Amy Dowden told of her struggles at competing on Strictly after returning from her cancer battle.

The professional dancer, 34, revealed she was finding the series 'very, very tough' just hours before she collapsed backstage on Saturday night.

Amy blamed the high standards of this year's celebrity dancers for the level of intensity the show had reached after she and her partner, the singer JB Gill, 37, found themselves in the bottom two the week before.

In an interview with the Mail, the Welsh star said: 'It's very very tough competition this year as you can see with that leaderboard.

'The reality is now that there are ten couples left and two of them will be in the dance-off each week. But, it's happened and we live to dance another day.'

Firm fixtures at the top of the leaderboard in this series are the likes of trained dancer, Tasha Ghouri, and the Miranda actress, Sarah Hadland, who studied ballet as a young girl.

Chris McCausland has also impressed judges with his fancy footwork, despite being blind, and has become a fan favourite.

Meanwhile, despite JB Gill's high scores only two weeks ago, he was threatened with leaving the show when he and Amy ended up in the dance-off against DIY SOS presenter, Nick Knowles.

Strictly judge, Motsi Motbuse, said on Saturday night's live show: 'It's a really tight race this year as the scores are so close.

'The middle of the leaderboard is jam-packed and that's a very dangerous place to be.'

On week one, the pair were top of the leaderboard but have since slid down and have remained in the middle section. 

But they managed to claw their way up to fifth place with their Halloween Special foxtrot on Saturday night.

Less than two hours later, the Welsh dancer collapsed and was taken to hospital.

Amy has been temporarily replaced by Lauren Oakley, 33, who doesn't have a celebrity partner this year, while Amy spends the week resting.

BBC bosses said they were 'hopeful' that Amy will return next week.

A Strictly Come Dancing spokesman said: 'Amy is doing much better. She is delighted that Lauren 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.'

Amy's mother Gillian Dowden, 65, has also said she had spoken to her daughter several times since her worrying backstage collapse after Saturday's show. 

Speaking at Amy's family home in Caerphilly, South Wales, the mother said: 'We have talked today on the telephone and she is doing well.' 

A spokesman for Amy said the ambulance was called 'as a precaution'. She was diagnosed with stage-three breast cancer in 2023, forcing her to take a break from the BBC show's previous series.

Amy was diagnosed the day after she came home from her honeymoon with husband Ben Jones. 

In what became the toughest year of her life, the Strictly Come Dancing star underwent a mastectomy, chemotherapy, fertility treatment and also almost died of sepsis.

The dancer has also battled Crohn's disease since she was a child and said she has already been through 'quite a lot' in her life with health struggles.

Amy recently revealed how Strictly had helped her to feel herself again after cancer.

She said: 'What a difference a year can make. I look back and think, 'Gosh, this time last year I was having chemo... this time last year I was in hospital with a blood clot'.

'I never truly felt really like me since my cancer journey until I was back on Strictly and working with my lovely JB.

'That's what I found hardest going into the dance-off - I'm not ready to have this taken away from me.

'I'm loving being back. I don't want it to stop. I'm not ready to finish my journey. I knew JB could get through the dance and could absolutely ace it.'