Amy Dowden at 'start of new era' in BBC Strictly Come Dancing update

Amy Dowden said it's the "start of a new era" as she spoke about the upcoming series of Strictly Come Dancing. The Welsh dancer is set to return to screens later this year for a fresh series of the BBC dancing show. The Saturday night programme recently underwent a full transformation following Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman's departures at the end of last year. The BBC announced the new hosts for 2026 in an official announcement last month.

It has now been confirmed that Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe are the new hosts of Strictly Come Dancing. It's the first time the show has had three permanent presenters, since Sir Bruce Forsyth shared presenting duties with Claudia Winkleman during his later years on the programme. It's safe to say the show will have a completely different look t his year. Amy Dowden recently spoke about the show's "new era" during an interview on Lorraine.

She said: "It's all going to be very exciting. It's the start of a new era." Asked what she'll miss most about Tess and Claudia, Amy told Lorraine: "They were there for me since I joined the show. They were there for me during all my treatment as well." She added: "I just think they were massive fans of the show. They genuinely loved and watched everyone's journeys, they were literally obsessed with it.

"So yeah, I'm just going to miss having them around." Amy shared she will find out who her celebrity partner is in September, after spending the summer rehearsing for the professional group routines. But the Welsh star shared she is just happy to be back on the dancefloor for another series. The 35-year-old was diagnosed with grade three breast cancer and documented her journey online. Amy is now cancer-free after she had two mastectomies before returning to the Strictly ballroom last year.

Speaking to Lorraine about returning to the show, she said: "Being back after everything I've been through is a win for me. But obviously I'd love to at least get to Blackpool, that would be lush." Fans can learn more about Amy's life during tonight's episode of the BBC show "Who Do You Think You Are?". Amy delved into her family history which led to a "rollercoaster of emotions". During the show, Amy learned Louisa, her great-grandmother, died in 1921 aged 39, from breast cancer.

Speaking to Radio Times, Amy said: "It took me back to being diagnosed with cancer myself", before she added: "It made me even more grateful for the NHS."