I had to look Amy Dowden in the eye and say: 'You need this chemo'
The Sunday Mirror|February 11, 2024
DRAGONS' DEN SARA ON SPECIAL BOND WITH STAR
LAURA ARMSTRONG and NICOLA FAHEY
I had to look Amy Dowden in the eye and say: 'You need this chemo'

DRAGONS' Den star Sara Davies has opened up about pal Amy Dowden's brave cancer battle and revealed the dancer was so afraid of being dropped from Strictly she considered delaying her treatment.

The pair have been close since Sara was paired with pro Aljaz Skorjanec on the hit BBC show in 2021.

And the entrepreneur reveals she helped Amy make some tough choices following her shock diagnosis last year including ignoring the "hardwiring" telling her to put her dancing above everything else.

Speaking on our Invite Only podcast, Sara says: "I spent a lot of time with her at the start of the cancer diagnosis when she wasn't feeling positive. She'd been dealt a bad hand and she was struggling.

"I knew then I needed to be the friend that was filling her tank - but if you just want someone to give you a hug and tell you it's gonna be OK, I'm not the one to go to.

"I was the one who was like, 'What's the plan, Amy?' and pushing her to make difficult decisions. She wasn't sure if she was going to have chemo so we talked about that.

"What I've realised with the dancers is that from being little they are hardwired to dance. And the biggest blow for her was [thinking] 'If I don't go down that route, I won't be able to do Strictly this year'.

"I had to look her in the eye and say, Amy, you've got cancer. They've literally just cut your boob off. They are telling you you need to have this chemo to get better. Don't worry about dance and Strictly'.

"Her response was, 'But they might not want me back next year. So I said, 'You're amazing at what you do, of course they will. You're so well loved. Please, it's really important. Get well."

When Amy, 33, did appear on the show in October to read the T&Cs, without her wig, Sara admits she cried.

Denne historien er fra February 11, 2024-utgaven av The Sunday Mirror.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra February 11, 2024-utgaven av The Sunday Mirror.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA THE SUNDAY MIRRORSe alt
Zeezy does it
The Sunday Mirror

Zeezy does it

FEMI LAST-GASP\LEVELLER,DENIES CATS

time-read
2 mins  |
November 24, 2024
Leading an Art Lesson
The Sunday Mirror

Leading an Art Lesson

GUNNERS TURN ON THE STYLE TO SNAP MISERABLE RUN

time-read
2 mins  |
November 24, 2024
ODETO A GENIUS
The Sunday Mirror

ODETO A GENIUS

Gunners skipper is poetry in motion inspiring classic win

time-read
3 mins  |
November 24, 2024
'WE CAN'T RELY ON KIDS TO STAY IN THIS LEAGUE'
The Sunday Mirror

'WE CAN'T RELY ON KIDS TO STAY IN THIS LEAGUE'

TAYLOR HARWOOD-BELLIS and Tyler Dibling are stars in the making.

time-read
1 min  |
November 24, 2024
BELLAMY'S TRIUMPH SHINES A LIGHT ON FA'S PRICEY GAMBLE
The Sunday Mirror

BELLAMY'S TRIUMPH SHINES A LIGHT ON FA'S PRICEY GAMBLE

CRAIG BELLAMY'S annual salary as Wales manager is not widely known, but most estimates have it around the £500,000 mark.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 24, 2024
Why I blame baby talc for my cancer
The Sunday Mirror

Why I blame baby talc for my cancer

Brit suing US giant over asbestos link tells how her health fell apart

time-read
2 mins  |
November 24, 2024
The tip of climate change
The Sunday Mirror

The tip of climate change

Coastal landslips expose old rubbish dumps to sea

time-read
1 min  |
November 24, 2024
Chaos reigns at Cop29 as nations walk over finance
The Sunday Mirror

Chaos reigns at Cop29 as nations walk over finance

COP29 collapsed into chaos yesterday with delegates from several countries walking out on the climate change talks.

time-read
1 min  |
November 24, 2024
You can earn more working for IKEA than in social care ... Labour wants to fix that
The Sunday Mirror

You can earn more working for IKEA than in social care ... Labour wants to fix that

A FAIR pay deal for care staff will help fix our creaking NHS, Angela Rayner says.

time-read
3 mins  |
November 24, 2024
The Sunday Mirror

Denzel swaps $8,000 booze sessions for Training Days

DENZEL Washington says he is getting back in shape after spending years downing wine and sometimes knocking back $8,000-worth in a day.

time-read
1 min  |
November 24, 2024