Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC One tonight for week seven of the show with a specially created theme with professional dancer Amy Dowden set to miss the episode following a health emergency.
The Welsh dancer, who is partnered with JLS singer JB Gill, fell ill during the filming of last week’s live show (26 October). An ambulance was summoned to Elstree Studios in Borehamwood and the 34-year-old was taken to hospital. A spokesperson for the dancer later said that the ambulance was “just a precaution”.
Fellow pro dancer, Lauren Oakley will instead partner Gill for the “couple’s choice” dance in today’s instalment of the show.
Dowden will unfortunately miss “Icons Week” which will celebrate 20 years of Strictly Come Dancing which will see couples dance to songs by music legends such as Whitney Houston, Shirley Bassey and Queen.
The BBC has already teased that the professional dancers will be performing a Beyoncé medley, featuring Johannes Radebe channelling his inner Sasha Fierce.
Jamie Borthwick and Michelle Tsiakkas, who were at the top of the leaderboard last week, will dance a Samba to “Faith” by George Michael, while Tasha Ghouri and Aljaž Škorjanec, who were joint top of the leaderboard with Borthwick, will perform a Couple’s Choice to “What About Us” by P!nk.
Who is replacing Amy Dowden?
Lauren Oakley will be dancing with JB Gill on this week’s addition of the show, replacing Amy Dowden who is unable to take part.
A spokesperson for Strictly Come Dancing added: “Amy Dowden MBE is doing much better and the Strictly family send her love and wish her well.
“She is delighted that fellow professional dancer, Lauren Oakley, is able to step in for rehearsals and to perform in Saturday’s show for JB Gill’s couple’s choice dance. We are all hopeful that Amy will be back to dance with JB next week.”
Dowden’s management company said she was “resting” and would be supporting Gill and Oakley during this weekend’s show.
Strictly bosses previously announced that Oakley would train with Gill on Monday, but since confirmed that the pair would stay together for the rest of the week, including for the performance on Saturday and the results show on Sunday. Oakley, who came eighth when partnered with Channel 4 News presenter Krishnan Guru-Murthy in the show’s previous season, did not have a partner this year. She joined the show in 2022.
Greg Evans2 November 2024 13:00
