Strictly Come Dancing star Amy Dowden has been given a very special honour at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show and arrived in person with her parents, Gillian and Richard, for the occasion. The professional dancer has had a sweet pea variety named after her, and joined the organisation English Sweet Peas in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea to celebrate.
The new sweet pea ‘Amy Dowden’ is a pink variety that ‘boasts elegant Spencer flower form, renowned for its large, ruffled blooms in a stunning shade of pale pink’, according to English Sweet Peas. It has ‘long stems and a highly fragrant aroma’ and is available as a limited edition, with a packet of seeds costing £5.
10% of the sales from the seeds will be donated to two charities chosen by Amy: CoppaFeel, the breast cancer awareness charity, and Crohn’s & Colitis UK, which provides information, support and services to people with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Amy was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2023 and has also been open about her journey with Crohn’s, so these two charities are close to her heart.
Joining Amy at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show were her mum and dad, who Amy has repeatedly praised for their unwavering support through her illness and recovery, revealing they even took time out of work. For Father’s Day last year, Amy spoke on Lorraine about her dad, saying he’s ‘one in a million, he’s devoted his life to us children. Inspired us, pushed us, gave up everything for us to go on and achieve our dreams.’
Amy has also been vocal about the support of her ‘Strictly family’, who she credits with giving her ‘the courage to decide last-minute to step out and brave the bald’ when she chose to appear on Strictly without her wig in 2023.
The sweet pea ‘Amy Dowden’ seeds can be bought online or, if you’re at Chelsea this week, in person inside the Great Pavilion. The RHS Chelsea Flower Show is open to RHS members and the public between 20 and 24 May 2025. The show kicked off with a press preview day on Monday 19 May. Find out everything you need to know about this year’s event in our RHS Chelsea Flower Show guide.
