Mass Goss has shown the costume team at Strictly Come Dancing a lot of love after they helped him disguise a hidden health condition. The singer was brought to tears as he thanked viewers and the team behind the BBC One show for welcoming him back to the UK as he exited the ballroom.
Partnered with professional dancer Nadiya Bychkova, Matt found himself in the dance off alongside Kym Marsh and Graziano Di Prima in Sunday night's results show. The Bros singer had to dance for place in the week five show, reperforming his jive to All Shook Up by Paul McCartney, reports the Manchester Evening News.
The pair failed to impress the judges with the performance the first time round, scoring just 20 points. Meanwhile, Kym, 46, excited the judges once more in their repeat performance of their samba to Volare by Gipsy Kings.
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After both coupled danced a second time, the judges panel revealed their verdict, which saw all four judges choose to save Kym and Graziano. Matt and Nadiya were the third couple to be eliminated from the show.
Post-show exit, Matt, 54, grew emotional as he spoke to presenter Tess Daley about how he felt he'd been embraced by the UK after spending so many years away in the United States. Nadiya praised her dance partner while Matt said: "I'm sorry I'm emotional, I'm an emotional person... I wish my mum was here and my sister was here. You really have... the British public have made me feel really welcome so thank you."
He later talked about the disorder which had affected his image, explaining that the Strictly costume team had been 'kind and discreet' about it. The condition means affected individuals are born with missing or underdeveloped muscles on one side of the body.
Matt explained he had 'one pectoral muscle on the right side instead of two. The lower one is missing, but the upper one is fine and strong'.
As the frontman of Bros, whose popular hits include Drop The Boy and When Will I Be Famous, Matt said he used to 'pose covering that side of his chest'. The star heaped praise upon the Strictly team, saying: "It has been one of my favourite things about the Strictly experience.
"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. If I get a jacket made it will pull on the right side more. I have it tight on my right so it counterbalances my left side."
"Slim tailoring is good for me and my fashion is determined by my chest shape." But he was keen to make it clear that he was not "disadvantaged" on account of his condition.
Matt also wants to show children with Poland syndrome that they are just as capable and able as anyone else. He told The Mail: "I'm not disadvantaged, and I want kids to know that. I am going to look at creating some kind of charity to build confidence, to show kids with the syndrome they can achieve everything in life."
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