Strictly’s Adam Thomas, 35, reveals his arthritis battle is impacting rehearsals with Luba Mushtuk ahead of first live show: ‘We’re trying our best to get through it’

He will take to the ballroom floor on Saturday for Strictly Come Dancing’s first live show.

Yet Adam Thomas, who revealed his battle with rheumatoid arthritis last week, has confessed that rehearsals aren’t going as well as he hoped due to his joints condition. 

Appearing with dance partner Luba Mushtuk on Thursday’s BBC Breakfast, the former Emmerdale star revealed it was limiting him on the dance floor and expressed his shock at receiving the diagnosis this year aged 35. 

He told host Naga Munchetty: ‘I’ve got people messaging me as young as 10. You can get it so young, which I didn’t realise.

‘So when I first got diagnosed with it, I was like, “This is something people get diagnosed with it later on in life”, but unfortunately I’ve got it and it is what it is.’ 

Struggle: Strictly’s Adam Thomas, 35, has revealed his arthritis battle is impacting rehearsals with Luba Mushtuk ahead of Saturday’s first live show

Speaking out: Appearing on Thursday’s BBC Breakfast, the former Emmerdale star revealed it was limiting him  and expressed his shock at receiving the diagnosis this year aged 35

Rheumatoid arthritis is a long-term illness in which the immune system causes the body to attack itself, causing painful, swollen and stiff joints. It often starts when a person is between 30 and 50 years old.

Talking about how it has impacted his dance training Adam continued: ‘We’re trying our best to get through it and obviously there’s things I can and cannot do.

‘Some days are definitely tougher than others. Training in the morning is definitely a little bit harder, but we’re getting there. We’re doing alright. So far so good.’

Luba, 33, was in agreement, adding: ‘That’s exactly what I meant by [him] not complaining because he never says anything. 

‘I can see that he might hurt a little, but he never says a thing. We just keep moving and keep going.’

The candid chat comes after The Waterloo Road actor was spotted wearing a wrist support on Wednesday as he left rehearsals. 

Speaking to The Mirror last week, Adam told how, since January, he has been left in agony with severe pain in his knees which then travelled to his ankles, toes, wrists and fingers.

After several hospital visits and blood tests, Adam was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis which came as a surprise given his young age.

Feeling good: Despite his struggles, Adam seemed in good spirits as he larked around with Luba outside the BBC studios following their interview 

Funnyman: Adam revealed on BBC breakfast that he is not threat to the other contestants and wants to concentrate on his own journey and making dad dancing cool

He said: ‘I’ve not talked about this before but no-one really knows the pain I’ve been going through. I put on a brave face but it’s been difficult to keep that persona up. Emotionally and physically, it’s had a huge impact on my life this year.’

Adam said the pain he was in was sometimes so severe he was left barely able to walk or unable to get out of bed.

He added: ‘I just never saw this coming and I didn’t know what was happening to me. I was like: “Can someone just give me an answer as to what is going on.” The pain was such that I couldn’t even walk down stairs and I could just stay in bed all day.’

Adam told how the phone call from the Strictly producers came at exactly the right time as it’s given him the chance to ‘move again’.

He said: ‘I am slowly getting my arthritis under control, and it’s a chance for me to get out there again and to get fit and move again, and I’m just very thankful for it. It’s about trying to climb out of that hole and just trying to stay positive.’

Strictly Come Dancing’s first live episode airs on Saturday at 6:45pm on BBC One and iPlayer.

Strictly Come Dancing 2023: Who are the couples?

 Nigel Harman and Katya Jones

 Bobby Brazier and Diane Buswell

Annabel Croft and Johannes Radebe

 Zara McDermott and Graziano Di Prima

 Amanda Abbington and Giovanni Pernice

 Angela Rippon and Kai Widdrington

 Krishnan Guru-Murthy and Lauren Oakley

 Angela Scanlon and Carlos Gu

 Ellie Leach and Vito Coppola

 Adam Thomas and Luba Mushtuk

 Jody Cundy and Jowita Przystał

 Layton Williams and Nikita Kuzmin

Nikita Kanda and Gorka Marquez 

 Les Dennis and Nancy Xu

 Eddie Kadi and Karen Hauer