IT has been lambasted as the ‘worst’ lineup in its two-decade history.But Strictly Come Dancing favourite, Amy Dowden, has insisted the ‘core’ of the beloved BBC ballroom dance show has not changed – and she even thinks the host of mostly unknown ‘celebrities’ could be their best dancers yet.Speaking exclusively to the Daily Mail, Ms Dowden, 36, said: ‘We need to remember the core of Strictly is not changing.‘That competition, watching the celebrities learn to dance before every weekend, that’s not changing and that’s the heart and the reason why Strictly has been so successful for over the last two decades.‘I’m so proud to be part of that show and it’s got me through the darkest of times and I’m not sure where I would be right now without Strictly.’This year’s lineup includes ex-Love Island contestant Dani Dyer, footballer Shaun Wright-Phillips, Australian singer and former Neighbours star Delta Goodrem, actress Jamie Winstone and EastEnders star Lacey Turner. Amy Dowden returns as a professional dancer when the new series launches on September 19 with Emma Willis, former professional dancer Johannes Radebe and comedian Josh Widdicombe as hosts Ms Dowden was speaking on behalf of breast cancer charity CoppaFeel as she hosted an awareness day with Pink Lady apples at Lingfield Park Racecourse last SaturdayLesser-known stars such as YouTuber John Nellis boasts 15.9m subscribers alone, which sources say is a deliberate attempt by chiefs at attracting a younger audience.Ms Dowden continued: ‘The celebrities are so lovely and they’re so good. We’re in for a good series, let me tell you. I think it’s gonna be one that you can’t call it, it’s gonna be so tight and so tough.’Ms Dowden was speaking on behalf of breast cancer charity CoppaFeel as she hosted an awareness day with Pink Lady apples at Lingfield Park Racecourse last Saturday.The ballroom and Latin American dancer, who credits the charity for helping her to discover her own cancer in 2023, endured chemotherapy, a double mastectomy and a number of severe side-effects including sepsis, forcing her to miss that year’s series of Strictly.Now in remission, the Welsh native continued: ‘I feel in a new chapter personally myself with how I’m feeling mentally, physically, and health wise.‘I’m really excited to be feeling so strong and happy and feel like a new chapter of me and then Strictly entering a new chapter.’Dowden, who competed with controversial Apprentice star Thomas Skinner last year, added: ‘When I was going through chemotherapy watching and seeing what it did to people on the oncology unit, it made me so proud to be part of that show for that light entertainment and that relief from life and our busy, stressful life and it’s just a really lovely, light-hearted entertainment show that you can sit around and watch with the family and yeah, I can’t wait to hopefully bring joy to the nation.’The new series launches on September 19 with Emma Willis, former professional dancer Johannes Radebe and comedian Josh Widdicombe as hosts, replacing the long-serving Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman who stepped down last year. Meanwhile, Strictly is bringing back celebrities meeting their professional dance partner for the first time on the dancefloor.In recent years, the pairings have been filmed in introductory video tapes around the country.But the show will now revert back to what was done pre-Covid. Amy competed with controversial Apprentice star Thomas Skinner last yearTV dog trainer Graeme Hall, 59, who is starring in this year’s series, revealed the change on Radio Northampton last week.He said: ‘This year, they’re doing it slightly differently. We don’t find out until the launch show. You have no say in it, the pros have no say in it.’The first show of the new series will air on September 19.It is pre-recorded and the following week will mark the return of the live shows, where the new batch of stars will compete for the first time.But there’s no elimination that week as the first couple is normally eliminated after the following weekend’s performances and public vote, on October 4.It has been confirmed that the final for this year’s series will take place just days before Christmas Day on December 19.