Matt Goss, a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing, has opened up about living with Poland syndrome, a condition affecting his muscles.
Partnered with professional dancer Nadiya Bychkova, the pop star shared his experience with The Daily Mail, revealing how the condition once troubled him. However, the encouragement from judges Shirley Ballas, Anton Du Beke, Craig Revel-Horwood, and Motsi Mabuse has inspired him.
“My posture has improved since being on Strictly,” Goss stated. “I want to say to the judges: ‘You’ve made me want to improve this and be proud of my posture’. I want to thank them. This is a journey for me – every week I am getting stronger.”
He praised the show’s costume department, who tailored designs to fit his unique frame. “The costume team were relative strangers at the beginning but from the start they’ve always been very kind and discreet – it has really touched me. I have one pectoral muscle on the right side instead of two. The lower one is missing but the upper one is fine and strong.”
Goss also explained how his condition affects his clothing choices. “If I get a jacket made, it will pull on the right side more. I have it tight on my right to counterbalance my left side. Slim tailoring is good for me and my fashion is determined by my chest shape.”
Boosted by his newfound body confidence, Goss now plans to retake famous photos from his time in the band Bros. “Nobody will have ever noticed, but I often used to pose covering that side of my chest. After Strictly, I plan to reshoot those pictures and show my chest,” he revealed. “Those original pictures tell a story – I was self-conscious then.”
Strictly Come Dancing airs on Saturdays and Sundays on BBC One, with the spin-off show Strictly: It Takes Two airing on weeknights on BBC Two. Both shows are also available on BBC iPlayer.
