Just months after completing her stint on Strictly Come Dancing, finalist Amy Dowden has revealed the countdown to her wedding to Ben Jones is officially on! Taking to her Instagram page on Tuesday, the professional dancer shared incredible pictures from her holiday in Dubai with her fiancé and some of their friends. In one post, which shows the happy couple posing on sand dunes, Amy simply wrote, "five months" alongside two heart-shaped emojis.
Amy Dowden shared this lovely snap from her holiday
Amy's partner Ben, who is also a professional dancer, popped the question on New Year's Eve 2018 at a party surrounded by her family and friends. In an exclusive shoot with HELLO! back in November, the Strictly star revealed she still had some wedding prep left to do. She said at the time: "I made sure most of the wedding plans were done before Strictly started but right now I'm so absorbed with the show."
READ: All the details on Strictly pro Amy Dowden's wedding plans
WATCH: Behind the lens with Amy Dowden
The lovebirds have been together since they were 21; they were once crowned the British National Champions - with Amy being ranked as one of the most-rated Ballroom and Latin American professional dancers in the UK. Last year, Amy credited her beau as she opened up about her secret battle with Crohn's disease. Speaking to HELLO! in May 2019, she shared: "I've been with Ben since I was 21, so he's seen it a lot. He had to get used to it quite quickly."
READ: Amy Dowden reveals how fiance has been instrumental during Crohn's disease battle
Amy and Ben, who run their own dance school, revealed they tackle her disease together. Ben is instrumental in helping Amy stave off attacks, which begin with a "whole personality change" - Amy gets sleepy, her eyes start to swell and she goes pale. "When that happens, she has to stop and rest immediately," Ben explained. "If she doesn't, things get worse."
The couple are currently in Dubai
The bride-to-be then went on to confess she won't let Crohn's affect her dream day. "Obviously, leading up to the wedding, I need to make sure that if there's a symptom I'm on top of it. We want to be creative with the menu, but it’ll be designed to my needs," said Amy, adding: "The planning is going so well, but I haven't done any dress shopping yet. I want to take Oti [Mabuse], Dianne [Buswell], my mum and my twin sister with me." She concluded: "Nobody will be able to make a decision because everyone will have a different opinion. I can't wait."
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