Amy Dowden (born 10 August 1990) is a Welsh professional ballroom and Latin American dancer, best known for her appearances on the BBC One television show Strictly Come Dancing. Dowden joined the series in 2017, and in 2019, she was a finalist in the seventeenth series with TV presenter Karim Zeroual. Dowden and her partner Ben Jones are former British National Latin Dance Champions.
Early life Amy Dowden was born on 10 August 1990 in Caerphilly, Wales and began dancing at the age of eight. She has a twin sister and an older brother. Alongside her partner Ben Jones, she became British Open Latin Dance Champion in 2017, and the couple were the first all-British pair to win the championships in over 30 years. Other successes include becoming British Dance Federation Champions, English Closed Champions and Welsh Closed and Open Champions. Dowden is also a four-time British National Finalist, and a World Championship semi-finalist, and she remains one of the highest-ranking Ballroom and Latin American professional dancers in the UK.
Personal life Dowden is married to Ben Jones, her professional dance partner, and together they run the Art in Motion dance school in Cradley Heath.
Dowden has suffered from Crohn's disease since she was a child. In May 2019, she spoke out about the effect the condition has had on her career as a professional dancer. In October 2020, the BBC aired a documentary about Dowden's experiences of living with the condition. The documentary won a BAFTA Cymru award.
In May 2023, Dowden announced she had been diagnosed with grade III breast cancer. She underwent a mastectomy. In July of that year, Dowden revealed that she had received a second diagnosis of "another type of cancer", leaving her requiring chemotherapy and unable to take part in Series 21 of Strictly Come Dancing later that year. In August 2023, Dowden announced that she had contracted sepsis after finishing her first round of chemotherapy. In November 2023, she revealed she had sustained a broken foot and therefore would play no further part in that year's series of Strictly. A month later, Dowden was hospitalised with a blood clot on her lung, which was described as a side-effect of her cancer. In February 2024, she reported that her latest check up showed "no sign of the disease", although she wouldn't get an "all clear" for five years. In August 2024, however, she revealed that tests had shown abnormalities in her breast following a routine check up. In November 2025, Dowden announced that she was due to undergo another mastectomy. She clarified that the procedure was not prompted by a new cancer diagnosis.
Dowden was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2024 Birthday Honours for services to fundraising and raising awareness of inflammatory bowel disease.
On 26 October 2024, Dowden was taken to hospital following a collapse after her routine during the live Strictly Come Dancing competition. It was confirmed that her partner in the show, JB Gill, would perform with Lauren Oakley in the following week's show. She withdrew from the series on 4 November 2024, citing a foot injury.
In June 2026, Dowden was the subject of the BBC Television genealogy programme Who Do You Think You Are. Dowden discovered that, in 1888, her three-times great aunt Elinor (Nellie) had died, after being accidentally shot, at the age of 14. The 17-year old perpetrator, who was a friend and fellow servant, was later tried for manslaughter, but was found not guilty.
Strictly Come Dancing Dowden is the first Welsh professional to take part in the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing series.
Series Partner Place AverageScore15Brian Conley12th19.816Danny John-Jules9th28.317Karim Zeroual2nd35.718JJ Chalmers6th21.019Tom Fletcher7th30.520James Bye11th25.522JB Gill30.323Thomas Skinner15th 14.524Chris Appleton 15th 16.5 Notes
Highest and Lowest Scoring Per Dance DancePartnerHighestPartnerLowestAmerican Smooth Karim Zeroual 38 Brian Conley 22Argentine Tango 36Cha-cha-cha 31 Chris Appleton 17Charleston 39 JJ ChalmersJames Bye 27Couple's Choice 38 Tom Fletcher 31Foxtrot Karim ZeroualJJ ChalmersJB Gill 32 James Bye 26Jive Karim Zeroual 40 Brian Conley 21Paso Doble Tom Fletcher 38Thomas Skinner16Quickstep Karim Zeroual 40 Danny John-Jules 22RumbaJB Gill30Salsa Karim Zeroual 36 Thomas Skinner 13Samba Danny John-Jules 27 Karim Zeroual 26Showdance Karim Zeroual 39Tango 38 Brian Conley Chris Appleton 16Viennese Waltz JJ Chalmers 33 Danny John Jules 27Waltz JB Gill 31 JJ Chalmers 25
Performances with Brian Conley In 2017, Dowden appeared as a professional dancer in the fifteenth series, partnered with comedian Brian Conley. They made it to week 5 of the competition.
Week # Dance / Song Judges' score Result Revel HorwoodBussellBallasTonioliTotal1Tango / "Temptation"3445No Elimination2Cha-cha-cha / "Shake Your Groove Thing"355619Bottom Two3American Smooth / "If I Only Had a Brain"556622Safe4Paso Doble / "I Believe in a Thing Called Love"466521Safe5Jive / "It's Not Unusual"466521Eliminated number indicates Brian & Amy were at the bottom of the leaderboard
Performances with Danny John-Jules Dowden returned for her second series in 2018 where she was partnered with Danny John-Jules. The couple were awarded the first 10 score of the series by Darcey Bussell for their Jive to "Flip, Flop and Fly" in week 5. They were eliminated in week 8 after losing a dance-off to Graeme Swann and Oti Mabuse; their elimination came days after controversial bullying allegations, with tabloids reporting that John-Jules had reduced Dowden to tears.
Week # Dance / Song Judges' score Result Revel HorwoodBussellBallasTonioliTotal1Foxtrot / "Top Cat (Theme Song)"677727No Elimination2Cha-cha-cha / "Beggin'" 777728Safe3Paso Doble / "The Greatest Show"677828Safe4Viennese waltz / "I've Gotta Be Me"677727Safe5Jive / "Flip, Flop and Fly"9109Safe6American Smooth / "Spirit in the Sky"687930Safe7Quickstep / "Freedom"4657Safe8Samba / "Feels Like Home"6777Eliminated score awarded by guest judge Alfonso Riberio number indicates Danny & Amy were at the top of the leaderboard number indicates Danny & Amy were at the bottom of the leaderboard
Performances with Karim Zeroual In 2019, Dowden appeared as a professional dancer in the seventeenth series of the show, partnered with CBBC presenter Karim Zeroual. The pair received the first perfect 40 of the series for their Jive in week 11.
Week # Dance/Song Judges' score ResultRevel HorwoodMabuseBallasTonioliTotal1Cha-Cha-Cha / "If I Can't Have You"887831No Elimination2Foxtrot / "The Way You Look Tonight"8888Safe3Samba / "Kung Fu Fighting"676726Safe4Tango / "Paradise"910910Safe5Salsa / "Who Let the Dogs Out?"810936Safe6Paso Doble / "Smalltown Boy"777829Safe7Quickstep / "Mr. Pinstripe Suit"9101010Safe8Viennese Waltz / "Give Me Love"688830Safe9Charleston / "Happy"9101010Safe10Contemporary / "Drops of Jupiter"991010Bottom Two11Jive / "You Can't Stop the Beat"10101010 Safe12Argentine Tango / "Libertango"American Smooth / "Sweet Caroline"8910109991036Bottom Two13Quickstep / "Mr. Pinstripe Suit"Showdance / "A Million Dreams"Jive / "You Can't Stop the Beat"1091010101010101010101039Runner-up score awarded by guest judge Alfonso Riberio number indicates Karim & Amy were at the top of the leaderboard
Performances with JJ Chalmers In the eighteenth series, Dowden partnered with television presenter JJ Chalmers. They finished in 6th place, reaching musical week. The scores for this series were out of 30.
Week No.Dance/SongJudges'ScoreTotalResultRevel HorwoodBallasMabuse1Waltz / "What a Wonderful World"66719No Elimination2Paso Doble / "Believer"56617Safe3Foxtrot / "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head"-from "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid"88824Safe4Jive / "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy"46Safe5Quickstep / "For Once in My Life"7925Safe6Viennese Waltz / "Rescue"89825Safe7Charleston / "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang"- from "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang"67720Eliminated was awarded by Anton Du Beke who filled in for Motsi Mabuse as judge for weeks 4 and 5.
Performances with Tom Fletcher In the nineteenth series, Dowden partnered with musician Tom Fletcher. On 26 September 2021, it was announced that both had contracted COVID-19 and would miss the following week's show. On 21 November 2021, in week 9 of the competition, they were the eighth couple to be eliminated, after a dance-off against Rhys Stephenson and Nancy Xu. Week # Dance/Song Judges' score ResultRevel HorwoodMabuseBallasDu BekeTotal1Cha-Cha-Cha / "September"475521No Elimination2No dance - - - - -Given bye3Jive / "Johnny B. Goode"888832Safe4Foxtrot / "Fly Me to the Moon"787729Safe5Salsa / "Watermelon Sugar"899834Safe6Tango / "Highway to Hell"787729Safe7Paso Doble / "Amparito Roca"91010938Safe8Viennese waltz / "Iris"787830Safe9Couple's Choice / "On My Own"888Eliminated
was awarded by Cynthia Erivo who filled in for Craig Revel Horwood as judge for week 9. number indicates Tom & Amy were at the bottom of the leaderboard
Performances with James Bye In the twentieth series, Dowden partnered EastEnders actor James Bye. They were eliminated in week 6 of the competition, finishing in 11th place. Week # Dance/Song Judges' score ResultRevel HorwoodMabuseBallasDu BekeTotal1Jive / "What I Like About You"655622No Elimination2Tango / "Bad Habits"566724Safe3Cha-Cha-Cha / "Hooked on a Feeling"466622Safe4Quickstep / "Don't Get Me Wrong"888832Safe5Foxtrot / "Julia's Theme"676726Safe6Charleston / "Bumble Bee"6777Eliminated
number indicates James & Amy were at the bottom of the leaderboard
Performances with JB Gill In the twenty-second series, Dowden partnered JLS singer JB Gill. In Halloween week, Dowden didn't appear in the results show due to her collapsing backstage following the main show, so JB appeared alone. She was transported to Barnet Hospital as a precautionary measure, but was later reported to be feeling better. The following day, it was confirmed that professional dancer Lauren Oakley would take Dowden's place during her absence from the show. However, after week 7, it was confirmed Dowden was withdrawing from the series due to a foot injury, and Gill would dance with Oakley for the remainder of the series.
Week # Dance/Song Judges' score ResultRevel HorwoodMabuseBallasDu BekeTotal1Waltz / "When I Need You"7888No elimination2Cha-cha-cha / "Closer"776727Safe3American Smooth / "Pure Imagination"788932Safe4 Rumba / "You Might Need Somebody"7 8 7 830 Safe5Jive / "Hey Ya!"787830Bottom two6Foxtrot / "Dancing in the Moonlight"798832Safe
number indicates JB & Amy were at the top of the leaderboard
Performances with Thomas Skinner In the twenty-third series, Dowden was partnered with businessman Thomas Skinner. They were eliminated in Week Two and finished in last place.
Week # Dance/Song Judges' score ResultRevel HorwoodMabuseBallasDu BekeTotal1Paso doble / "Battle Without Honor or Humanity" 2 4 5 5 16No elimination2Salsa / "Bonkers"23 4 4 Eliminated
number indicates Thomas & Amy were at the bottom of the leaderboard
Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two In 2022, on an episode of Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two, Dowden set the Guinness World Record for Back Charleston Kick Steps performed in 30 seconds, with 19 completed in the allotted time.
Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special Dowden danced with CBeebies presenter George Webster for the 2022 Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special.
Dance tours and other professional engagements In 2019, Dowden headlined her own tour, 'Here Come The Girls', with fellow professional dancers Dianne Buswell and Chloe Hewitt.
Dowden has also taken part in the Strictly Come Dancing Live! tour since 2018. In 2020, she performed with a celebrity partner for the first time on tour, her 2019 partner Karim Zeroual.
In October 2025, Dowden announced her appearance at the 2026 'Dancing With The Stars Weekend' at the Celtic Manor Resort in Newport.
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