Discovering Family History and Emotional Impact
Strictly Come Dancing professional Amy Dowden has revealed that learning about her great-grandmother's death from breast cancer at the age of 39 has deepened her gratitude for the NHS, especially following her own surgery and recovery.
Speaking to Radio Times magazine, Dowden shared that she became "quite emotional" while exploring her family history on the BBC programme Who Do You Think You Are?
The show also uncovered rumours of a family murder and shed light on why her grandfather was put up for adoption despite having caring parents and siblings.
Dowden, who provided her parents with daily updates during filming, admitted she expected "plenty of drama" but did not anticipate such a "rollercoaster of emotions".
Throughout the programme, Dowden discovered that Louisa, her paternal great-grandmother, died in 1921 at the age of 39 from breast cancer — a diagnosis Dowden herself received in 2023.
The former Latin Dance champion from Caerphilly was 32 when diagnosed with grade three breast cancer.
She underwent chemotherapy followed by two mastectomies, the most recent occurring in November of the previous year.
Her cancer treatment and experience living with Crohn's disease, diagnosed at age 19, have been documented in the television series Strictly Amy: Cancer And Me and Strictly Amy: Crohn's And Me.
Dowden was visibly taken aback when medical historian Dr Agnes Arnold-Forster informed her about Louisa's cancer.
"It took me back to being diagnosed with cancer myself," she said.
"Agnes told me that cancer was incurable back then, so Louisa had to endure breast cancer without access to chemo or any modern medicine.
"It made me even more grateful for the NHS."
"Thinking about Louisa leaving behind her husband Bill and six young children, I got quite emotional on camera.
"But I'm fine with that - when I was having treatment, a nurse told me to have a good cry and not hold my emotions in."
One aspect of family history Dowden was aware of but did not fully comprehend concerned her great-grandfather's decision to place his youngest child, Frank — her grandfather — for informal adoption.
Bill, her great-grandfather, served in the Royal Navy during World War One and had hoped to return to work as a miner after the war.
However, the collieries were privatised in 1921, and the new mine owners halved workers' wages, leaving many miners and their families reliant on soup kitchens.
Louisa died during this difficult period at the colliery, and their youngest son Frank was adopted by a nearby family.
"Bill had one of the hardest jobs there was. He was a grafter, just like my dad, but he couldn't feed all six kids, so Frank – my dad's dad – went to a loving family who lived nearby."
Dowden also investigated the circumstances surrounding her great-aunt being shot in 1888 during the episode.
Exploring Welsh Roots
Dowden's journey on screen traced her Welsh heritage, spanning locations from Ceredigion to Carmarthenshire and New Tredegar.
"We just kept going further and further into Wales.
"I think it's made me even more proud to be Welsh, and really cemented that I am Welsh through and through."
"Part of me did think that there might have been a touch of Mediterranean in my blood, but no. Wales is through my blood."
Return to Strictly and Future Aspirations
Dowden, who is set to return to Strictly Come Dancing this autumn, will mark her 10-year anniversary with the show next year.
Although she has had to take time away from the popular BBC One programme due to health reasons, Dowden credits Strictly and dancing with helping to save her life.
"It's more than a show for me because it helped me get through the darkest days.
A lot has happened to me in a decade. From joining the show to getting married [to fellow dancer Ben Jones], to my cancer diagnosis, to getting back on the dance floor. Dancing is, for sure, my saviour."
Two years after the Cancer and Me documentary, Dowden expressed interest in pursuing new opportunities, particularly in presenting.
"My dancing was taken away from me when I was ill, so I'm making the most of that now - but I love talking to people – I'm a chatterbox. A people person.
I'd like to talk to people about their experiences, rather than talking about what I've been through."
Who Do You Think You Are? airs on Tuesday 2 June at 21:00 BST on BBC One and .
