Amy Dowden has revealed she spoke to King Charles about chemotherapy while receiving an MBE for her work as ambassador for Crohn’s and Colitis UK.
The Strictly professional dancer, 34, was formally made a Member of the Order of the British Empire at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday for her services to fundraising and raising awareness of inflammatory bowel disease.
While Amy’s honour was due to her support for the Crohn’s and Colitis community, while meeting the King she spoke to him about her experience with breast cancer, after he was diagnosed with an unspecified cancer early last year.
When asked what they discussed, she said: ‘We spoke about my recovery from chemotherapy and the impact of chemotherapy has had on my body.’
She also said: ‘It was a real honour. I will keep doing what I can for Crohn’s and Colitis UK charity and more recently as well for breast cancer, to get as many people as I possibly can to check themselves.
‘Early detection saves lives and it is an incredible honour, it still hasn’t sunk in yet.’
Amy Dowden has revealed she spoke to King Charles about chemotherapy while receiving an MBE for her work as ambassador for Crohn’s and Colitis UK
While Amy’s honour was due to her support for the Crohn’s and Colitis community, while meeting the King she spoke to him about her experience with breast cancer
The Strictly professional dancer, 34, was formally made a Member of the Order of the British Empire at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday for her services to fundraising and raising awareness of inflammatory bowel disease
The star revealed in 2019 that she was living with Crohn’s disease after suffering from bouts of illness since the age of 11.
The lifelong condition causes parts of the digestive system to become inflamed. For Amy this caused here to suffer with swollen eyes, mouth ulcers, constipation, pain, sickness and fatigue.
She went on to front a BBC programme titled Strictly Amy: Crohn’s And Me, in which she spoke about her struggles with the condition.
Three years later, she was admitted to hospital in Manchester following a Crohn’s flare-up while on the Strictly live tour.
Just last month Amy revealed she can suffer ‘four to five black outs’ a day from pain caused by Crohn’s disease.
As she discussed her battle with the chronic condition on Aimee Fuller’s Monday Mile podcast she described the level of pain that she endures.
Amy explained: ‘If you think, a woman is designed for childbirth, you don’t pass out during childbirth.
‘I can have four to five black outs, because the pain is that much that my body can’t control it.
The star beamed as she shook hands with the King
The star revealed in 2019 that she was living with Crohn’s disease after suffering from bouts of illness since the age of 11 and has been incredible open about life with the condition
She went on to front a BBC programme titled Strictly Amy: Crohn’s And Me, in which she spoke about her struggles with the condition
‘I get swollen eyes, inflammation to my joints, my skin, but I’m very, very lucky that I work with the most incredible team and a lot of my severe symptoms are now under control and in remission.’
She added: ‘I’m so blessed to have such an incredible team, but unfortunately, Crohn’s disease is a chronic illness that I will live with for the rest of my life.’
She now takes eight steroids a day to stay out of hospital.
Amy had returned to Strictly last year following her battle with breast cancer, but was forced to pull out of the show following a stress fracture.
Meanwhile composer John Rutter was also honoured by the King at Buckingham Palace for his services to music.
Sir John, who is also a conductor, editor and arranger, is best known for his choral compositions, including Christmas carols, anthems and extended works such as the Gloria, the Requiem and the Magnificat.
He has previously had compositions commissioned for major royal events including Queen Elizabeth II’s golden jubilee and for the wedding of the Prince and Princess of Wales in 2011.
More recently, the first two choral items sung at the late Queen’s platinum jubilee national service of thanksgiving in June 2022 and six pieces performed at the coronation of King Charles were arrangements by Sir John.
Sir John was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to music in the 2007 New Year Honours, and in 2023 he became a Fellow of The Ivors Academy.
Among other recipients honoured were Jasvinder Sanghera, who was made a Dame Commander for services to the victims of child, forced marriage and honour-based abuse.
Meanwhile composer John Rutter was also honoured by the King at Buckingham Palace for his services to music
Jasvinder Sanghera was made a Dame Commander for services to the victims of child, forced marriage and honour-based abuse
Dame Jasvinder, from Derby, was just 14 years old when she was faced with the prospect of a forced marriage, but defied her parents’ wishes by refusing and leaving home.
Ostracised by her family, she later founded the charity Karma Nirvana in 1993, described as the first specialist charity for victims and survivors of honour-based abuse in the UK.
In November last year, she was appointed by Harrods as an advocate for survivors of alleged abuse by its late former owner Mohamed Al Fayed.
Dame Jasvinder said she was “honoured to be a part of this project” because she believed the department store wished to “get this right”.
