Strictly Come Dancing have rallied to support emotional contestant Matt Goss as he cried during his elimination while paying tribute to the loved ones he has lost. Bros star Matt and his pro partner Nadiya Bychkova were sent home on Sunday night's results show after a dance-off with Kym Marsh and Graziano Di Prima.
Singer Matt, who to shot to fame in the late 80s with his twin brother Luke in the band Bros and went on to have a successful residency in Las Vegas, left the dancefloor after all four judges opted to save former Coronation Street actress Kym. He was comforted by Nadiya who addressed critics, saying "not many people know you."
Viewers took to Twitter to say the 'shy' star had been 'misunderstood' as he bowed out of the BBC dance contest. And Matt wiped away tears as he said: "I'm sorry I'm emotional. I'm an emotional person. I wish my mum was here and my sister was here."
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In 2019 Matt, 54, spoke about the devastating loss of his mum Carol and his sister Carolyn with presenter Kate Thornton on the White Wine Question Time podcast. He said the impact of his mum's 'very violent' death in 2014 and losing his sister at the eight of Bros fame is something that he's been struggling to get over.
Matt moved his mum to Los Angeles to live with him during her final days after she was diagnosed with breast cancer and his care for her involved draining her lungs every day. He explained that his mother’s death at his home was sudden and he struggled with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after she passed away.
He told Kate: "We got her an IV and that ruptured her stomach and it was a very, very violent experience that I saw. I knew that I wouldn't have a mother within 12 hours and sure enough it was 12 hours later she passed.”
“I actually went to see a grief counsellor after mum passed,” Matt told Kate. "She said I had PTSD because of what happened, and it didn't compute with me." He said: "What happened was so graphic and something I worked through and manage to not see every day now."
Matt spoke to Kate about how he wished he could go back in time and have a conversation with his mum about her favourite things. “I didn't have that conversation. I was so terrified,” he explained. “I wish I'd gone back there and been less fearful and ask the questions that could keep me company now, you know, things that would allow me to paint a wall a certain colour that she loved.”
Matt also spoke about losing his sister, who was killed, alongside her friend, in 1988 when he was 20. “She was one week away from going on a kibbutz to help people,” Matt said. "And was killed by a drunk driver and her best friend and himself, so three people died that day."
Matt says he has only just started to feel better about himself. “It's just been, I think, one of the things that I've come to terms with for the longest time,” he said.
“I'm talking so recently that I felt guilty about being happy. I felt guilty about having a good time. I was like, ‘How do I have the right to feel happy when I've lost something?’ Now I'm starting to feel okay about being happy."
Bowing out of Stictly, he said: “It’s an extraordinary experience, I have been in America for 25 years." Thanking the judges and his partner he said: "Thank you judges for your candour, you’ve helped me in many ways. My posture – Anton, I am more aware of it. This lovely lady beside me, a world champion with all the patience. I am very honoured to have danced with you, and everyone who is still in, I love you guys, go smash it guys.”
Asked if she had any words for her partner, an emotional Nadiya said: “First I’m so grateful that I got to teach and dance with a music icon. But, more important than this, I got the privilege to get to know Matt, for who you really are."
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