HEARTBREAKING: Strictly’s Tabby Stoecker shares painful update as fans show support
Strictly Come Dancing star Tabby Stoecker has been flooded with support after revealing the painful reality of her first week of training with professional partner Mark Karmalita.
The 25-year-old skeleton athlete shared a series of behind-the-scenes photographs on Instagram documenting the beginning of her Strictly journey following the official 2026 launch show.
Captioning the carousel “Finding #strictly”, Tabby gave fans a glimpse inside rehearsals with Mark before joking about what the demanding training had already done to her feet.
“Swipe to see a perfect depiction of how my feet are feeling after 1 week of training,” she wrote.
The final image showed a painting of a swollen red foot being bitten by a demon — a dramatic representation of the discomfort she has been experiencing since swapping skeleton racing for the ballroom.
Mark Karmalita Calls Tabby a ‘Trooper’
Tabby’s post quickly attracted support from her fellow Strictly stars.
Graeme Hall, who is also competing in this year’s series, responded with a sad face and high-heel emoji.
Mark then jumped in to defend his celebrity partner, replying: “She’s a trooper.”
He also joked about Tabby’s painful final picture, commenting: “The last slide” alongside a laughing emoji.
Fellow professional dancer Maddie Ingoldsby offered her encouragement too, writing: “GO TEAM GO TEAM.”
Dani Dyer responded with a string of heart-eyed emojis, while Tabby’s fellow skeleton star and former Olympic champion Amy Williams praised the new partnership.
“What a couple great team,” Amy wrote.
The supportive reaction came shortly after Tabby and Mark were officially confirmed as one of the 15 partnerships competing in the new series.
Tabby Hopes Strictly Will Reveal Another Side of Her
While sore feet may already be presenting an unexpected challenge, Tabby has made clear that her ambitions for Strictly go far beyond learning to dance.
The athlete said she hopes the experience will allow her to discover more confidence away from the sporting environment she knows so well.
“I’d love to find some confidence in who I am outside of my sport,” she explained.
Tabby said she is accustomed to competing while wearing what she described as a kind of “armour”, with her helmet concealing much of her individuality.
On Strictly, there will be nowhere to hide.
“It’s going to be all about stripping those layers away and showing people who I truly am,” she said.
The prospect is intimidating but also something she is embracing.
“It’s so vulnerable to express yourself fully but I’m craving the opportunity to explore who I am and share it with the world,” Tabby added.
“No more smiling behind a helmet!”
Former Contestants Gave Her One Major Warning
Before beginning rehearsals, Tabby spoke to former Strictly contestants about what she should expect from the competition.
Their biggest warning was straightforward: do not underestimate the physical demands of training.
“Do not underestimate how hard the training is,” she recalled being told.
There was another particularly practical piece of advice.
“And blister plasters… lots and lots of blister plasters!”
After just one week of rehearsals, Tabby’s latest update suggests that warning was well founded.
‘I Definitely Look Like I’m Enjoying Myself’
Unlike some contestants entering the ballroom with previous dance experience, Tabby admitted she does not have formal training to fall back on.
Asked how her friends and family might describe her dancing ability, she joked that enthusiasm could currently be her strongest asset.
“I think they’d say I’ve got rhythm and that I definitely look like I’m enjoying myself,” she said.
However, she quickly added: “But I don’t necessarily have any of the skills to back up my enthusiasm!”
That lack of experience is part of the challenge Tabby has embraced as she moves from elite winter sport into an entirely different kind of competition.
Skeleton requires speed, precision and extraordinary courage, but ballroom dancing will force her to perform without the helmet and equipment she has spent years relying upon.
Tabby Gets Plenty of Support Ahead of First Dance
Tabby and Mark are still at the beginning of their partnership, but their social media exchanges suggest they have already developed a supportive relationship.
Mark’s description of Tabby as a “trooper” came as fans and fellow contestants rallied around her painful training update.
For Tabby, the aching feet may simply be the first sign of how demanding the weeks ahead will become.
But she has made clear that she wants to use Strictly for something more personal than simply learning routines.
After years of expressing herself through sport while hidden behind a helmet, she is hoping the ballroom will finally give viewers an opportunity to see the person underneath.
And judging by her first week of training, she is already discovering exactly why those former contestants told her to stock up on blister plasters.