Amy Dowden shaves her head amid cancer treatment
Strictly Come Dancing star Amy Dowden has revealed that her friends on the show have been supporting her with her hair loss trauma, as she embarks on the fifth of eight rounds of chemotherapy, with one dancer even offering to shave his head in solidarity.
Regularly waking up in tears to find that her hair had been falling out overnight, and too fearful to brush in case even more was shed, 34-year-old Amy decided to take control and spare herself more heartache by simply shaving.
“In a couple of months my hair will start to grow back. I’m not the only person going through this, and there is nothing wrong with a shaved head – you can be beautiful and bald,” she declared to The Mirror.
Just before the Strictly launch, she invited family and friends to a gathering where she would symbolically shave her head, and fellow pro Dianne Buswell watched on FaceTime to offer additional moral support.
Amy also video-called two other Strictly friends on the day – Katya Jones and Carlos Gu, whom she revealed has been making secret hand gestures on the show to let her know he has her in his thoughts.
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She revealed Carlos was so supportive that he was reduced to tears by her suffering – and even wanted to show solidarity by shaving his own head too.
“He’s adamant, and that he’s getting a tattoo, a breast cancer one, but I’ve told him he’s not allowed to shave his head, he’s on Strictly!” she exclaimed.
Meanwhile, TV presenter Angela Scanlon – who has been partnering Carlos on the show – recommended a wig maker for Amy.
Trying on all the different ones was a “fun experience”, from ultra-long styles to dramatic bobs and fringed looks – and she even tried out how she might look grey.
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She hasn’t yet disclosed which one she’s chosen, but says she’s opted for something different than her norm, on the recommendation of both Dianne and Katya, who love the result.
“It’s a different length and colour. It’s something I’d never have thought I’d go for,” she teased.
Besides the one she’s chosen, the Strictly team also allocated her an amazing wig, which she was seen in at the National Television Awards.
Although Amy has had the occasional cry watching the show, longing to be back onstage with her pals, she’s confident that she will return to her dream career.
For now, dancing is tough due to the changes chemotherapy has made to her body; she’s gained weight and says she’s not using her normal range of muscles anymore.
However, she’s sorely missed by the others, with Dianne being one of her regular sources of support and Nigel Harman declaring that the show simply “isn’t the same without her”.
Adam Thomas has put her in touch with one of his friends who is experiencing the same situation, while Les Dennis’ wife “wrapped her arms around” Amy affectionately when they met.
Meanwhile, she gushed that Jade Goody’s EastEnders star son Bobby Brazier is “genuinely lovely”.
Amy has high hopes of making a total recovery, following her mastectomy and chemotherapy sessions, having previously declared: “You can take away my boob, but you can’t take dancing away from me!”
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