Culture

Amy Dowden: Celebrity Hunted win gave me belief I can go on to achieve anything

27 Aug 2026 2 minute read

Amy Dowden and Carlos Gu – Celebrity Hunted (Channel 4)

Lauren Del Fabbro, Press Association Entertainment Reporter

Strictly Come Dancing star Amy Dowden has said winning Celebrity Hunted has helped her believe “I can go on to achieve anything” following her battle with cancer.

The 36-year-old professional dancer won the latest series of the Channel 4 challenge show alongside Strictly’s Carlos Gu, claiming a joint victory with actor Brian Conley and his daughter, comedian Lucy Conley.

The programme sees celebrities go on the run while an elite team of hunters tries to track them down, in aid of Stand Up To Cancer.

The joint victory marked the first time in the show’s history that two pairs have managed to stay on the run without being caught.

It also marked a reunion for Dowden and Brian Conley, who were paired together on the BBC One dance programme in 2017.

The nail-biting finale saw the two pairs jumping on an extraction plane from a beach in North Wales, narrowly escaping the hunters without being caught.

Dowden, who took a break from Strictly in 2023 after being diagnosed with breast cancer, said: “Cancer took a lot away from me in the last two years but I truly feel I’ve got my confidence back and this has given me the belief I can go on to achieve anything.

“We got on to that plane, I was just like, ‘celebrate!’ I grabbed the champagne!”

The Welsh dancer made a return to the ballroom floor in 2025 following treatment including chemotherapy and two mastectomies.

Following their victory, Dowden and Gu admitted that none of their fellow Strictly stars thought they would succeed.

Speaking about their victory, Gu said: “It felt great.

“All the hard work we put in those two weeks all of a sudden made it so worth it.

“I think wanting to do this to raise awareness for cancer, I think, inspired us.

“We knew we were doing this not just for us but for everyone going through it who might be watching at home.”

Among the hunters’ team are police and military personnel who have access to CCTV footage, helicopters, drones, dogs, media campaigns and the latest cyber forensic technology.

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