Strictly Come Dancing favourite Amy Dowden reveals why she hasn’t caught up with her former celebrity partner Thomas Skinner – and reveals who she sees as her ‘TV dad’

Amy lifted the lid on relations with her former Strictly partner(Image: BBC)

Amy Dowden has revealed she’s not spoken to her former Strictly partner Tom Skinner since before Christmas – as he’s been busy doing ‘walks for mental health’.

Speaking exclusively to the Mirror at the TV Choice Awards on Monday she told us, “We haven’t spoken recently – we’ve both been so busy. But we caught up just before Christmas, to wish each other well.”

The professional dancer said the former Apprentice star, whose short-lived stint on Strictly was clouded with controversy, including the shock revelation that he had an affair shortly after marrying wife Sinead in 2022, is “doing amazing work for men’s mental health at the minute – including Sunday walks.”

Amy and Apprentice star Thomas Skinner were first to be eliminated last year(Image: PA)

Skinner was the first contestant eliminated from last year’s show. Following his exit, he alleged the BBC rigged the vote, though this was later debunked.

On the hot topic of departed co-hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman’s potential replacements, Amy thinks there’s one particular star that could smash the biggest gig in telly.

“I’d personally go with Emma Willis. She’s a fantastic broadcaster, a true fan of the show, and passionate about dance just like Tess and Claudia.

“They’ll both be dearly missed, but the format of Strictly will continue. Watching partnerships grow, routines develop, and seeing people fall in love with dance, that’s what keeps it going”

Meanwhile, the 35-year-old from Caerphilly, Wales has her own show to focus on – as she’s soon heading out on a UK tour come May, with fellow pro Carlos Gu, for their dance show Reborn.

She said of her fellow pro, “Carlos is part of my family, he calls my parents Mama and Papa. I get to go on tour with the Strictly Come Dancing champion. What an honour!”

She said of her fellow pro, “Carlos is part of my family, he calls my parents Mama and Papa. I get to go on tour with the Strictly Come Dancing champion. What an honour!”

The pro dancer thinks Emma Willis could smash the Strictly presenting job(Image: Getty)

The close pals have also filmed Celebrity Hunted together, which is coming out soon – and Amy admits fellow contestant, comedian Brian Connolly, is like her “TV dad”: “He was even Master of Ceremonies at my wedding, we’re incredibly close. Brian and Lucy are wonderful.”

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The pro dancer thinks Emma Willis could smash the Strictly presenting job(Image: Getty)

The close pals have also filmed Celebrity Hunted together, which is coming out soon – and Amy admits fellow contestant, comedian Brian Connolly, is like her “TV dad”: “He was even Master of Ceremonies at my wedding, we’re incredibly close. Brian and Lucy are wonderful.”

The dancer, who has battled breast cancer and announced last November that she’d withdrawn from the 2025 series to undergo a second mastectomy, recently revealed that a close childhood friend Carrie, a mum to two young boys, has stage four cancer.

She told us, “I went to school with her in year seven, my twin sister was at school with her, too. To hear that her cancer’s back and she’s facing terminal illness is absolutely devastating. She was such a support to me – she’d message my twin sister when I was having chemotherapy.

Amy added, “The GoFundMe page I shared last week is to help raise money for an operation that could give her a little more time.

“She’s got two young, gorgeous boys, and that’s why it’s so important to raise awareness, cancer doesn’t discriminate. It can affect anyone at any age. I’ll do all I can to raise money and awareness for as long as I live.”