Actor Adam Thomas will make his official Strictly Come Dancing debut this weekend when he takes to the dance floor with his professional dance partner Luba Mushtuk to perform their first live dance.

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The former Emmerdale star has been open about his health issues and previously revealed that he was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune and inflammatory disease in which your immune system attacks healthy cells in your body by mistake, often targeting the joints.

In an exclusive interview with RadioTimes.com, Adam revealed how Strictly is supporting him with his condition.

He said: "We have a physio team, so I've literally just got a physio now. I've been talking with the physio team in Manchester as well where I'm training, so I've been to see them a couple of times as well and we're just keeping on top of it.

"Obviously, I'm dealing with arthritis, so it's just a different sort of thing that I'm dealing with, but we're all working together on what's best for me. The physio team and Luba as well – it's a big team effort. We're just trying to get the best out of the situation that I'm in."

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Adam's comments comes after the 35-year-old was spotted wearing a wrist support just days before the live shows.

He continued: "I think that the good thing about Strictly Come Dancing is that everyone's in pain as well! So it makes you feel like you're not just going through this on your own but it is what it is.

"I've got rheumatoid arthritis which I'm dealing with. There's some things that we can and cannot do. It's painful, there's no denying that, but we're dealing with it and everyone here has been amazing – the physio and the team. And I'm in very good hands.

"I'll be fine on Saturday night. I just don't know how long it will carry on, but we'll see," he added.

Adam previously opened up about how his arthritis is affecting training, admitting: "There's not been a day that I've woken up without being in pain."

"I'll be honest, its impact is already here. It's difficult, you know, there's some stuff that I can't necessarily do. Stuff that I'm in pain doing.

"I think since January, there's not been a day that I've woken up without being in pain – as drastic as it sounds, it's the truth. Every day is a struggle."

Strictly Come Dancing is on Saturday 23rd September at 6:15pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

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