Strictly Come Dancing star Aljaz Skorjanec has revealed the “huge impact” skin condition psoriasis has had on both his confidence and his time on the BBC show.
Speaking exclusively to Entertainment Daily, Aljaz revealed he’s suffered from the skin condition for 10 years but only decided to speak about it for the first time this year.
He said that he hopes that he’ll break the taboo by talking about it and help others suffering from the same complaint.
What did Aljaz say about his illness and Strictly?
Aljaz revealed that he’s suffered from psoriasis since he was in his early twenties and he said it’s been exacerbated by work over the years.
“Right when I turned 20, that’s when I started getting patches on my elbows and my knees and that progressed with work.
Read more: John Whaite reveals real reason he actually requested a female Strictly partner
“Touring is stressful on your body with all the travel and it was getting worse and worse.
“I used to have to manage it with different creams as well as steroid creams that tend to help it over a short period of time. But as soon as you stop using them it comes back and comes back worse.”
Aljaz added that it has had a “huge impact” on him, both mentally and physically.
‘I always cover it up’
“We always see ourselves and our imperfections more than others and it’s a huge confidence killer,” he admitted.
“I would avoid wearing T-shirts, wearing shorts in public is one of the biggest no-nos of the last 10 years for me. I always cover it up.
“Four years ago it flared up just before Strictly and I pretty much wore turtlenecks for the whole season.
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“But the team are so understanding, there’s never a problem. They’ve always been really supportive and put me in long-sleeved tops if that makes me feel more comfortable.
“And Janette has been my rock. She is so supportive.”
However, Aljaz has recently been working with Medovie and, after using the products, he said he noticed an almost immediate difference.
“This is the first time in my life I can manage it and stay on top of it without using these very aggressive steroid creams.
“When it appears on your face it gets a bit tricky with what you want to put on it, you don’t want to make it worse. But I tried it for almost a month it was amazing.”
When it comes to Strictly, make-up, sweat and the stress on the body made things worse for Aljaz.
He admitted: “I let the team know on Strictly that it’s better for my skin to use natural products if possible because they don’t have as many chemicals.
“But it’s when you take the make-up off that my skin is irritated the most.
“It’s always the worst on the days after shows after you’ve been sweating and on your feet the longest and putting your body through stress.”
Aljaz and Janette’s Strictly future
However, the dancer isn’t letting that put him off of signing up for another series.
He and wife Janette Manrara have confirmed they’ll appear in the 2021 series and they’re “very excited” for it all to kick off, with Janette taking up a role on It Takes Two.
So how much longer will the couple stick around?
“I don’t know. We always say as long as they want to have us on the show.
“The show is such a big part of our careers. I don’t see myself stopping any time soon, but we’ll see.
“You never know what life brings. But Strictly has been amazing and I wouldn’t change it for anything.
Strictly is, for now, definitely the priority in our lives. Hopefully we’re going to stay there for a little bit longer.
“Strictly is, for now, definitely the priority in our lives. Hopefully we’re going to stay there for a little bit longer.”
However, once his time on the dance floor is up, Aljaz does have one ambition.
“In 10 years it would be lovely to be the first Slovenian judge of Strictly Come Dancing,” he said.
Away from the show Aljaz admitted he’s always loved the radio – something former partner Gemma Atkinson helped to fuel.
He said: “I’ve always loved it, it was my dream to be on the radio. When I danced with Gemma she was doing her radio show and I’d go in with her and I fell in love with that industry and type of work.”
Are they worried about the Strictly curse?
The couple have one of the strongest marriages in showbiz, with Aljaz admitting there isn’t one celebrity who Janette would feel jealous of him dancing with.
The word curse, it seems, just isn’t in their vocabulary.
He does have a dream partner he’d love to be paired with on the show, though.
“I’d love to be paired with Janette one day. That would be lovely.
“We wouldn’t have to train as much, it would be lovely,” he laughed.
Asked who’d be the boss of the partnership, Aljaz confirmed: “Janette would be in charge, definitely. She isn’t here with me now but the answer would be the same if she was here or not – Janette.”
There is another lady the dancer has in his sights though, although we’d take our hats off to the BBC if they managed to sign her…
“I’ve actually thought about it before, we should have a royal season one year,” Aljaz mused.
“Obviously it would be an incredible opportunity to dance with the Queen but I’m not sure she would be up for doing Strictly.
“I’m a huge admirer of the royal family, I always have been. I’m sure there would be a few of us fighting to dance with the Queen.”
Medovie is a new skincare brand, backed by science that provides long-term solutions to skin conditions. For more, visit the website here.
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