Adam Thomas has admitted he "still doesn't know" the routine he and Strictly Come Dancing partner Luba Mushtuk will perform in a matter of days.
The 35-year-old revealed on Tuesday that he'd fallen ill and was forced to miss a day's rehearsal as well as a day on the set of Waterloo Road.
Speaking on Wednesday, a downbeat Thomas admitted he was making a return to the rehearsal studio but was still feeling worse for wear and seemed less than enthused about the prospect of performing in just a few days' time.
Speaking to the camera in a post on his Instagram, Thomas told his one million followers: "Thank you for your get-well messages, it really means a lot.
"Obviously not feeling the best today, although a bit better than I was yesterday...
"But yeah, the show must go on," Thomas continued before he revealed the repercussions that being taken ill has had on his preparations.
Adam Thomas reveals he's been ill ahead of Week Five
INSTAGRAM/ADAM THOMAS
He explained: "It's Wednesday and I still don't know my routine... missed a day's training yesterday, missed work yesterday."
Thomas let out a huge sigh, as he tried to muster up some optimism and said: "Come on, let's go."
His disappointment was plain to see, echoing the message he shared in a post on Tuesday from his bed where he penned: "Of all weeks to be poorly!"
And Thomas' dismay is no surprise given how much he and Mushtuk impressed this past week on the Strictly dancefloor.
In what all the judges described as his best dance of the series so far, Thomas rocketed up the leaderboard and finished third for the week following his Waltz.
Only Layton Williams - who recently admitted asking for "more money" from show bosses for therapy - and Nigel Harman finished higher than him on the leaderboard.
He racked up a score of 32 from the likes of Craig Revel Horwood, Shirley Ballas, Motsi Mabuse, and Anton du Beke for the dance to I Wonder Why by Curtis Stigers.
The same couldn't be said for Paralympian Jody Cundy, however, who became the third eliminated star of the 2023 series after losing the dance-off to Eddie Kadi.
The result seemed a likely one given Cundy had finished the week at the foot of the leaderboard but Strictly fans were still left fuming to discover the result had leaked online prior to Sunday's results show.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Adam Thomas and Luba Mushtuk have improved throughout the series
BBCHeading into Week Five, Thomas will be hoping to wow BBC viewers once again and avoid the fate that befell Cundy and fellow eliminated stars Les Dennis and Nikita Kanda.
The songs and dances for Week Five have also been unveiled, with Thomas and Mushtuk tasked with performing a Couple's Choice in the ballroom.
The duo will perform to a Backstreet Boys Medley by the iconic American boy band in the hopes it's enough to sail through to Week Six.
