Amy Dowden’s five-word response to Shirley Ballas’s suggestion she is ‘back home’ on Strictly

Amy Dowden said she was “so happy I could burst” as she made an emotional return to Strictly Come Dancing on Saturday night (21 September).

The 34-year-old Welsh ballroom dancer, who first joined the cast of Strictly in 2017, was too ill to compete in last year’s series as she recovered from treatment for stage three breast cancer.

Dowden has been paired with JLS singer JB Gill for this year’s series.

“I’m so happy I could burst,” she said after her first performance, responding to Shirley Ballas’s suggestion that she is “back home” on Strictly.

The couple were awarded 31 points during the first live show, securing their high score after they waltzed to “When I Need You” by singer Leo Sayer.