Yahoo News BBC Strictly Come Dancing star Aljaz Skorjanec's 'infuriating' health condition that started with one small symptom
Strictly Come Dancing favourite Aljaz Skorjanec has candidly shared his struggles with a challenging skin condition that leads to the formation of sore and itchy scales over his body. The professional dancer returned to the beloved BBC show for its landmark 20th anniversary series tonight, after taking a two-year break to focus on fatherhood with his daughter Lyra.
The pro has been open about his struggles with psoriasis after being diagnosed when he was just 18. Now 34, Aljaz has previously opened up about the condition in a heartfelt interview on the dance programme, expressing his desire to support others facing similar challenges.
Psoriasis is a skin disorder characterised by flaky patches of skin topped with scales that can be both itchy and painful, the NHS says. Aljaz has confessed that living with this condition has significantly impacted his self-confidence, leading him to conceal it during his time on Strictly.
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The Slovenian sensation, who is married to fellow Strictly professional and current It Takes Two presenter Janette Manrara, disclosed the moment he first realised something was amiss. Reflecting on his past, he shared: "When I was about 18, I stopped dancing competitively and it was a huge change in my life."
He continued, delving into the reasons behind his decision to step away from competitive dancing: "I'd had enough of the competition world there was so much politics involved and my parents had been supporting me financially, and I just didn't think I should do it any more. But I was unsure what I was going to do and this huge void made me stressed.
"It was around that time I started getting odd patches on my knees, which then spread to my elbows," he shared. After consulting a dermatologist who diagnosed him with psoriasis and prescribed steroid creams, his condition initially improved.
However, upon leaving home, his symptoms worsened. "I was 20 and it was really difficult because I didn't really fully understand why all of a sudden my skin was changing so drastically," he recalls. "It's not really the most aesthetically pleasing thing to have."
He expressed his frustration, noting:"I was getting frustrated because, for the world that I work in, appearances mean so much and it had gone everywhere even my face. But getting stressed only made it worse."
Aljaz has consulted approximately 20 specialists over the years, undergone allergy tests, and tried numerous products, but to no avail. He disclosed that he was so 'desperate' to alleviate the condition that he had received an injection 'straight into the psoriasis'. He continued: "It was very frustrating because each time, I would think I'd found a solution, but after a couple of weeks my skin would get back to its old ways and the problem seemed to come back worse than before, which felt even more infuriating."
The Strictly Come Dancing star also revealed that he had concealed his condition on the BBC dancing show and generally in life. "I was always really conscious of what I was wearing," he said. "I would rarely wear a short-sleeved t-shirt and still now you are never going to see me wearing shorts unless I'm on holiday somewhere hot and I have to. I'd never take any photos of me really bad because that's when you don't want anyone to see you."
He acknowledged that the long hours and stress of Strictly can lead to flare-ups. He noted that the show's costumes, which induce sweating, tend to exacerbate the condition. He further shared: "[Back] in 2016, when I danced with Daisy Lowe, my psoriasis was at its worst. I was pretty much in a turtleneck and long sleeves for the whole series. The costume department is so supportive and understanding though, and I never feel like it is a problem for anyone but me."
