Amy Dowden and Sir John Rutter to Be Honoured at Buckingham Palace

Strictly Come Dancing's Amy Dowden receives MBE for her advocacy in health awareness, while composer Sir John Rutter is knighted for contributions to music.

Amy Dowden, a professional dancer from the television show Strictly Come Dancing, is set to receive a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) distinction for her efforts in fundraising and raising awareness about inflammatory bowel disease.

The ceremony will take place at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday.

Dowden, who publicly disclosed her diagnosis of Crohn’s disease in 2019, has been vocal about her experiences with the condition through various platforms, including a BBC documentary titled Strictly Amy: Crohn’s And Me, which illustrated her personal struggles with the illness.

In 2022, she experienced a flare-up of Crohn’s disease that required hospitalization while participating in the Strictly live tour.

Additionally, Dowden announced her diagnosis of breast cancer in 2023 shortly after returning from her honeymoon.

This narrative was further explored in her recent documentary, Strictly Amy: Cancer And Me, in which she shared her decision to freeze embryos as part of her treatment process.

Composer and conductor Sir John Rutter will also be honored at the same ceremony, receiving a knighthood for his significant contributions to music.

Rutter is renowned for his choral compositions, which include a range of Christmas carols and notable works such as Gloria, Requiem, and Magnificat.

He has composed pieces for various royal occasions; notably, he provided choral arrangements for Queen Elizabeth II’s golden jubilee celebrations and for the wedding of the Prince and Princess of Wales in 2011. Furthermore, his arrangements were performed during the national service of thanksgiving for the late Queen’s platinum jubilee in June 2022 and at the coronation of King Charles III.

Sir John Rutter was previously recognized as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2007 New Year Honours and became a Fellow of The Ivors Academy in 2023.

Among other recipients being honoured on Tuesday is Jasvinder Sanghera, who will be appointed a Dame Commander for her advocacy for victims of child marriage and honour-based abuse.

At 14, Sanghera resisted a forced marriage, leading to her estrangement from her family.

She founded the charity Karma Nirvana in 1993, identified as the first specialist charity in the UK focused on supporting victims of honour-based abuse.

In November 2022, she was appointed by Harrods as an advocate for survivors of alleged abuse related to the late Mohamed Al Fayed, where she expressed her commitment to ensuring the department store approached these issues appropriately.