Amy Dowden reveals she has cancelled hen do because of the coronavirus lockdown

The Strictly Come Dancing star is due to marry this summer

May 10, 2020May 10, 2020, 5:00 PM GMT+1

In an exclusive interview with HELLO! magazine, Strictly Come Dancing professional dancer Amy Dowden has revealed that her hen do has been cancelled.

HELLO! can reveal that due to social distancing guidelines, her eagerly-anticipated and top secret weekend extravaganza with family and close friends – including fellow Strictly stars and bridesmaids Oti Mabuse and Dianne Buswell – was called off.

"I didn't have a clue what the plan was – it was going to be a big surprise," Amy tells HELLO! of the party, which was scheduled for the end of April. "My bridesmaids worked so hard on it, but it's just one of those things. There's far worse things happening out there in the world, people are losing family members and friends, and their jobs, so I can't complain that I didn't get my hen."

There is also now a question mark over whether or not Amy and Ben's wedding will be allowed to go ahead. In the planning for two years, the July nuptials were due to take place in a beautiful country house in Amy's native Wales – but the couple are now not sure what to do. "I don't want to put family members at risk, and I want people to have plenty of advance notice if we do change the date. A lot of the Strictly lot will start booking tours for next year, so if we change it, I need to let people know.

MORE: Strictly Come Dancing star Graziano di Prima announces decision to postpone wedding

"I change my mind every two seconds about what we want to do but I also don't want to look back and for it not to have been what we had planned. I'd hate it if everyone had to wear facemasks and be two metres apart, or for people to put themselves at risk by coming," says Amy, who herself is at particular risk from coronavirus, due to her Crohn's. She also tells HELLO! how she ended up in hospital with the condition at the start of the pandemic, thanks in part to the stress she was under as her new tour was cancelled and her dance school forced to close.

"I did end up going into hospital for a couple of nights with a flare up. That was awful because nobody could come and see me, obviously. It’s ok, there's a lot worse happening to people, but I needed medication."

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