Hunk Matt Goss is hot to foxtrot and get ’em off on Strictly Come Dancing.
Bookies are so confident Matt will sweep his fans off their feet that he is already a favourite to reach the show’s final. But Bros singer Matt, 53, who with twin Luke had massive hits with When Will I Be Famous and I Owe You Nothing, has more than winning on his mind.
Matt, who has never seen Strictly, wants to get in even better shape and feel sexy. Looking good is a serious business for the star.
He said: “I’ve been sparring three days a week and doing pilates. I did my physical the other day with squats and lunges and I really felt it in my bum.
“I only have a one-pack so hopefully I’ll get a six-pack. I’m looking forward to fake tan and wearing my little man thong. I don’t want lines.
“The buttons are pretty low on the shirts so you’ll be seeing my tattoos. I want to feel sexy. At times it’s nice to feel sexier.”
But he says there is no chance of him waltzing off with his pro dance partner.
Matt, in a romance with jewellery designer Chantal Brown, the ex-wife of former soap star Paul Nicholls, said: “I couldn’t care less about the Strictly curse. I’m not out to hurt anyone.
“For me, connection is based on more than if someone is beautiful. It’s based on emotional intelligence. Kindness is very important. But I’ve got my own demons to face with Strictly.”
Bros, which lasted six years from 1986, sold more than 16 million records. And Matt followed this up with huge success in Las Vegas.
His sell-out residency on the Strip over 11 years led to comparisons with Frank Sinatra and the US city has declared a Matt Goss Day, on August 8, his late mum Carol’s birthday.
In 2018 their BAFTA-winning documentary Bros: After the Screaming Stops made the band famous all over again. Yet, strangely, it is the prospect of being thrust back into the limelight that concerns him most.
He said: “I love being a private man. I started in showbusiness when there was no social media.
“Now I’m going on to the biggest show in the UK. My safety net has always been able to retreat but now I can’t do that so that’s the challenge.
“Bowie was one of my idols and he was very private. A lot of people are the same. I was told to be cautious, I’m f***ing sick of being cautious. I want to have fun and be me. There is more to me than Matt Goss and people can find out who I am.”
He is most excited about making a new group of friends on the dance contest. And he is sure Carol, who died of cancer in 2014, would approve. He also hopes Luke will be cheering him on.
“My mum always said, ‘I want to see you smile from your eyes’. “Now I have to find my peace and my happiness. Going on Strictly is part of that,” he said.
When Matt, born in Lewisham, South London, returned to the UK earlier this month he was mobbed by fans. And at London’s Soho Sanctum Hotel, to launch his new single Are You Ready, a long-standing fan who has overcome adversity approached the table.
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As Matt praised her, she welled up. This type of connection has given Matt the impetus to return to Britain.
He said: “The amount of love I receive is very healing. The fans are incredible.
“But my team, including Keith Bishop and Ray Santilli, make me feel safe again.
“I’m with people who really care. I didn’t have that before. I’m excited for this new chapter.”
The single Are You Ready, produced in association with Lewisham Records and Orbital Digital, is out today.
