Overview
- The Strictly professional shared the news on Instagram on December 19, calling Perry her 'dancing hero' and 'like a second dad.'
- Dowden wrote that she will be 'dancing for you tomorrow night and always' ahead of Saturday’s Strictly Come Dancing finale.
- Reports note that Perry and his wife, Carol, ran the Shappelles dance academy in Caerphilly, which nurtured Dowden’s early training.
- Fans and followers responded with condolences and supportive messages beneath her tribute post.
- Coverage also recalls her recent health journey—breast cancer treatment in 2023, a 'no evidence of disease' update in February 2024, and a second mastectomy last month—as she remains scheduled to appear in the finale.