Strictly Come Dancing star Amy Dowden has received an MBE from King Charles today (February 18) at Buckingham Palace.
The 34-year-old professional dancer has been formally made a Member of the Order if the British Empire (MBE). She got this honour for her services to fundraising and raising awareness of inflammatory bowel disease. And as she is an advocate ambassador for charity Crohn’s and Colitis UK.
An MBE is the third highest ranking order of the British Empire, after CBE and OBE. And after Amy’s own health journey with cancer, she was awarded today at the palace.
Amy Dowden receives MBE from King Charles
It was announced back in June that Amy would receive the recognition. At the time she said: “I am still in shock. But so thrilled to be made a Member of the Order of the British Empire. It is beyond my wildest dreams. I accept it on behalf of all those who live with Crohn’s disease. And I will continue campaigning to raise awareness for research into this terrible chronic illness.”
Today, Amy was handed her MBE honour from King Charles, himself. And the Royal Family shared their congratulations in an Instagram post, captioned: “Keep dancing,” with a glitter-ball emoji.
After receiving her award, Amy took to her Instagram stories to share the news with fans.
Resharing the Royal Family’s post, Amy added: “It still doesn’t feel real! I am having the most special day.”
According to the BBC, Amy revealed she and the King spoke about chemotherapy when they met. And that her award hasn’t sunk in yet.
She said: “We spoke about my recovery from chemotherapy. And the impact of chemo on my body. It really is surreal. It’s been like an out-of-body experience. But it was a true honour to get an MBE. And I will forever do what I can to raise awareness and fundraise for Crohn’s and colitis. And also, recently as well for breast cancer. Getting as many people as I possibly can to check themselves as an earlier detection saves lives.”
Friends and family celebrate the news
Amy’s twin sister, Rebecca, celebrated the news on her own Instagram stories. She shared an image of her twin standing in between their parents, with the caption: “Introducing Amy Dowden MBE.”
Last night (February 17) Amy shared a video with her followers from her hotel room. On the cabinet there were snacks, champagne, and flowers, to celebrate her success.
Amy’s MBE comes months after she made her return to the Strictly dance-floor, after stepping away in 2022 due to her cancer diagnosis. However, her return was short-lived as an accident while rehearsing forced her to leave the competition early.
After the ceremony, many of her fellow Strictly pals have congratulated her on her success.
Strictly winner, Dianne Buswell, posted on Instagram: “Sooo blooming proud of this woman.” While Katya Jones wrote: “Congratulations to our incredible Amy.”
Amy has been a huge advocate for Crohn’s awareness since going public with her own diagnosis in 2019. She starred in the 2020 BBC documentary Strictly Amy: Crohn’s and Me and became ambassador for Crohn’s and Colitis UK shortly after.
Read more: Amy Dowden declares she ‘hates cancer’ as she announces death of friend
Are you happy for that Amy Dowden received an MBE? Let us know by leaving a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix. We want to hear your thoughts!