Adam Thomas reveals tearful calls with wife after joking about Strictly curse
BEFORE joining the show he cockily joked about “bringing on the Strictly curse” – but married actor Adam Thomas has since had to eat his words.
The Waterloo Road star, who is partnered with blonde Russian pro Luba Mushtuk, explains he has struggled being apart from his wife of six years, Caroline.
In his case, the BBC1 dance show hasn’t sounded the death knell for his relationship — as it has for so many other celebs in the past.
In fact, he insists rehearsing round the clock has made him cherish his missus even more.
Adam, 35, said: “Absence definitely makes the heart grow fonder because I’m constantly ringing her going, ‘God, I love you so much’.
“She just rang me, crying, going, ‘You don’t know how much it means’.
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“I’m so used to being at home all the time as well. We are definitely missing each other.
“It’s the biggest emotional rollercoaster you could possibly ever imagine.
"I never in my wildest dreams thought that it would be as tough as it is.”
Adam — who has a son Teddy, nine, and five-year-old daughter Elsie with Caroline, 32 — isn’t just suffering the emotional agony of being apart from the professional dance teacher.
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He also has to deal with having rheumatoid arthritis, a painful condition which sees the immune system cause the body to attack itself, leading to swollen and stiff joints.
He was in so much discomfort earlier this year that he was stuck in bed or on crutches, and it was touch and go whether he would be able to do Strictly.
But Adam and Caroline, who met in 2007 when he was just 19, are doing everything they can to keep him on his feet throughout the competition.
He said: “I’m doing all the magnesium baths and stuff.
“There’s a lot of that and lots of physio. Sleep is really important too.
"My wife is the best as well. I’ll get in late and she’ll run me a hot bath and then I’ll just get in bed. Then she starts giving me a foot massage.
“This competition is the most full-on experience, it’s like a HIIT (high intensity interval training) session every time we finish our routine. I’m sweating, dripping.
“I now know why people lose weight when they do this show and tone up because of dances like the jive.”
But Adam, who has happily posed topless to show off his toned physique, says he hasn’t seen much of a difference in his body since dancing on the programme — because Luba is a feeder.
He added: “I feel like I’m putting on weight. I don’t know what’s happened. Luba’s bringing me too many snacks!
"I get home, I’m not even hungry. I’m thinking, ‘Why am I not hungry?’. Honestly, I arrive at the studio. It’s like a tuck shop. I’ve got so much to choose from.
“She’ll come with dried fruits and stuff. I’m like, ‘dried fruits?’.”
Adam’s experience means he’ll be able to pass on tips to his older brother Ryan Thomas, 39, best known for playing Jason Grimshaw on Coronation Street.
He has just been announced as the latest signing for Dancing On Ice, ITV’s equivalent of the Beeb’s dance show, which means the Thomas siblings are both in training at the same time.
Adam said: “It’s crazy that we’re both doing different dancing shows.
He keeps going, ‘Yeah, mine’s going to be a lot harder than yours’. I’m like, ‘Ryan, you have no idea!’.
"I’m telling him, ‘Mate, are you sure this is a good idea? Because obviously it’s hard work’. I’m buzzing for him and he seems to be really happy as well.”
Adam’s profile has been somewhat helped over the years by the fact he’s one of the good-looking trio of Thomas brothers.
Ryan set the ball rolling when he joined the cast of Corrie in 2000, but his little brother then signed up for BBC1 school drama Waterloo Road, before landing the part of Adam Barton in Emmerdale in 2009.
In 2016, Adam’s twin, Scott, appeared on Love Island and finished third after being paired up with Kady McDermott, now 28.
But Adam has arguably seen the greatest variety in his career.
When he was still on Emmerdale in 2016, he appeared on ITV’s I’m A Celebrity, then, two years later, he left the soap.
He rejoined the cast of Waterloo Road in 2023 as Donte Charles — a role he had previously played, only this time his character, a former pupil, is all grown up and has become the school caretaker.
Luckier still, Adam had his real-life lad Teddy play his on-screen son, which meant they got time together.
Sadly, that has not been the case since he signed up for Strictly.
He said: “I’m not even seeing my kids. I get home at 12 o’clock at night, they’re in bed and then I’m up for work again.
“Sometimes that can get on top of you because I am so used to being with the kids and doing the school runs and picking them up.
“But, look, it’s not going to be for ever. I’ve just got to be grateful for the opportunities I’ve got. And they get to see their dad every Saturday night on Strictly.”
Last week they watched him take to the dance floor for Movie Week as Super Mario, as he and Luba performed a jive to A-Ha’s Take On Me.
It scored them 26 points, in the middle of the scoreboard, but better than week one’s 19 and two’s 23.
Tonight they are doing a waltz to I Wonder Why, by Curtis Stigers. On Strictly: It Takes Two on Thursday, Adam said: “The waltz is one of my toughest dances so far. It’s slow but very technical. This is the dance
"I’ve been wanting to do for so long, and hopefully I’ll get a perfect ten on the night.”
Though Adam says training has gone well this week, he is still nervous about the performance.
He said: “I am a confident guy, but being put in a scenario where you have to do something you’ve never done in front of millions, it is going to impact you.
“Sometimes I do probably let the pressure get to me a little bit.
“But you know what? I beat myself up because I made mistakes before, and this week I’m just going to go, ‘If I make mistakes, I make mistakes’.
“I’m constantly looking for perfection — and I’ve been dancing for three weeks! It’s never going to be perfect. I’ve just got to go out there and do the best job I can do.”
Adam’s secret tactic is trying to emulate one of the ultimate dance icons, movie A-lister Patrick Swayze.
But if he is going to be like the Dirty Dancing hunk, he will need to ban Luba from dishing out the snacks.
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He said: “If I’m going to be channelling Patrick Swayze I need to get the physique.”
- Strictly Come Dancing continues on BBC1 tomorrow night at 6.30pm.
