Adam Thomas has never been one to hide his emotions—but his latest message has struck an especially deep chord with fans. In a raw and deeply personal tribute,

the Emmerdale and Waterloo Road star has publicly praised his wife, Caroline Daly, calling her his “best wife,” “best friend,” and emotional lifeline as

he continues to battle a debilitating chronic illness. The 37-year-old actor, best known to soap fans as Adam Barton on Emmerdale, has been candid in recent years

about his struggle with rheumatoid arthritis—a condition that quietly reshaped his life following what initially appeared to be a routine knee injury three years ago. What began as persistent pain slowly escalated into a diagnosis that left Adam physically exhausted, emotionally drained, and at one point, completely hopeless.

Now, in an emotional update shared with his followers, Adam has turned the spotlight away from his illness and onto the woman he says has carried him through the darkest moments of his journey.

“Genuinely the Best Wife”

In a moving Instagram post shared this week, Adam uploaded two intimate photographs showing Caroline—herself a professional dancer—administering his medication via injection into his thigh. The images, unfiltered and deeply human, captured the reality of life behind the scenes for the usually upbeat television star.

Alongside the photos, Adam poured his heart out.

“Shout out to my wife Caroline,” he wrote. “Genuinely the best mother, the best wife, nurse, and somehow still my best friend after 18 years together.”

He went on to describe the past month as particularly challenging, praising Caroline for being “everything” he has needed—emotionally, physically, and mentally.

“Always supporting me, always there, holding it down in ways big and small,” he continued. “From meal preps to keeping me on top of my medication. Yes, I still can’t inject myself.”

Love in the Smallest Moments

What resonated most with fans wasn’t just Adam’s gratitude—it was the tenderness in the everyday moments he described. Deep conversations in the bath. Arguments followed by laughter. Tears mixed with jokes. A relationship shaped not by perfection, but by endurance.

“Deep chats sitting in the bath together trying to solve life like we actually know what we’re doing,” Adam wrote. “We’ve laughed, we’ve cried, we’ve argued—obviously—but I wouldn’t change a single bit of it.”

He added that after nearly two decades together, Caroline remains the person he wants to talk to first, laugh with the most, and be completely himself around—a powerful testament to the strength of their bond.

“I adore that after all these years, you’re still my person,” he said, before jokingly awarding Caroline “family member of the month,” a light-hearted touch that underscored the love beneath the hardship.

A Long Road With Arthritis

Adam first revealed his rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis after years of unexplained pain following a knee injury. Last summer, he admitted that the condition had pushed him to the brink emotionally.

“I lost hope,” he confessed in a previous post. “I never thought I’d get my old life back. I was wrong.”

That sense of despair is something many people living with chronic illness will recognise. Rheumatoid arthritis, unlike wear-and-tear joint problems, is an autoimmune condition that can strike at any age, often leaving sufferers battling fatigue, inflammation, and relentless pain.

For Adam, the turning point came with biologic injections—advanced anti-inflammatory treatments that he now takes every two weeks. The results, he says, have been life-changing.

“No side effects. No brain fog. No throwing up,” he explained. “Nothing but pain-free.”

From Despair to Advocacy

While Adam is clear that the medication hasn’t cured the disease, he credits it with giving him back a quality of life he never thought he’d regain. He continues to focus on diet, recovery, and long-term wellbeing, holding onto hope that one day he may no longer need medication at all.

But until then, Adam has made it his mission to raise awareness.

“I want to bring hope to those who are suffering,” he said. “And also awareness to this disease, because I feel like it’s not talked about enough.”

His words have struck a powerful chord with fans living with arthritis and other invisible illnesses, many of whom have thanked him for speaking openly about a condition often misunderstood or dismissed.

“I see you. I feel you. And I know how hard it can be,” Adam wrote. “But don’t lose hope. Don’t lose yourself to this disease.”

A Love Story Built to Last

Adam and Caroline first met in 2007, when Adam was just 19. A decade later, they married at Delamere Manor in Cheshire, building a life that now includes their two children—son Teddy and daughter Elsie Rose.

Through fame, parenthood, illness, and uncertainty, their relationship has endured—and Adam’s tribute makes it clear that Caroline has been the quiet strength holding everything together.

As fans flooded the comments with messages of love and support, one thing became clear: this wasn’t just a celebrity update. It was a reminder of the power of partnership in the face of illness, and of the unseen heroes who care for loved ones without applause.

In sharing his story, Adam Thomas hasn’t just updated fans on his health—he’s offered a moving portrait of resilience, vulnerability, and love that grows stronger under pressure.