Strictly’s Amy Dowden ‘determined to have better years’ after cancer diagnosis

Strictly Come Dancing star marked her bittersweet first wedding anniversary on Sunday, sharing gorgeous snaps from her and Benjamin Jones’ big day.

She moved some fans to tears as she wrote in the caption: “One year since our special day with our favourite people. What I would do right now to re-live this perfect day.

“Not the anniversary or year we certainly had planned but I am sure and determined to have many more better ones with you!

“Thank you for being by my side, spoiling me, being Mr positive when I’m not and choosing to love me! Love you always.”

The professional dancer was inundated with countless messages of support and love from both fans and her Strictly co-stars as Jowita Przystal and Carlos Gu shared their own “happy anniversary” wishes.

In late May, the 32-year-old revealed she had been diagnosed with grade three breast cancer but was determined to be optimistic as she underwent treatment.

Having been an advocate and activist for raising awareness around Crohn’s Disease, which she was diagnosed with as a child, the dancer told Hello!: “I want to do the same thing here.”

She courageously declared: “I’ve been through quite a lot in my life and this is another hurdle.

“But if I’m positive and strong, I’ve got a really good chance of getting back out on the dancefloor as soon as possible.”

The dancer had discovered a lump just one day before heading on her honeymoon last year and immediately sought medical help, although she didn’t even tell her husband what she was going to get checked for.

She reassured fans that although she has been diagnosed with the most aggressive grade of breast cancer, the doctors were able to catch it quite early.

Amy has carefully documented her treatment as she battles cancer, sharing updates from her hospital bed as she underwent a mastectomy and breast reconstruction last week.

As she recovered from the operation, Amy explained to her 415,000 Instagram followers that she had “more than one tumour” leaving her with no option but “to remove the whole breast”.

However, the doctor’s assured her that if it was safe once they had removed her breast tissue they would reconstruct it.

She gleefully gushed: “I woke up and they’d managed to put the implant in. I have had reconstruction!”