Strictly's JB Gill seen heading to rehearsals with new dance partner Lauren Oakley as she steps in for Amy Dowden
Following professional dancer Amy Dowden’s health scare on Strictly Come Dancing this week, her dance partner JB Gill has been spotted heading to rehearsals with new dancer Lauren Oakley, who is now standing in for Amy on the show.
Both JB and Lauren looked ready to learn their routine for this weekend’s show, JB dressed in black shorts and T-shirt and carrying a huge water bottle to get him through the day. Lauren was seen sporting black tracksuit trousers and a green top. Despite the added pressure of the last-minute change for JB, both managed a smile for the cameras. They will be rehearsing JB’s Couple’s Choice dance to perform on the Saturday show, 2 November.
Amy fell ill at the end of Saturday night’s Halloween Week special, and was taken to Barnet Hospital from the BBC One show’s production centre, Elstree Studios, as a “precaution”.
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On the show Amy and JB performed a foxtrot to Dancing In The Moonlight by Toploader. However, an ambulance was later called for Amy. The spokesperson said: “Amy was feeling unwell and so an ambulance was called as a precaution."
The Strictly Come Dancing professional was diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2023, just 10 months after marrying Ben Jones on South Wales' Gower Peninsula in June 2022. The couple were about to embark on their honeymoon when she discovered a lump.
In April this year, she announced she would be returning to the show, and she made a sensational return in the first episode of the new series..
During her illness, Amy has credited the thought of getting back to the Strictly ballroom as being something which gave her the strength in her battle against cancer.
She told The Mirror earlier this year: “Strictly was my saviour kind of thing. To push me through to get me back on that stage; that was the goal. I'm very goal driven; it's always been dancing - so I wanted to get on Strictly.”
On Monday on the Strictly It Takes Two show, it was revealed that fellow pro dancer Lauren Oakley – who doesn’t have a celebrity partner in this year’s series – would will step in for the star for this week’s rehearsals and perform with JB on Saturday’s show.
“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,” said a Strictly Come Dancing spokesperson.
