Amy Dowden can suffer "four to five blackouts" a day due to the pain caused by Crohn's disease.

Amy Dowden opens up on her health struggle

Amy Dowden opens up on her health struggle

The 'Strictly Come Dancing' professional was diagnosed with the chronic condition aged 19, and has been suffering with her health since the age of 11.

Appearing on Aimee Fuller's 'Monday Mile' podcast, she said: "If you think, a woman is designed for childbirth, you don't pass out during childbirth.

"I can have four to five black outs, because the pain is that much that my body can't control it.

"I get swollen eyes, inflammation to my joints, my skin, but I'm very, very lucky that I work with the most incredible team and a lot of my severe symptoms are now under control and in remission."

Despite getting all the right care, the 34-year-old star noted she will be living with the illness - which inflames parts of the digestive system - "for the rest of [her] life".

She takes eight steroids a day, and has struggled with symptoms included sickness, fatigue, constipation, mouth ulcers, swollen eyes and pain.

Amy has been part of the 'Strictly' arena tour and is refusing to dwell on her medical misfortunes.

She previously told The Guardian newspaper: "I'm feeling so much stronger. I'm at the gym, I'm working with my physio team, I'm having dancing lessons. I was just very unlucky – could have happened to anyone. But typically, if anything is going to go wrong, it happens to me.

"I learn from it every time. I try not to let it define me. And I try to bounce back."

The dancer returned to the dancefloor on the BBC series last year following her breast cancer diagnosis in 2023 but was heartbroken after a foot injury brought her time on the show to a premature end.

She added: "I was devastated, and I really struggled. Because 'Strictly' was my aim since the words: 'Amy, you've got cancer'. That was the goal – to get back on the dancefloor – and that's all that was in my mind for 20 months. I think I would have struggled with it in any year, but for it to happen then..."