BBC Strictly Come Dancing confirms Amy Dowden's reason for leaving show as she's replaced

Strictly Come Dancing has confirmed the reason Amy Dowden has been forced to pull out of the competition. The professional dancer will be replaced by Lauren Oakley who will continue in the show with JLS star JB Gill.

Amy's future in the BBC One dance contest this year was confirmed during Monday night's (November 4) edition of Strictly spin-off It Takes Two.

A Strictly Come Dancing spokesperson said: "Sadly, Amy Dowden MBE will not be partaking in the rest of the competition this year. Whilst Amy focuses on her recovery following a foot injury, fellow Professional Dancer, Lauren Oakley, will step in as JB’s dance partner."

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The spokesperson added: "The health and wellbeing of everyone involved in Strictly are always the utmost priority. The whole Strictly family sends Amy love and well wishes."

It comes after Amy was forced to miss the latest live show with celebrity dance partner JB after "falling ill" the previous weekend. It was previously revealed that she began to feel unwell after her performance with JLS band member JB and was rushed to hospital during the show's Halloween special at the end of last month, forcing her to miss the week six results show.

The 34-year-old then wasn't able to rehearse with JB last and therefore didn't perform during the latest live show on Saturday night (November 2) and Lauren Oakley, who does not have a celebrity pairing on this year's series of the BBC One dance competition, instead stepped.

She rehearsed with JB before joining him to perform the live couple's choice routine to a Bruno Mars medley during Strictly's first-ever 'Icons Week', which saw the pair bag JB's first 10s of the series, resulting in a near-perfect score of 39 out of a possible 40 points.