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Bros star Matt Goss reveals Strictly stopped him becoming a recluse after mother's death

10 October 2022, 13:59

Smooth's Virtual Coffee Break with Matt Goss

By Mayer Nissim

Matt Goss had been asked to do Strictly on a number of occasions before it came at just the right time.

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Matt Goss has revealed that being asked to do Strictly Come Dancing saved him from becoming a recluse in the aftermath of his mother Carol's death in 2014.

The Bros star told The Mirror and other outlets at the launch of the show that he had been offered a spot on the dancing competition "a few times" over the years – having even performed a guest dance on the 2013 Christmas Special.

"I knew in a somewhat unhealthy way that I was becoming reclusive in my world because it was shows, concerts, touring," Goss said of his lie in the aftermath of his mum's death.

"And then I was retreating far too heavily, certainly on the 11th year of my residency and I was like...

"I lost my mum and I steamed through my grief with my work and I spent a little bit of time on my album."

Matt Goss & Nadiya Bychkova Viennese Waltz to Hold My Hand by Lady Gaga ✨ BBC Strictly 2022

He added: "Because of that I spent time throwing frisbees and kicking a football around Hyde Park and London got under my skin.

"I literally said, 'I want to go home'. Then literally two weeks after that, Strictly called and it was one of those things.

"I'm either going to go back to London and go to a reclusive place or I'm going to come and be really happy and meet people like Fleur [East], who is so full of life and so kind."

Would Matt or Luke Goss ever do Strictly?

Goss has previously opened up about the trauma of his mother's passing and how it deeply affected him.

I actually went to see a grief counsellor after mum passed," he told Kate Thornton's White Wine Question Time podcast back in 2019, revealing that he had to drain her lungs in her final days.

"She said I had PTSD because of what happened, and it didn't compute with me.

"It’s a memory that I've never spoken about, but it's one of those things that it's not just about leaving, it's the things that go into trying to keep her alive and trying to maintain her dignity."