Strictly Come Dancing professional Amy Dowden has stressed that the reason she will not be returning to the series this year has "nothing to do with any previous health scares".

Two weeks ago Dowden was taken to hospital as a "precaution" after she began "feeling unwell".

On Wednesday, she told Strictly spin-off show It Takes Two that she has a "insufficiency stress fracture, if I've said that right, on my shin".

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.

She said she was "absolutely gutted" to be pulling out of this season's shows, but was told she needed "to rest for a couple of weeks".

In a tearful interview with presenter Janette Manrara, Dowden added that she was "heartbroken" about the decision.

"Being back with the Strictly family was the best rehab."

She said she hoped she would be "back dancing in some capacity, maybe in a group number, by the end of the series".

Fellow pro Lauren Oakley will take her place, pairing up with Dowden's celebrity partner, JLS singer JB Gill.

Oakley stood in for Dowden last Saturday, with the pair performing a Bruno Mars medley and scoring 39 points.

Dowden said Gill was "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'."

On Instagram, Gill praised Dowden for her "fight and determination" and said he had "nothing but admiration" for her.

Dowden was initially diagnosed with stage three breast cancer aged 32 in May 2023, after finding a lump in her breast the day before she went on her honeymoon.

The now-34-year-old was diagnosed again later that same year. She returned to hospital in August 2024 for further tests, as doctors were concerned about abnormalities in her breast after a check-up. She was later given the all-clear.

Dowden opened up about her ordeal with breast cancer in a BBC documentary, Strictly Amy: Cancer and Me, which was broadcast in September.

She also has Crohn's disease - a lifelong condition which causes parts of the digestive system to become inflamed - and has previously spoken about its toll on her health.