill. The timeline for Dowden's return to the show is still unclear.
On Saturday, an ambulance was dispatched to Elstree Studios in Borehamwood after Dowden started to feel ill.
She made her comeback to the Strictly lineup this year after sitting out the 2023 season due to a breast cancer diagnosis.
A representative for the dancer stated that the ambulance was summoned as a safety measure and that she is now doing significantly better.
Oakley, who is single this year, became a part of the BBC show in 2022.
In 2023, she teamed up with Channel 4 news anchor Krishnan Guru-Murthy. Together, they achieved an eighth-place finish.
On Saturday night, Gill and Dowden earned a score of 32 for their foxtrot routine set to "Dancing In The Moonlight" by Toploader.
Dowden was absent from the results show on Sunday night because she was taken to the hospital before the filming started.
The dancer was first diagnosed with stage three breast cancer at the age of 32 in May 2023, after discovering a lump in her breast just one day before leaving for her honeymoon.
At the age of 34, she received a second cancer diagnosis later that same year and started treatment with chemotherapy.
In August 2024, she went back to the hospital for additional tests because the doctors noticed some irregularities during her check-up. Eventually, she received a clean bill of health.
Dowden also suffers from Crohn's disease, a chronic condition that leads to inflammation in certain areas of the digestive tract. She has shared her experiences regarding the impact it has had on her health.