Amy Dowden speaks for the first time about enduring agonising rehab ahead of her Strictly return

The professional dancer had to fight her way back to fitness and says she is "still on that road"

Amy Dowden has opened up about her fight back to health after battling cancer, admitting her rehab was "a lot harder than she imagined." The Strictly professional dancer, 34, who was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer in May last year, was welcomed back to Strictly with open arms this year after being given the all clear in February. But she admitted the road back to fitness has not been an easy one, and says she has had to learn to not compare herself to the Amy she was before.

Amy, who was awarded an MBE in June, told the Mirror's Invite Only podcast: "It has been so lovely to be back. I'm making the most of every week of rehearsals, every camera block, every dress run. I'm the one on stage shouting out: 'Happy dress run everyone' on a Friday. It's the best feeling, I am super grateful to be back and what a lovely partner to be back with."

Asked about her recovery, she went on: "I worked really really hard on my rehab, it was a lot harder than I imagined not gonna lie. The last several months of getting my body back... I'm still on that road, I guess. But I'm grateful for my body getting through it, and I try not to compare myself to Amy before, because I'm a new Amy now."

Amy's return to the ballroom was celebrated with a special pro dancer routine which she led in a bright pink dress. And speaking in the room where the cast rehearsed the choreography, she said: "It was really special. The production team came to watch us at the end of the rehearsals, and at the end I just burst into tears. It was just so lovely, and lovely to dance with Aljaz (Skorjanec) too with him being back. On the night, my husband, my parents and my twin sister all came to watch, and it was the first time they had seen me dance since my cancer diagnosis. It was a really special moment, everyone was in floods of tears."

Listen to Amy's full interview at www.podfollow.com/inviteonly

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