Welsh dancer Amy Dowden was officially awarded an MBE at Buckingham Palace on February 18.
Appearing on ITV’s Lorraine on February 20, the Strictly Come Dancing star recalled her meeting with King Charles. She shared, “I was quite nervous and did my curtsy. He said, ‘That’s the curtsy of a ballroom dancer,’ which made me giggle and helped me relax a bit.”
Dowden also spoke about their conversation regarding Crohn’s and colitis, the lifelong condition she has lived with since childhood. The King thanked her for her efforts in raising awareness about the condition.
She described the experience as “surreal,” adding, “I couldn’t believe I was having a conversation with the King at Buckingham Palace in the throne room. How did that happen to little old Amy from Caerphilly?”
Dowden received the MBE for her work in fundraising and advocating for awareness of her health struggles, including living with Crohn’s disease.
In 2023, she was diagnosed with breast cancer shortly after returning from her honeymoon. Due to her treatment, she had to miss the 2023 season of Strictly Come Dancing, where she had been a popular professional dancer since 2017.
Following her diagnosis, Dowden presented the documentary Strictly Amy: Cancer and Me, which chronicled her journey through cancer treatment.
Amy returned to Strictly Come Dancing in 2024, partnering with JLS singer JB Gill. However, her comeback was cut short when she suffered a foot injury mid-season, forcing her to withdraw from the competition.
