While he's impressing the judges on the dancefloor in the latest season of Strictly, Emmerdale actor Adam Thomas is keen to remind fans that while he might be smiling on the outside, he's still battling with a painful health condition.
The Waterloo Road actor took to Instagram earlier this week to share he was undergoing tests in hospital for his arthritis, and on Thursday he shared a series of posts giving insight into his condition, in honour of World Arthritis Day.
Explaining how his arthritis makes him feel, Adam shared an infographic reading: "The fatigue is real. We aren't lazy, we are simply exhausted."
© InstagramAnother candid post read: "The pain is not in our head. Some days I can manage, some days I can't. Not every day is the same."
A third read: "Just because we look okay, doesn't mean that we are."
While his posts seem downbeat about his condition, Adam reassured fans he was staying positive while he was in hospital, sharing a photo from his bed. "One day I will get my arthritis under control but until then... more bloods and more doctors. Staying strong."
Ahead of his turn on the ballroom floor, Adam revealed he was worried that his condition would impact his abilities. "It's been hard not being able to train properly, it's has had a huge knock-on effect for me personally, but not only that for my family too!!"
He continued: "I know it’s going to be tough and I’ve definitely got my work cut out but am up for the challenge and cannot wait to get on that dance floor!!"
© Ken McKay/ITV/ShutterstockIn a chat with HELLO!, he spoke candidly about his concerns, explaining: "I'm very worried about it, there's no there's no shadow of a doubt about that.
"I'll just hopefully crack on and hopefully the pain isn't too much. It's gonna set me back a little bit, there's things I can and cannot do, just got to work with it. And I've got an amazing dancer."
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Despite his reservations, Adam has been impressing on the dancefloor so far, scoring 26 on this week's show, which saw him dress as Mario, inspired by The Super Mario Bros. Movie for the show's movie week.
The actor took to Instagram on Thursday night to reveal he and Luba were making their way down to London from Manchester for Saturday's performance – we can't wait to see what they've got up their sequinned sleeves!
