Strictly’s Amy Dowden on how her sister convinced her to have chemotherapy

In May 2023, at the age of 32, Strictly professional Amy Dowden was diagnosed with grade three breast cancer, a month after finding a lump in her breast. Distraught by the news, she picked up the phone to her twin sister, Rebecca, who dropped everything at work in Wales and drove straight to Amy’s house in the West Midlands to be with her.

In an exclusive interview with Good Housekeeping, Amy opened up about how crucial her sister has been to her recovery – and how it was Rebecca who convinced her to undergo chemotherapy.

“During my cancer treatment, there were many moments when we just sobbed together. I had to have a single mastectomy, followed by eight sessions of chemotherapy, and I was terrified about having the treatment,” she says.

“I remember Rebecca pleading with me: ‘Please, Amy. Everyone we know who didn’t do it when it was advised is no longer with us.’ I’m so glad I listened to her.”

For Rebecca, finding out her twin had cancer was one of the toughest days of her life, but she says she felt she had to be strong for her sister.

“I tried to keep my emotions from Amy when I was with her, because I knew she was worried about how we were all coping as a family,” says Rebecca.

"When she decided to shave her hair off, she knew it was hard for us all to watch her go through it, but once it was done, we were in the garden doing a dance for TikTok. Even in her darkest moments, shards of her light shine through."

For Amy, losing her hair was a huge blow that really knocked her confidence, but she credits her sister with keeping her positive.

“Rebecca is the one person who really knew what my long hair meant to me and she struggled that day, but she also helped me find pockets of joy amid the sadness. We had such fun trying on wigs together and when I made a surprise appearance on Strictly last year, it was Rebecca who encouraged me to ditch my wig and go bald. I’m so pleased I did.”

After her diagnosis, Amy says she also had another major concern. The twins’ mum also had breast cancer, though at a later age in her 50s, and naturally, Amy was concerned it might be genetic and that her sister would get it, too. Fortunately, tests confirmed otherwise.

“My biggest worry was whether it was genetic and Rebecca would get it, too. I was tested for the BRCA1 gene mutation and, thankfully, I don’t carry it. I’m always making sure that Rebecca checks her breasts anyway,” she says.

For Rebecca, it’s been something of a wake-up call.

“It was a huge relief when we found out Amy doesn’t carry the BRCA1 gene, but since her diagnosis, breast cancer is something I’m far more aware of, and I’ve been much more proactive about checking my breasts,” she says.

In February, tests showed no sign of the disease – words Amy never thought she’d hear at one point and, although she won’t get an ‘all-clear’ for five years, she says she’s thankful to be able to get back to some form of normality. As for what she’s learnt, it’s to grab life by the horns.

“Of course, I’d love to win Strictly, but I also want to travel with Rebecca and start a family with Ben – and I need my health to do those things,” she says.

“My motto in life is ‘get better, not bitter’ – and I intend to live by that every day.”

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