Get the latest gossip

AMY DOWDEN: My dream of being on Strictly came true. Then I got cancer, had a mastectomy and nearly died from sepsis. But the thing that made me cry most isn't what you'd expect...

I recall them vividly - the days before everything changed. Fizzing with happiness, I waved a thick folder of documents and printouts at my husband of eight months, Ben.

My twin sister Rebecca and I would tape it and play it back over and over: if we saw any tricky or clever choreography, we'd practise it in the front room of our house in Caerphilly, Wales, until we thought we'd got it right. It was thanks to Richard that Ben and I finally fulfilled our ultimate goal and won the British Nationals in 2016 – leaving me free to start Strictly the next year (you can't take part in amateur competitions if you're working as a professional dancer). I don't remember anything about this, but by the time they'd rushed to the hospital, I'd gone into septic shock, meaning my blood pressure had dropped dramatically, and medics were about to transfer me to the Critical Care unit.

Get the Android app