Former Emmerdale star Adam Thomas, who won I’m A Celebrity South Africa earlier this year, has candidly discussed his battle with arthritis with an emotional post on social media,
Adam Thomas has discussed his struggles with arthritis (Image: ITV/Shutterstock)
Adam Thomas has candidly discussed his struggles with arthritis. The actor, 37, who is best known for his roles in Emmerdale and Waterloo Road, received an official diagnosis for the autoimmune condition which can cause pain in the joins, almost three years ago, and much was made about it during his time on I’m A Celebrity earlier this year.
On Friday afternoon, Adam took to social media where he admitted that the condition had led him to becoming out of shape but now that he has managed to get his health under control, things are looking up.
He wrote on Instagram: “Arthritis had stopped me training for years. I was out of shape, stuck in bad habits and honestly felt like a shadow of the person I used to be.
“6 months later, after finally getting my autoimmune disease under control, eating better, moving more and staying consistent, everything started to change. “It wasn’t easy. There were plenty of tough days, but I refused to give up.” The actor, who is the brother of former Coronation Street actor Ryan Thomas and ex-Love Island contestant Scott Thomas, urged his followers who may be in a similar situation to never let any sort of health issue hold them back.
He said: “I’m still working on my confidence and still have a long way to go, but this journey has shown me what’s possible. If you’re living with an autoimmune disease, don’t give up on yourself. Keep fighting. You’ve got more in you than you think. “
Earlier this year, viewers watched the explosive live final of I’m A Celebrity…South Africa play out and, whilst Adam eventually won, it came after a much-discussed feud between himself and fellow contestant David Haye, with the boxer having accused him of not trying hard enough in camp.
Whilst the pre-recorded series was on air and playing out to the nation, Adam took to social media to discuss how sad he was to see it all on screen.
He said: “Not going to lie,this picture breaks my heart, as I know on the inside what I was dealing with and truth be told I thought it was all my fault. I now know that’s not the reality… My time in I’m a Celebrity South Africa was one of the toughest things I’ve ever been through, physically, mentally, and emotionally.
“Watching it back hasn’t been easy at all. There were moments I felt pushed to my absolute limit, and if I’m honest, times I didn’t even recognise myself. Living with arthritis is something I don’t really talk about, as much as I should do…but in there it really took its toll.
“My biggest fight was pretending to put on a brave face and trying to hide the pain! that can be exhausting within itself. There were days my body just didn’t want to keep going, but I did.
“I won’t sit here and say I handled everything perfectly, because I didn’t. I wish I spoke up for myself sooner. I wish I stood my ground instead of trying to keep the peace, but I’ve learned that being kind doesn’t mean being weak, and sometimes it takes going through tough moments to find your voice.
Despite the controversy, David stuck to his guns and explained to Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard during an appearance on This Morning: “Whenever there was a trial, his sickness popped up and I just called that out, I’m the type of person who sees something and says ‘Nah, you’re full of it.’
“It flares up at convenient times and I just called that out. He’s a super sweet guy but he’s a professional victim, he is a professional victim. I sat next to him on the plane for 10 hours and actually explained to him what banter is. “
Even though Adam is bitching and moaning now, he’s a nice guy. We’re cool but it wasn’t the worst time of his life. If he thinks it’s the hardest time of his life, we’ve got other campmates who can tell him it wasn’t.
“Because that wasn’t shown, he can milk it, and he’ll probably win it off the strength of all the old biddies going ‘Oh, poor Adam!’ That’s the narrative, it’s a TV show, they cut it how they want to cut it. But don’t take my word for it, watch the live show, listen to what the other campmates say
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