Former Strictly contestant Adam Thomas opened up about his challenging fight with arthritis on This Morning.
In conversation with Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley, the ITV show’s viewers were moved as Adam detailed just how severe his pain was, revealing that he sometimes needed help from his wife to dress.
Dr Zoe Williams responded to Adam’s choice to halt medication by advising, “With any illness like this, lifestyle first. If people can get themselves better and manage their illness with a lifestyle approach, fantastic.”
He has chosen to follow an all-meat diet which, according to Dr Zoe, isn’t recommended for the long term because it might lead to nutritional deficiencies.
Nonetheless, given that Adam used to rely on his wife’s aid due to excruciating pain but now relishes going to the gym and has improved mobility thanks to his diet, Dr Zoe conceded it would be difficult to convince him otherwise.
Amidst Dr Zoe’s discussion, Adam interjected, affirming his past dependence on his wife’s help and shared how his condition impacted his performance on Strictly Come Dancing,, reports Leeds Live.
Adam graced the dance floor in 2023 with professional dancer Luba Mushtuk, staying in the competition until week seven of the BBC’s glitzy show. On reflection, he shared with the presenters, “I got the diagnosis literally just before I did Strictly. I signed up to do Strictly way before any of this.”
The actor revealed his health challenges and the impact it had on his performance: “So, I just thought the pain would go away, and it didn’t. Doing Strictly, it was very challenging.”
Despite the difficulties, Adam maintained his sense of humour, especially when responding to Ben’s playful jab at his dance moves with a chuckle, “You had to go there, didn’t you? ! But, you look back at some of the dances and I don’t do any lifts or any swirls or anything like that. I couldn’t lift her up. But, even after the diagnosis it’s finding the right medication that works for you and every body is different.”
When asked by Ben if his condition might affect his family, Adam confirmed, expressing deep concerns about the future: “That’s what worries me the most. My kids might possibly get this one day. So I’m doing everything and anything I can do now to try and find a blueprint, so if it does happen, then I can pass that information on.”
Adam spoke about his treatment regimen, highlighting a brief period of chemotherapy that brought with it nausea and overwhelming fatigue as side effects.
Adam openly shared with Ben and Cat his decision to stop taking medication in favour of adopting the carnivore diet, a move he believes has spurred his recent upturn in health, particularly highlighting the beneficial shifts noticed just prior to Christmas. He concluded optimistically: “It’s been a long journey, but I’m starting to see light at the end of the tunnel now, which is good.”
Get the latest celebrity gossip and telly news sent straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily Showbiz newsletter here.