Strictly Come Dancing returned on Saturday night and with it came a touching moment to professional dancer Amy Dowden.
Amy, 33 was diagnosed with breast cancer earlier this year and has been undergoing chemotherapy, so is currently unable to return to the dancefloor.
As the hit BBC dancing competition returned on Saturday, 16 September, Amy's absence didn't go unnoticed and presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman paid a special tribute.
As they sat down to speak to the first few celebrities, Tess acknowledged: "We are, of course, missing one of our professional dancers. Our gorgeous Amy Dowden is unwell and she can't be with us for the start of the series, but she's our Welsh dragon and we know she'll be back soon."
Claudia continued: "Amy, from your entire Strictly family, we're sending all our love and we cannot wait to have you back on the dancefloor."
Before Tess said: "This one's for you!"
A dazzling performance came as the professional dancers and judges, Anton Du Beke, Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood and Motsi Mabuse paid tribute to their "Welsh dragon" on the dancefloor.
Professional dancer Amy who previously announced she was unable to return to Strictly this year amid her cancer battle, took to Instagram on Saturday night to wish her close pals good luck.
Sharing a snap after spending the day at the BBC studios last week, Amy wrote the caption: "My smile the other week after being with the strictly family, the entire team.
"So grateful and lucky to have you all. Tune in tonight.
"Can't wait to support all my friends and their fabulous journeys this year and I'll be there when I can."
Amy has had a mastectomy and is undergoing chemotherapy amid her devastating cancer battle.
After being diagnosed with breast cancer in May this year, Amy shared in June that an MRI had revealed more tumours in different parts of her body.
Earlier this week the dancer opened up on her Instagram Stories about being “extremely sick” as she undergoes chemotherapy.
Posting a picture of herself in a black snapback and a light pink coat, she held up four fingers for the camera and wrote: “Chemo number 4! Half way mark”
Later, the Strictly Come Dancing star shared another snap of her holding up for fingers with her nails being painted a red wine colour and said that the session was done.
“Was extremely sick immediately even with three types of anti sickness.
“Very tired too Going to be resting up” with prayer hands and pink bow emojis.
She then shared a picture of herself in a hospital bed and penned that she would then move onto a different kind of chemotherapy.
She said: “But that’s it for Red Devil [prayer hands emoji] Next time moving on to another type of chemo”
Amy has been candid about her journey and said that she used to cry “every day.”
'I think I cry less now. To begin with, it was every day, but now I have meltdowns when I wash my hair once a week. For the last two weeks now, I haven't brushed my hair and that has definitely helped."
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