Latest news with #STRICTLY
The Irish Sun
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Amy Dowden says she's ‘stronger than ever' ahead of Strictly return after breast cancer battle and being forced to quit
STRICTLY star Amy Dowden said she's feeling "stronger than ever" as she prepares for return to the show after battling breast cancer. The professional dancer, 34, revealed in May 2023, before . 4 Amy Dowden said she's feeling 'stronger than ever' after her cancer battle Credit: Splash 4 Amy was told by doctors that she had aggressive stage three breast cancer in 2023 Credit: BBC 4 The dancer said she experienced the 'hardest time' after ringing the bell Credit: BBC , who joined Strictly Come Dancing in 2017, needed a mastectomy and underwent chemotherapy and was unable to compete with a celebrity partner on Strictly in 2023. But now the ballroom star has said she's feeling "stronger" amid her ongoing recovery from cancer as well as the foot injury she sustained last year which forced her to quit that series. Amy will be returning to Strictly later this year for the new series and has recently been filming Channel 4 show Celebrity Hunted with best pal and fellow Strictly pro Carlos Gu. Despite her health being in a better place now, the dancer admitted she had experienced the "hardest time" after she completed her cancer treatment. READ MORE ON STRICTLY "I was so lucky with my friends and family; they rallied around us, but there's so many people who told me they didn't hear from anybody after they rang their bell - they thought they were fine," Amy told the Mail. "But little do they know, that's the hardest time, because that's when you've had all your chemo, that's when you're really struggling to walk up the stairs and really feeling the impact of a cancer treatment and diagnosis." In May, Amy revealed she was at the She revealed she was at the hospital to have scans to make sure her cancer hasn't returned. Most read in News TV Sharing the moment, the dancer posted a picture of herself in a medical gown. Amy Dowden returns to dancing after being forced to pull out of Strictly over medical emergency CANCER DIAGNOSIS Amy was told by doctors that The diagnosis came after she married her pro dance partner Ben Jones in 2022. Speaking in her BBC documentary Strictly Amy: Cancer And Me, she said: 'At the beginning of 2023 I felt like everything I'd ever hoped for was falling into place. 'Ben and I got married, I was teaching at the dance school, I was going to be back on Strictly and all of a sudden my everyday life changed. "To be 32 with breast cancer, you're thinking, 'This doesn't look good — the outlook doesn't look good'. 'The first time I felt the lump in my breast was the day before we went on honeymoon. 'I just knew, I felt sick to my stomach. 'I saw the doctor, and he told me they'd found something. I said, 'Is it cancer?' and he said, 'Yes'. 'I think for me, I thought I was safe until my 50s when they start doing my mammograms. I didn't think it would ever affect me.' However, Amy thrilled fans when she revealed STRICTLY RETURN Last year, She was partnered with JLS star, Sadly, just weeks into the show The emotional star told ITV's Lorraine at the time: "I am going to do my best not to cry," yet tears filled her eyes as she said: "I am gutted it's had to end this way. "I feel I have let JB down." What are the signs of breast cancer? BREAST cancer is the most common type of cancer in the UK. The majority of women who get it are over 50, but younger women and, in rare cases, men can also get breast cancer. If it's treated early enough, breast cancer can be prevented from spreading to other parts of the body. Breast cancer can have a number of symptoms, but the first noticeable symptom is usually a lump or area of thickened breast tissue. Most breast lumps aren't cancerous, but it's always best to have them checked by your doctor. You should also speak to your GP if you notice any of the following: a change in the size or shape of one or both breasts discharge from either of your nipples (which may be streaked with blood) a lump or swelling in either of your armpits dimpling on the skin of your breasts a rash on or around your nipple a change in the appearance of your nipple, such as becoming sunken into your breast Source: NHS 4 The ballroom star will be returning to Strictly for the new series later this year Credit: BBC
Scottish Sun
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Amy Dowden says she's ‘stronger than ever' ahead of Strictly return after breast cancer battle and being forced to quit
Amy was told by doctors that she had aggressive stage three breast cancer in May 2023 HEALTH UPDATE Amy Dowden says she's 'stronger than ever' ahead of Strictly return after breast cancer battle and being forced to quit Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) STRICTLY star Amy Dowden said she's feeling "stronger than ever" as she prepares for return to the show after battling breast cancer. The professional dancer, 34, revealed she had cancer in May 2023, before going into remission a year later. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 4 Amy Dowden said she's feeling 'stronger than ever' after her cancer battle Credit: Splash 4 Amy was told by doctors that she had aggressive stage three breast cancer in 2023 Credit: BBC 4 The dancer said she experienced the 'hardest time' after ringing the bell Credit: BBC Amy, who joined Strictly Come Dancing in 2017, needed a mastectomy and underwent chemotherapy and was unable to compete with a celebrity partner on Strictly in 2023. But now the ballroom star has said she's feeling "stronger" amid her ongoing recovery from cancer as well as the foot injury she sustained last year which forced her to quit that series. Amy will be returning to Strictly later this year for the new series and has recently been filming Channel 4 show Celebrity Hunted with best pal and fellow Strictly pro Carlos Gu. Despite her health being in a better place now, the dancer admitted she had experienced the "hardest time" after she completed her cancer treatment. "I was so lucky with my friends and family; they rallied around us, but there's so many people who told me they didn't hear from anybody after they rang their bell - they thought they were fine," Amy told the Mail. "But little do they know, that's the hardest time, because that's when you've had all your chemo, that's when you're really struggling to walk up the stairs and really feeling the impact of a cancer treatment and diagnosis." In May, Amy revealed she was at the hospital for scans - two years after being diagnosed with breast cancer. She revealed she was at the hospital to have scans to make sure her cancer hasn't returned. Sharing the moment, the dancer posted a picture of herself in a medical gown. Amy wrote over the top of the picture: "Scan 1 done. now for my MRI." Amy Dowden returns to dancing after being forced to pull out of Strictly over medical emergency CANCER DIAGNOSIS Amy was told by doctors that she had aggressive stage three breast cancer in May 2023. The diagnosis came after she married her pro dance partner Ben Jones in 2022. Speaking in her BBC documentary Strictly Amy: Cancer And Me, she said: 'At the beginning of 2023 I felt like everything I'd ever hoped for was falling into place. 'Ben and I got married, I was teaching at the dance school, I was going to be back on Strictly and all of a sudden my everyday life changed. "To be 32 with breast cancer, you're thinking, 'This doesn't look good — the outlook doesn't look good'. 'The first time I felt the lump in my breast was the day before we went on honeymoon. 'I just knew, I felt sick to my stomach. 'I saw the doctor, and he told me they'd found something. I said, 'Is it cancer?' and he said, 'Yes'. 'I think for me, I thought I was safe until my 50s when they start doing my mammograms. I didn't think it would ever affect me.' However, Amy thrilled fans when she revealed she was cancer free in February 2024. STRICTLY RETURN Last year, Amy delighted fan when she returned to the Strictly dancefloor. She was partnered with JLS star, JB Gill. Sadly, just weeks into the show Amy had to pull out of the competition after she was rushed to hospital. The emotional star told ITV's Lorraine at the time: "I am going to do my best not to cry," yet tears filled her eyes as she said: "I am gutted it's had to end this way. "I feel I have let JB down." What are the signs of breast cancer? BREAST cancer is the most common type of cancer in the UK. The majority of women who get it are over 50, but younger women and, in rare cases, men can also get breast cancer. If it's treated early enough, breast cancer can be prevented from spreading to other parts of the body. Breast cancer can have a number of symptoms, but the first noticeable symptom is usually a lump or area of thickened breast tissue. Most breast lumps aren't cancerous, but it's always best to have them checked by your doctor. You should also speak to your GP if you notice any of the following: a change in the size or shape of one or both breasts discharge from either of your nipples (which may be streaked with blood) a lump or swelling in either of your armpits dimpling on the skin of your breasts a rash on or around your nipple a change in the appearance of your nipple, such as becoming sunken into your breast Source: NHS
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Strictly star reveals he's been an addict ‘for decades' as he opens up on feelings of ‘shame' after split from wife
STRICTLY Come Dancing winner Ore Oduba has bravely opened up about his addiction battle for the first time. The dad-of-two took to Instagram to share an emotional message with fans, saying he has been fighting addiction for most of his life. 4 Ore Oduba has bravely opened up about his addiction battle for the first time 4 Ore rose to fame as a presenter on the BBC Credit: PA:Press Association 4 Ore split from his wife Portia last year Credit: Instagram He shared a photo of himself sitting on a train with his hand over his face, and captioned it: 'Until recently, I had spent most of my life as an addict. 'Shame was interwoven into my addictive behaviours — they went hand-in-hand. 'Through therapy and finally admitting to myself that I'd suffered from addiction pretty much my entire life, I'm so happy to share I've been 'sober' for over a year, if that is indeed how to describe my case.' He continued: 'Despite living with it silently, secretly for decades… undiagnosed and untreated, it might well in the end have ruined my life.' READ MORE ON STRICTLY Ore, 39, said a turning point came while reading UNAPOLOGETIC by performance coach Annalie Howling, whose work on the topic of shame struck a deep chord. 'Funnily enough I didn't recognise the timing until I started reading this unbelievable book… I devoured it in a day… 'And while her expertise is on shame, pretty much every word Annalie said resonated so deeply with me that I realised I'd actually forgotten I'd made so much progress in the last 12 months.' The presenter, who won Most read in News TV He revealed how the experience brought up old feelings of shame but that he's now better equipped to handle them. He added: 'I did feel ashamed of myself for being scammed, yes… but I know now how to deal with those moments of doubt and I pop that little bout of negative talk into a bin bag and throw it in the trash. Loose Men's Ore Oduba reveals he broke down in tears yesterday while suffering his first panic attack 'I have such a much better relationship with that word now than I used to.' Oduba also hinted that he may speak in greater detail about his experience with addiction, saying he's begun opening up to friends. 'The more I open up about it, the more compelled I feel to share it publicly one day. 'There comes a point where, once I've dealt with my demons, the most selfish thing I could do is keep it to myself. I know it'll have the power to help a lot of people.' In October, Ore confirmed that he and He said: 'Hi guys. Portia and I are sad to announce that we separated earlier this year. 'We're so grateful for all the love you've shared with us both over the years. 'And we want to thank you in advance for respecting our privacy as we navigated this difficult transition. 'We will be making no further comment. Be kind, always.' Ore and Portia met while studying at Loughborough University in 2010 and tied the knot five years later in a romantic ceremony at Penshurst Place in Kent. Reflecting on their big day, Ore previously told The Mirror: 'On my wedding day I cried from 11 in the morning until 2am that night. 'There's a picture of me wailing, my best men there laughing and Portia absolutely cracking up next to me — I am the only one crying.' The presenter, who is currently starring in stage play Picture You Dead, has been open about his mental health in the past. He shared that he suffered 4 Ore and Joanne Clifton won Strictly in 2016 Credit: BBC
The Irish Sun
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Strictly star breaks down in tears and says he's ‘ashamed' after falling victim to cruel scam
A STRICTLY star broke down in tears while revealing he fell victim to a cruel scam. TV and radio presenter Ore Oduba, 39, Advertisement 4 Strictly star Ore Oduba revealed he fell victim to a cruel scam Credit: oreodubaofficial / Instagram 4 The presenter was visibly emotional while telling his Instagram followers Credit: oreodubaofficial / Instagram 4 Ore was crowned Strictly Come Dancing winner back in 2016 Credit: BBC Taking to Instagram, the star opened up about having fallen for a scam. During an appearance on Loose Women, Ore praised US podcaster Mel Robbins and her self-help books . In particular, he told how Mel's bestselling 2024 release The Let Them Theory had "changed his life". Speaking in an emotional six-minute video, Ore shared: "I reposted that interview, I tagged the Mel Robbins podcast, tagged the Let Me theory, tagged Mel, tagged everybody who cared, and then I got an email from my agent who forwarded on an email from the team at the Mel Robbins podcast. Advertisement Read more on Strictly "I could have cried - they knew who I was! I got an email from the Mel Robbins podcast team." Continuing, Ore explained how he "told Mel everything" and added: "How she had changed my life. "And I literally said at the end of the email, even for you to know who I am, is everything. Thank you so much for getting in touch." After revealing he was "ashamed and embarrassed" about falling for the con, Ore recounted how the email extended an invite to Mel's hugely popular podcast. Advertisement Most read in News TV He said: "I wrote back and I said, "Mel, I'm holding back tears. Is this for real? You must have AI helping you correspond with all of these fans." "Mel wrote back, "of course it's me - it's Mel Robbins!" So then I lost my s**t, I absolutely lost my s**t, in tears on an Avanti West Coast train from Birmingham to London, thinking that my whole life was about to change." Ore Oduba and Portia Announce Separation After Nine Years Ore recalled he "used to host a show about scammers" and had "watched enough Watchdog to last a lifetime". However, as the star said: "That doesn't stop me being in the middle of it. Advertisement 'I never thought I'd be the person that would be scammed.' He realised the email came from a Gmail account - which sparked an immediate red flag. Even worse, Mel's name had been incorrectly spelled with a double 'L.' Upon contacting Mel's PR team via her official website, Ore had his fears confirmed - any correspondence sent from a Gmail account would likely be malicious. Advertisement His post caption included: " Still inspired by and love @melrobbins @letthemtheory and so grateful to them for their swift response. I got lucky - it could so easily have been too late. " Fellow presenter Sean Fletcher commented: "So sorry to hear this Ore. All your Strictly Come Dancing winners Strictly first kicked off back in 2004, and over the years has crowned 21 winners. Here is a full list of who has been lucky enough to 2004 - 2004 - Jill Halfpenny 2005 - Darren Gough 2006 - Mark Ramprakash 2007 - Alesha Dixon 2008 - Tom Chambers 2009 - Chris Hollins 2010 - 2011 - 2012 - Louis Smith 2013 - Abbey Clancy 2014 - Caroline Flack 2015 - 2016 - Ore Oduba 2017 - 2018 - 2019 - Kelvin Fletcher 2020 - 2021 - 2022 - 2023 - 2024 - "I was excited and then so gutted for you listening to this. Important to share your story. Hope you're ok." Another follower wrote: "Oh Ore, I'm just sad that it wasn't the real Mel team for you." Advertisement A third added: "Easy mistake to make because they went via your agent first!" While Ore himself remarked: "Thank you so much everybody… there's a lot of kindness out there, I see it and I'm grateful for it (dw I've deleted and blocked the drivel." 4 The scammer pretended to be US author Mel Robbins - of whom Ore is a fan Credit: Jenny Moloney
Scottish Sun
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Inside Andrew Le Page and Tasha Ghouri's bitter fallout after their shock split as she moves on with new boyfriend
After the couple split up, things got messy between them OUT OF LOVE Inside Andrew Le Page and Tasha Ghouri's bitter fallout after their shock split as she moves on with new boyfriend Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) STRICTLY star Tasha Ghouri and her ex-boyfriend Andrew Le Page shocked fans by splitting way back in January. Andrew and Tasha seemed smitten with each other after they met on Love Island in the summer of 2022. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 7 Strictly star Tasha Ghouri and her ex-boyfriend Andrew Le Page shocked fans by splitting way back in January 7 Estate agent Andrew and model Tasha were firm favourites on Love Island after they fell for each other in series eight Credit: Instagram / @tashaghouri 7 However when the couple split things got messy Credit: Instagram Estate agent Andrew and model Tasha were firm favourites on Love Island after they fell for each other in series eight. She made history as the first ever deaf contestant to appear on the hit ITV show. The pair moved in together in London just weeks after leaving the show and bought a new house together but after they split - thing's got messy. End of an era Cementing the end of their union, Andrew took to his Instagram with a selfie outside their shared property. Andrew told fans how he's "cried more times" than ever this year and would be heading back to his native Guernsey. He wrote: "End of an era. So guys it's been a pretty c**p start to the year and one I didnt expect. "I've cried more times this year then I have my whole life. "Back to Guernsey I go... I'll be back." Meanwhile, Tasha asked for privacy and said: 'I know a lot of you are asking questions and want to know what's going on. "I won't be speaking of the situation as it's a private side of my life which I am still dealing with.' Love Island's Tasha takes a savage swipe at ex Andrew for behaviour during Strictly - and breaks silence on new boyfriend RAYA PROFILE Shortly after the former couple confirmed their break-up, The Sun exclusively revealed Tasha's profile on the exclusive matchmaker. And Tasha later admitted she regretted making the bold move. A source said: 'Andrew and Tasha had been in a difficult place and had only just decided to end things. 'To Andrew it was all very fresh and raw – so to see that Tasha was on Raya and had updated her profile with pictures from when they were still dating last month was incredibly painful.' Following the shock split fans even speculated Tasha was growing close to her Strictly co-star Jamie Borthwick. Andrew took a savage swipe at Tasha Andrew took a savage swipe at Tasha Ghouri after she opened up about their split in a new interview. Tasha, spoke out about the break-up during an appearance on Rylan Clark's podcast, How To Be. After she shared hopes that one day she and Andrew, 33, could talk about things in order for her to get 'closure', he took to Instagram to fire back. He said: 'Wasn't gonna speak about it at all. 'However, the girl can't keep my name out of her mouth even though she's got a new boyfriend. 'The truth is… she went on Raya while we were still together… oops.' Andrew went on: 'No one is perfect in a relationship but you keep talking s*** about me, I'll start talking. 'She did one too many podcasts unfortunately. This is your closure chat.' Tasha later acknowledged it was a mistake signing up to the celebrity dating app Raya before her split with Andrew Le Page was even public. Around the same time Andrew told fans he'd quit the UK and was moving to Dubai for a fresh start. Tasha opened up about her feelings Appearing on the presenter's How To Be In Love podcast, the trained dancer claimed her ex offered limited support as she took part in the BBC show, Strictly. The break-up came shortly after Tasha appeared on the most recent series of Strictly Come Dancing alongside pro Aljaž Škorjanec. An emotional Tasha explained: 'He's such a great person. I'm not sitting here being like, he's not. He's such a lovely person inside and out. "He has great attributes... but what I've learned in a relationship is when one person starts checking out, laziness can kill a relationship. 'I'm not saying laziness in terms of in yourself, laziness in terms of when you stop showing up for that person - that can really kill a relationship. 'I felt like it got to a point where I had to beg for affection, just simple things, like flowers or cards. 'For me, small things mean the biggest things and it got a point where I felt like I was generally having to draw it out of him, but I think he was also going through a hard time of finding what he wanted to do in his career. "It got to a point where I was also trying to help him out, but he wasn't willing to help himself - and that's so hard when you love someone. The star continued: "But there's a point where you're trying to also do the best for yourself and you're trying to grow. And then Strictly happened and then I think that made us grow apart." TikTok slam Five months after the split, Tasha was seemingly slammed by Andrew in a foul-mouthed rant. As her new boyfriend was revealed to be Cam Whitnall, who stars in CBBC show One Zoo Three with his brothers. Andrew re-posted another user's TikTok video which had a foul-mouthed rant on-screen that read: "Nah, f**k you. I was good enough and you made me believe I wasn't." Moving On The Strictly Come Dancing finalist was seen hand-in-hand with Cam Whitnall, who is the managing director of The Big Cat Sanctuary. The pair were photographed for the first time looking loved-up at Fearne Cotton's Happy Place festival at Gunnersbury Park in London. An insider said: 'Tasha and Cam have been dating for just over a month and are really happy. 'She met him after moving close to where he lives and they connected on social media. 'They were all over each other at the Happy Place Festival where Tasha was giving a talk. 'Cam was in the audience and was grinning at her as she spoke with Fearne. 'It's clear there's a real spark between them.' Meanwhile, Andrew has grown close to an Irish influencer called Simone Grace, who he sparked a connection with after relocating to Dubai, where she is also based. Andrew, who revealed news of his move to the UAE via instagram last month, has been spotted out with Simone at a number of Dubai hotspots including the popular Miss Tess restaurant in the Burj Khalifa. A source told The Sun: 'Andrew is spending time with an Irish girl in Dubai. 'They were at Miss Tess restaurant together at the weekend, and had a date at top golf together. 'They were first linked last month and have been enjoying getting to know each other. It's very casual and they are just seeing where it might go." 7 Tasha was seen hand-in-hand with Cam Whitnall, who is the managing director of The Big Cat Sanctuary Credit: Instagram 7 Andrew has moved to Dubai and grown close to an Irish influencer called Simone Credit: Instagram 7 Tasha recently opened up about her relationship with Andrew Credit: Getty
