Amy Dowden has admitted that she is “not looking forward” to undergoing a procedure that will leave her with a permanently visible scar. The Strictly Come Dancing star, 32, underwent a single mastectomy to treat stage three breast cancer after she was first diagnosed in May. But last month, she was told she needed chemotherapy after further tumours were discovered following the surgery. In her latest update, the professional dancer shared a hospital selfie taken in the bathroom mirror, which showed her wearing a hospital gown and a face mask. She wrote over the photo: “Really not looking forward to this! Another scar this one only [an] inch long but will always remind me and will always be [visible].” Dowden also shared a series of photos from the procedure, which saw her getting fitted for a port for chemotherapy. Dowden wrote in the caption that she wanted to share her journey as she undergoes the treatment to “hopefully get others checking and for understanding what we go through”. “Wasn’t looking forward to it. Wasn’t easy... My veins! Feeling tender, bruised and sore but the port will help massively over the next few weeks and allow me to dance when I feel well enough,” she continued. “A port sits under the skin and the tube goes along my vein to the heart giving safe access for chemo (I believe. I’m no doctor!).” It comes after Dowden, who also suffers from Crohn’s disease, revealed in an Instagram Live chat with breast cancer survivor and Paralympian Erin Kennedy that “everything changed” for her. “I was originally going to have a lumpectomy, radiotherapy and hormone treatment. But then, after my MRI, they found another tumour so then it changed into a mastectomy and then, after my mastectomy, unfortunately, they found even more tumours,” she explained. “They found another type of cancer and then they told me I needed chemo – for me that was a massive blow. It wasn’t in the plan, originally – and I know the plan you can’t get fixated on.” She expressed fears that chemotherapy would stop her from her dance practice, adding: “You can take away my boob but you can’t take my dancing away from me and that’s what I get really upset about.” After her initial breast cancer diagnosis, Dowden was optimistic that she would be able to return to Strictly this year. However, her new treatment means she will not be able to do so in a competitive capacity. “This year, it means I’m not going to be able to dance with a celebrity on Strictly, but I’m in such regular contact with the team – the BBC have just been utterly incredible,” she said. Last week, Dowden made an emotional return to the set of the dance competition to see all her colleagues ahead of her treatment. In an Instagram Story update, she revealed she had surprised her friends on set and said: “I had happy tears to see them all. I got to watch some of the dancing, catch up with them all and hear some exciting plans for this series. I am excited for you guys, it is going to be absolutely brilliant.” Dowden first revealed her diagnosis in hopes it would raise awareness around the disease alongside her existing work on Crohn’s, a lifelong disease that affects parts of the digestive system. In 2020, she fronted a BBC documentary about how her life has been impacted by Crohn’s, titled Strictly Amy: Crohn’s and Me. Dowden is married to her long-term partner Benjamin Jones, who is also a professional dancer. They wed in 2022. Read More A psychic said she’d spoken to my late partner’s spirit – and I didn’t like it Prince Harry’s eco-tourism company quietly announces new board of directors - and he’s not on it Bakery delivers brilliant response to ‘well-known celebrity’ offering ‘exposure’ in return for free cakes Amy Dowden announces absence from Strictly Come Dancing due to chemotherapy Psoriasis Awareness Month: Everything you need to know Mandy Moore opens up about her two-year-old son’s Gianotti-Crosti Syndrome diagnosis

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Steve Cooper said his Nottingham Forest players used the “belief and frustration” from their narrow defeat at Old Trafford to steer them to a surprise win at Chelsea. Anthony Elanga hit the only goal of the game early in the second half, making the most of Moises Caicedo losing possession as Forest secured a 1-0 victory at Stamford Bridge. Having already suffered close defeats at Arsenal and Manchester United in the opening weeks of the Premier League campaign, a win in west London would have pleased Cooper. Asked if the belief from the performance at United had helped his players heading into the game at Chelsea, he replied: “Yes, I definitely think that – and also the frustration. “We took that into the week and the guys spoke quite passionately in the dressing room after the (United) game and I reminded them of what some of them said in the build-up to this one and fair play to them, they took that into today. “We knew it was going to be the type of game that it was – you don’t come here to plan to dominate possession and have chance after chance, but if you do certain things well you can create chances and keep a clean sheet. That is how it unfolded.” Cooper reserved special praise for Joe Worrall, the Forest captain putting in a fine display just days after the death of his police officer uncle. “He’s been incredible,” Cooper said of his skipper. “I personally have known what was going on before it came to public (knowledge) and he’s put his family second for the football club. “I think the club has helped them in terms of giving them a bit of a release and the guys just showed him a huge amount of respect in the dressing room after what he’s been through. “I cannot speak highly enough of the man that he’s been over the last week or so. I know how important today will be for him and it will give him and his family some respite because nothing can really make what happened any better, but at least it gives them some nice feelings.” Defeat for Chelsea means they have won just one of their first four league games under Mauricio Pochettino. The head coach stuck with the same starting XI that beat Luton last time out in the Premier League but was also able to turn to Noni Madueke, new signing Cole Palmer, Ian Maatsen and Mykhailo Mudryk off the bench as Chelsea searched in vain for an equaliser. “We were not clinical in both areas,” Pochettino said of the Chelsea performance. “We made a mistake and then we created opportunities, but if you don’t score it is difficult to win games. This type of game I think will help us to be more mature, it is not only about having quality, it is also about competing in different ways. “Of course we can’t say that we didn’t deserve more, but in football the stats sometimes reflect what you do and in that case we created but we didn’t score and we only had a few shots on target. “We are building something and it is always up and down. We are unlucky because I think we deserved more against West Ham and today – but I have said before, it is only a matter of time.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Tottenham ‘still at the beginning’ despite Burnley rout – Ange Postecoglou Oliver Townend keeps heat on leader Tim Price as he chases third Burghley title Arbroath edge out Ayr for second straight win

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If you ever needed a reminder that the planet is dying and football has become a complete circus, then just take a look at the latest in the Neymar transfer saga. Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior has completed his move from Paris Saint Germain to Al Hilal, becoming the latest name to make the switch to Saudi Arabia. The moral implications of joining a side funded by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund are one thing, but he’s recently come under fire for the method of transport he took to travel to join up with his new side. The 31-year-old took the private Boeing 747 owned by Alwaleed bin Talal over, at a huge environmental impact. Neymar had the entire plane to himself, with only the crew joining him on board. The carbon footprint of the flight is thought to be around 858 tonnes. That works out to be 85 times the environmental impact of the average person in the UK per year. Something to think about the next time you sort the recycling, perhaps. It’s pretty concerning that something so damaging can be taken out on a whim as a publicity stunt – and people on social media have been voicing their criticism. “Can’t believe I have to eat out of paper straws while people fly private! Such a waste of time,” one social media user wrote. Neymar won’t care, of course. He’s on his way to play in the Saudi league for a reported 100 million euros (£86.3m) per year. He joins the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Riyad Mahrez, Jordan Henderson, Sadio Mane and N’Golo Kante in moving to the Middle East. The move ends his six-year stay at PSG, who he joined from Barcelona for a world-record £200m fee in 2017. He’ll team up with former Wolves captain Ruben Neves and ex-Chelsea defender Kalidou Koulibaly at Al Hilal. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

'I have certain awareness. When you’re older you have awareness of certain things in life, dynamics, family dynamics, everything,' said Robert De Niro