Amy Dowden reveals cheeky remark King Charles made to her at Buckingham Palace
Welsh professional dancer Amy Dowden has revealed what King Charles III told her as she was awarded an MBE. The Strictly Come Dancing star was awarded the prestigious honour at Buckingham Palace and said that the royal had made a remark on her bowing during the ceremony.
While appearing on ITV's Lorraine on Thursday morning, February 20, the dancing star spoke about her experience to presenter Christine Lampard. When asked what was the conversation like between her and King Charles, she said: "I was quite nervous and did my curtsy.
"And he said to me, 'that's a curtsy of a ballroom dancer', which then made me giggle and kind of relaxed me a little bit. And then talked about Crohn's and colitis, and thanked me for all that I am doing. And then he asked me how I was after treatment.
READ MORE: ITV This Morning star forced to apologise saying 'I shouldn't have said that'
READ MORE: Wales v Ireland kit ban forces historic Six Nations change
"Obviously, he can understand with a cancer diagnosis himself and obviously wished me back on the dancefloor this year with Strictly. It was just very surreal, 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 was officially awarded an MBE at the London palace on Tuesday, February 18. The dancer was recognised for her work in fundraising and raising awareness about her health struggles, including living with Crohn's disease since she was a child.
In 2023, Dowden was diagnosed with breast cancer, shortly after returning from her honeymoon with her husband, Ben Jones. Due to her treatment, she was unable to take part in the 2023 season of Strictly Come Dancing, where she had been a popular professional dancer since joining the show in 2017. For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter.
In the wake of her diagnosis, she presented her own BBC documentary - Strictly Amy: Cancer and Me, which followed her journey through treatment. Amy made a return to Strictly Come Dancing in 2024 where she was partnered 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. The dancer previously said she spent "most nights crying" during Strictly Come Dancing 2024 because she was suffering such a crisis of confidence after her cancer treatment.
During the MBE ceremony, the 34-year-old looked radiant in a striking purple ensemble featuring a fitted satin midi dress with a high neckline and long sleeves. She completed the look with a matching beret, delicate lilac heels, and soft blonde waves.
