Strictly Come Dancing professional Amy Dowden has said the injury that caused her to pull out of the competition was “nothing to do with any previous health scares”.

Dowden, 34, returned to competing in the BBC show for its 20th anniversary series after missing out last year while undergoing treatment for breast cancer.

On Wednesday, Dowden told Strictly spin-off show It Takes Two: “I’m absolutely gutted.

“Unfortunately, I have an insufficiency stress fracture, if I’ve said that right, on my shin.

“Nothing to do with my injury last year. So, yeah, I’m just absolutely gutted that I need to rest for a couple of weeks.”

Dowden revealed last year that she had fractured her foot after finishing chemotherapy.

Up until her stress fracture the Welsh dancer was partnered with JLS singer JB Gill, who is now dancing with Lauren Oakley.

Dowden continued: “Unfortunately, JB, obviously he’s got to continue with the amazing Lauren, but hopefully I’ll be back dancing in some capacity, maybe in a group number, by the end of the series. Fingers crossed.”

While speaking to presenter Janette Manrara on the BBC Two show, Dowden became visibly upset and started crying as she said: “It was everything. Sorry. I’m heartbroken.

“Being back with the Strictly family was the best rehab.”

Speaking about Gill, she added: “He is so talented, like he picks up the routine so fast, it’s unbelievable.

“But, most importantly, he just loves to dance.

“He’s enjoying his magical, Strictly journey, and honestly, I can’t wait to watch them just continue, in JB’s words, he’d say – ‘That’s dope.'”

She continued: “This injury could have happened to anybody.

“I want to stress, it’s nothing to do with any previous health scares.”

In a post to Instagram, Gill praised Dowden for her “fight and determination” following her departure.

He said: “It’s been heartbreaking seeing the wonderful journey we’d begun come to a halt.

“That said, I have nothing but admiration for you. Your fight and determination are second to none.”

Dowden responded with an Instagram story that said they had made “memories we will cherish forever” and promised the singer: “We will dance again”.

On Monday evening, Dowden said in a social media post that her heart was “breaking” as she revealed an injury had prevented her attempts to compete for the 2024 glitterball trophy.

A Strictly spokesperson said: “Sadly, Amy Dowden MBE will not be partaking in the rest of the competition this year.”

Dowden had already skipped one live show and watched Gill and Oakley dance to a Bruno Mars medley, earning the joint-highest score of this year’s series from Elstree Studios.

The previous weekend, she was taken to hospital as a “precaution” after “feeling unwell” following the live show and missed the Sunday results programme, her representative said at the time.

Dowden announced in 2023 that she was undergoing treatment for stage-three breast cancer including having a mastectomy and chemotherapy.

In February, she revealed that tests showed she had “no evidence of disease”.

The Caerphilly-born dancer has documented both her cancer journey and living with Crohn’s disease on a number of BBC shows.