George Clarke, a beloved face on Strictly Come Dancing, shares a deeply personal story that left fans rallying with love and support.

George Clarke is appearing in this year’s Strictly Come Dancing. (Image: BBC)

Strictly Come Dancing favourite George Clarke has opened up about the terrifying ordeal that almost cost him his mum’s life and fans have piled in with messages of love and support.

The 25-year-old creator, known online as George Clarkey, revealed how his mother was suddenly rushed into intensive care back in 2015 after collapsing without warning. At the time, doctors diagnosed her with encephalitis, a severe brain inflammation, and gave her just a 20% chance of survival.

George recalled how his mum had always been “kind and giving, making cards, cakes, and chocolate bars” for him and his sister, before everything changed in a single moment.

George and his dance partner stepped out in Blackpool today (Image: BBC)

“I saw her being wheeled out, and she didn’t recognise me,” he said, describing the devastating moment their world shifted. That summer became a blur of hospital visits as she slowly relearned who her children were.

“She even called me ‘Fat Boy’ for a while!” he added. Alongside memory loss, she was left without a sense of taste, smell, or direction — yet still apologised to her family for what they’d gone through.

George shared the story as part of World Encephalitis Day to raise awareness, stressing: “It’s not a joke; it’s about recognising the challenges and showing support. I’m incredibly lucky to still hear her laugh.”

Fans immediately flooded him with heartfelt comments, with one supporter writing: “Proud of you — so hard to open up but it’s so important.”

Another added: “That sounds awful, she’s such a fighter, thank you for raising awareness of this illness George.” A third wrote to him: “It must have taken a lot to share this. Thank you.”

It comes as George and his dance partner Alexis Warr enjoyed a day at the arcades as they stepped out for rehearsals ahead of the Blackpool ballroom special. The pair appeared in high spirits as they wore matching I love Blackpool T-shirts.

Meanwhile, Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin explored the city’s sights on an open-top bus tour.

Judges Craig Revel Horwood, Shirley Ballas and Anton Du Beke also explored the city as they enjoyed a virtual game at the pier. Lewis Cope and Katya Jones had a craving for the local cuisine and enjoyed a tray of fish and chips.