Strictly Come Dancing: Amy Dowden on hair loss trauma

The dancer underwent a mastectomy after discovering a lump in April

Strictly Come Dancing star Amy Dowden has revealed she found losing her hair to cancer treatment so traumatic she could not bear looking in the mirror.

She said that she had given up brushing her hair because so much was falling out.

Appearing on Strictly spin-off It Takes Two, the dancer from Caerphilly said she had surprised her family with the snap decision to shave her head.

She added she hoped it would help inspire other people with cancer.

Wearing a wig as as chatted to the BBC Two show's host and fellow dancer Janet Manrara, she said "no amount of preparation" could have readied her for rapidly losing her locks.

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"I found it really traumatic - I couldn't even brush my own hair after a while," the 33-year-old said.

"So I'd get my husband Ben to do it for me instead.

"I'd gone bald on top and, in the end, I couldn't even look in the mirror anymore."

She was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer after she discovered the first lump back in April, a day before she was due to fly to the Maldives for her honeymoon.

After undergoing a mastectomy, she was told the tumours had spread and another type of cancer was discovered.

She ended up in hospital with sepsis after a previous cycle of chemotherapy.

Amy Dowden is a familiar face on BBC's Strictly Come Dancing

last month she shared an emotional video of her with loved ones taking turns to cut a lock of her hair.

"One night I just surprised my family by telling them, 'I'm shaving it tomorrow', she said.

"So we all got together and tried to make it as fun as possible."

Having previously described losing her hair as "empowering and positive" she told It Takes Two that she hoped it would inspire courage in others going through the same ordeal.

She described how, now more than halfway through her chemo treatment, she had been overwhelmed by messages of support from colleagues on the show and viewers all over the world.

She made a surprise cameo in last weekend's episode of Strictly.

"Everyone's been amazing, from the dancers to all the people in makeup and wardrobe. They've all been messaging and Facetiming me, for which I'll be forever grateful."

She also called the show's fans "the best in the world".

"Their support always comes on the days I really need it the most - I'll never be able to thank them enough."

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