Strictly Come Dancing professional Amy Dowden appeared on Loose Women on Friday (October 20) in one of her first TV interviews since being diagnosed with breast cancer. 

Dowden, who hails from Caerphilly, announced in June that she had undergone a mastectomy after discovering she had stage three breast cancer just weeks before.

Dowden discovered a lump in her breast just a day before she went on her honeymoon in April, a belated trip following her 2022 marriage to husband Ben Jones, with whom she won the British National Latin Dance Championships.

She is currently undergoing chemotherapy treatment and made her Loose Women debut on Friday to talk about her battle with breast cancer.

Amy Dowden talks breast cancer battle on Loose Women

Amy Dowden appeared on Friday's show in a pink dress and wig - having shaved her hair off recently due to her ongoing chemotherapy. 

Speaking to Loose Women panellists Jane Moore, Denise Welch, Judi Love and Nadia Sawalha, Dowden spoke about her battle with breast cancer and what she had been through since the initial diagnosis. 

She explained how her mum had breast cancer and how she kept the discovery of the lump a secret from her new husband Ben while on their honeymoon. 

Talking on Loose Women she said: "I was putting sun tan lotion on and I could feel it."

The 33-year-old revealed she didn't want to tell her husband because he knew he would worry and they wouldn't have gone on the honeymoon, which they had already delayed before.

Dowden said despite awaiting test results to find out officially confirm it she "could just tell" she had breast cancer. 

Dowden explained she was initially reluctant to have chemotherapy. 

She said: "I had just watched my friend go through chemo. I was just really scared - I didn't want to loose my hair and I didn't want to miss Strictly."

She is now undergoing chemotherapy treatment but revealed it hasn't all been smooth sailing. 

The Strictly professional said she had contracted sepsis during the treatment stages and had a blood clot on her lung.

But she has made it through all the challenges so far and the Loose Women panallists agreed she was an "inspiration". 

Welch added: "You are going to fly through this (cancer battle), you're absolutely incredible." 

Dowden replied: "I just hope I can give them (others going through breast cancer) some encouragement. To show I got through it and I got back on the dance floor."

Despite not featuring in Strictly Come Dancing 2023, Dowden said she had received "amazing" support from the other professional dancers on the show. 

She added the "most heartbreaking thing" about her battle with cancer was not being able to take part in Strictly and having to watch from home on a Saturday night. 

To conclude the interview, the Loose Women panellists gave Dowden a mug from the show and made her an "honorary Loose Woman".