08 February 2024 , 10:43
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Strictly Come Dancing star Rhys Stephenson has opened up about the difficult hidden battle with stress and anxiety he faced while appearing on the BBC show.
Rhys, who was best known as a CBBC presenter before his stint on Strictly Come Dancing, revealed that being a part of the competition was one of the most stressful times of his life and that every week before the live shows, he felt as though he wouldn't be able to go through with it - but he was able to make it to the semi-final.
The TV presenter starred in the 2021 series of the BBC One competition alongside professional dance partner Nancy Xu. Although Rhys made it further than he thought he would, ultimately, it was Giovanni Pernice and EastEnders star Rose Ayling-Ellis who went on to lift the coveted Glitter Ball Trophy. Strictly also featured its very first same-sex couple during Rhys' series as John Whaite and Johannes Radebe made history.
The CBBC presenter reached the semi-final i 2021 (BBC)Speaking to The Mirror about the struggles he faced during his time on the show, Rhys, who is also a Children's Mental Health Week and Place2Be ambassador, credited the counsellors and mental health support on the show for getting him through his stress battle.
"Moving from CBBC to Strictly was huge for me. The jump was just so big - from modest children's television to suddenly prime-time BBC One was astronomical for me. If you make a mistake on CBBC you laugh about it and the kids think it's funny, but when you're dancing, if you make a mistake, it's all over for you. You could be sent home and suddenly you're out of the series and life has changed again. It's huge, huge, pressure.
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"To this day, I have never known nerves like it. That's mainly because I have always been such a huge fan of Strictly, and had obviously watched it for years before being on it. I just told myself that I couldn't go home early. I couldn't bare the thought of having to be sent home and watch the series and everyone else continuing on their journey. I put a lot of pressure on myself and I think it just bubbled up into stress and anxiety before every show - it was a lot to deal with."
Rhys was partnered with professional dancer Nancy Xu (BBC / Guy Levy)Rhys went on: "It was very, very, hard. However, the show was incredible as it provided people for me to talk to who could help me through it. They provided a listening ear to me and other contestants so that I could actually express myself and share my struggles. Doing Strictly was 100% one of the hardest things, physically and mentally, that I have ever dealt with."
Despite his battle with stress and anxiety, Rhys's Strictly Come Dancing journey forced him to grow as a person, face his fears, and know that he can in fact deal with anything when push comes to shove. "Doing Strictly proved to me that I could actually do a lot more than I ever thought I could. It showed me that I can be a man of action and I can step up to the plate when I need to - despite my anxieties. To get through that physical stress and the mental toll that comes with it, I feel so proud to have made it as far as I did."
TV presenter Rhys is a proud ambassador for Place2Be - a children and young people's mental health charity - and is raising awareness for Children’s Mental Health Week which is currently in it's tenth year. The week aims to equip, empower and give a voice to children across the UK. Each year, Place2Be’s clinical experts develop free resources and activities to encourage schools, families and organisations to take part in the week and have important conversations about mental health.
Learn more, and access free resources at childrensmentalhealthweek.org.uk.