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‘Strictly Come Dancing helps me with my body problems’: Matt Goss, who has a rare condition that affects his muscles, says the TV show has improved his posture and confidence
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He has a rare condition that affects his muscles and means he needs specially made costumes for Strictly Come Dancing.
But Matt Goss says the challenges of appearing on the hit TV show have already improved his attitude and body confidence.
The 80s pop star has Poland syndrome, which leads to underdeveloped muscles on one side of the body. It can affect posture and cause abnormalities in the chest, shoulder, arm and hand.
But Goss, 54, who is trying to raise awareness of the condition he’s had since birth, said the way he’s handled the demanding dance routines of Strictly shows has “not been hurt” by it.
Last week, the BBC1 show judges were criticized by some fans for hitting the Bros singer too hard after Anton du Beke compared his frame to an ‘unmade bed’.
But Goss, who collaborates on the program with Ukrainian dancer Nadiya Bychkova, said: “My attitude has improved since I’ve been on Strict.
Matt Goss (pictured with Nadiya Bychkova) says the challenges of Strictly Come Dancing have already improved his attitude and body confidence
‘I want to say to the jury that I want to improve this through you and I am proud of my attitude. I want to thank them. This is a journey for me – I’m getting stronger every week.’
He added that he felt “elegant” in last week’s dance and that he thought his grandparents, who inspired the routine, would be proud of what he had accomplished.
He paid tribute to the show’s “very caring” costume team who produce his outfits.
“It’s been one of my favorite things about the Strictly experience,” he said. “The costume team were relative strangers at first, but from the start they’ve always been very nice and discreet – it really touched me.
“I have one pectoral muscle on the right side instead of two. The bottom one is missing but the top one is fine and strong.
“When I have a coat made, he pulls more on the right side. I have it tight on my right side so that it counterbalances on my left side. Slim tailoring is good for me and my fashion is determined by my breast shape.’
Goss also revealed that with his newfound confidence, he plans to recreate famous Bros photos from the 1980s. “No one will ever notice, but I often posed for that side of my chest,” he said.
“After Strictly I plan to take those pictures again and show my chest. Those original photos tell a story – I was self-conscious then.’
The 80s pop star has Poland syndrome, which leads to underdeveloped muscles on one side of the body
In a harrowing experience, when Goss was ten years old, he was told he might need to have his leg amputated
The musician – whose twin brother Luke does not suffer from Poland syndrome – hopes to help children with the same condition by showing how they can ‘achieve everything in life’.
He recalled a harrowing experience when, at the age of ten, he was told that he might have to have his leg amputated. “When I was a kid, the doctors didn’t know much,” he said.
“I remember . . . they thought I had a serious knee condition—septic arthritis—and that my leg might need to be amputated. I had fifteen doctors around my bed who talked about me like I wasn’t there.’
He added: “I’ve always been a confident man and I have a really strong upper body, but I know what it’s like for kids with this condition.
“I am not disadvantaged and I want children to know that. I’m going to look at creating some kind of charity to build trust, to show kids with the syndrome that they can achieve anything in life.”
Poland syndrome affects one in 20,000 newborns, and twice as many men as women. Experts say it often goes undiagnosed in children.