Amy Dowden Recreates "Dirty Dancing" Lift with Partner Chris Appleton Amid Criticism

Professional dancer Amy Dowden, recently eliminated from "Strictly Come Dancing," has reunited with her dance partner Chris Appleton to recreate the iconic lift from the film "Dirty Dancing." The duo shared a clip of their reenactment on Instagram, a week after their exit from the competition.

Appleton praised Dowden for their time together on the show, captioning the post, "Couldn’t hang up my dancing shoes without attempting THAT lift. Amy I’ve had the time of my life." Dowden responded, "You mentioned dirty dancing and that lift every day! We had to do it! Miss you already! Also how you managed to do that lift over 50 times and not drop me once xxxx love you my friend xxxx."

The post comes after Dowden faced criticism from former "Strictly" professional Brendan Cole, who suggested she had "hasn't been up to the challenge" of training a celebrity, despite her return to the show following a battle with cancer. Dowden previously responded to Cole's remarks on Instagram with a video of herself miming Mariah Carey's lyrics, "And I was like, why are you so obsessed with me?" accompanied by the caption, "If you know, you know #bekind #inaworldyoucanbeanythingbekind."

Dowden, who was diagnosed with stage-three breast cancer in May 2023 and later learned she had another type of cancer, was declared cancer-free in February 2024. She underwent treatment, including a mastectomy, and continues with a five-year recovery plan that includes regular check-ups, injections, and scans. She was paired with actor JB Gill for her return to "Strictly" in 2024 but had to withdraw mid-series after collapsing backstage. In the previous year, she danced with Thomas Skinner, and they were the first couple eliminated.

Cole had commented on Dowden's performance, stating that he felt she had "not been doing a very good job" and was "out first for the last few years." He added, "One can do the maths on that." He also claimed that Dowden was "counting every step for him" and that "the job has not been done, and I don't think people are enjoying it."

Fans largely supported Dowden's response to Cole, flooding the comments section with messages of praise, calling her an "icon" and expressing disagreement with Cole's sentiments.