Kym Marsh has opened up about her struggles with anxiety whilst competing in Strictly Come Dancing. The Manchester actress, who is best known for playing Michelle Connor in Coronation Street, appeared in the most recent series of the BBC dance competition.
The Morning Live presenter was partnered up with professional dancer Graziano Di Prima and the couple made their mark during their 10 week stint on the show, before losing out in the dance off in musicals week to CBBC star Molly Rainford and her partner Carlos Gu.
During her time in the competition, notable moments saw Kym being forced to take a week off after catching Covid-19 and dancing the American Smooth in tribute to her son Archie, who died in 2009 after being born prematurely.
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The 46-year-old actress, who is set to make her debut in the brand new series of Waterloo Road on January 3, has now admitted how badly her anxiety affected her experience on Strictly.
In an exclusive interview with Prima UK magazine, the former Hear'Say singer revealed that there were times during her rehearsals and performances on Strictly Come Dancing when her anxiety “reared its head” as she spoke about the challenges she faced on the show.
“I learned new skills, new things about myself, lost a fair bit of weight and met some amazing people," Kym said.
“I never saw myself as someone who was up there with the best dancers, but the whole experience taught me to give myself more credit.
“I’ve always been open about my struggles with anxiety, and there were times on set where it reared its head and threatened to take hold.
“I was nervous, but I discovered I could beat it and take control. That’s the lesson I’ll cherish most. I’ve realised how far I’m able to push myself and overcome things that I might think I’m too weak to do.”
After discovering her fate, Marsh spoke of wanting to make her father, who has been receiving treatment in hospital following a prostate cancer diagnosis, happy.
Following the show’s final, which saw Wildlife cameraman Hamza Yassin and his professional partner Jowita Przystal lift the glitterball trophy, Marsh added: “I want to keep working hard, setting a good example to my kids and spending lots of time with my grandchildren.
“The past few years have been about setting my sights high and challenging myself – and I’m going to continue to do that. There’s no point in just sitting there and thinking, ‘Right, this is it’. I want to keep testing my limits and proving my capabilities.”
This is not the first time that Kym has opened up about her anxiety after she stopped appearing on Morning Live in early 2022.
Kym told OK! Magazine : "Last year was really tough, especially after my dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer – that hit me like a tonne of bricks.
"I started suffering from really bad anxiety attacks and I knew I had to take some time away from work and spend some time with my family.
"I’ve been having talk therapy which I find really helps. I’m in a good place now and looking forward to getting back to work."
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