Strictly star Amy Dowden after cancer ordeal: "I've been given a new chance at life"

SussexWorld

Strictly stars Amy Dowden and Carlos Gu are embarking on a new tour with the title REBORN, a title with huge personal significance for them both.

Transcript

00:00Good morning, my name is Phil Hewitt, Group Arts Editor at Sussex Newspapers. Now what

00:06a pleasure this morning, fantastic pleasure to speak to Strictly Stars, Amy Dowden and

00:11Carlos Goo, and you are out on the road with a very special show, dates in our area including

00:16Portsmouth, Eastbourne and Dilford. Very special show because it's got a very specific, meaningful

00:22title, Reborn. It means something slightly different to each of you, but absolutely unites

00:29Carlos, what is Reborn for you? First of all, thanks for having us. It's a very deep title

00:41actually when we came out to this idea of calling Reborn. For me it's in so many different aspects,

00:49myself by moving to UK from China and changing the career, not only as a dancer but from a

00:56professional dancer as a TV person as well. So there's so many stranger, unfamiliar things for

01:03me to figure out into a completely unfamiliar environment. It's kind of frightening, you know,

01:10you're changing the career, you're moving all the way to UK from China. It was frightening in the

01:17beginning, I don't know whether it's going to go good, I don't know whether I'm going to keep

01:20this job. You know, there's so many uncertainties in this job and also landing in this place where

01:27I felt like it's a home and to really accepting my own identity, accepting my own self has really,

01:35really helped me in so many ways, in so many levels. I truly felt, oh thank you, and I truly felt I have

01:44grown into a different version of myself. I have really reborned into a version that I really

01:53like to be. And Amy, you two are working on a better, stronger version of yourself and it's

01:59lovely to see you looking so well. What does Reborn mean for you? Well after the last few years and

02:07since my cancer diagnosis, I've definitely become a new person. Personally for me, after those words,

02:13sorry Amy, you've got cancer, my life will never be the same again. And for me, I feel grateful that

02:20I've come through a diagnosis of cancer and not everybody has the outcome like I do.

02:26And I'm honored and grateful that I get another shot at life. And after everything I've been

02:33through, chemotherapy destroyed every living cell in my body. I felt like I had my identity stripped

02:37away when I lost my hair. I couldn't dance. Surgery, a new upper body. And I'm definitely a new version

02:44of myself, but I would say I'm a stronger, better version of myself. You must feel that you've known

02:51unimaginably bleak moments, but now to be involved on this tour, you are a different person, are you?

02:58Yeah, and I can't wait to share my story, but I hope to be able to share

03:03this story. Yes, it's going to be emotional. We're going to show you, take you through every emotion,

03:06but hopefully a celebration and joyous moment as well. And to show people that, you know,

03:14life can be hard at times, but you know, you can get through it and to never give up on your dreams

03:20and to show, you know, a happy ending to a story that I'm still here. And I still get to improve

03:27myself every day, my dance and get to do what I love. And hopefully to show people to never give

03:32up on your dreams, to do what you love, to spend time with the people you love. Like I'm going on

03:36stage with my best friend, Carlos, and I can't wait to share our stories and for people to learn

03:42more from us throughout the show. Yeah. And also it's very, very personal story that we're going

03:48to tell. And yeah, we really, it's something that really bonding deep inside of ourselves.

03:55So it's a unique show that you won't be able to get from anywhere else. And a show that

04:00you're going to explore every style of dance from Borum and Latin, obviously, and I mean

04:05full on Borum and Latin, to Argentine Tango, to Lyrical, to Commercial, to Flamenco, to Fosse.

04:12Like I'm telling you, we are trying to break boundaries. We have the most incredible cast of

04:18dancers, an amazing Strictly singer, the most outstanding creative director, choreographers,

04:24costumes are just something else. So yeah, it's something that we're so proud of and grateful

04:31that we get to, you know, to share our love of dance and our story with the UK and people who

04:37have supported us. And I can never thank people enough for, and especially the Strictly fans,

04:42for being there for me for the hardest of times. I hope to be able to say thank you to them.

04:46Well, it sounds fantastic. You both sound so engagingly passionate about it. And what a

04:52wonderful title. Thank you. Surprise for the most positive title for any show going. I think you win

04:58Reborn. What could be better than that? Congratulations. Thank you very much. And

05:02really lovely to speak. Thank you for your time. And the tour in our area,

05:07Portsmouth, Eastbourne and Guildford. Great to speak to you both. Thank you.

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Transcript

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