Rose of Tralee Katelyn Cummins has been wowing the judges on Dancing with the Stars week after week.
However, Katelyn tells VIP Magazine that she was pretty daunted by the task at hand when she was first offered the opportunity. Before winning the Rose of Tralee, Katelyn was an apprentice electriction.
She has no performance experience. And the cameras, the lights and the comparison to the other stars weighed heavy on her.
“It definitely plays into my nerves. They’ve done a lot of public work and it definitely had a massive impact into how I my first week on Dancing on the Stars,” she admits.
“I was so relieved that I was later in the night because I was seeing how everybody else had done and how they had reacted to the cameras. The cameras were my biggest fear about going on Dancing with the Stars. It was like the cameras around all the time. Are you supposed to act a certain way in front of the cameras.
“It took a lot of time for my mind to get around, even in rehearsal. The other celebs and pros came in to watch us practice and that helped to have an audience.”
The 21-year-old is definitely more comfortable helping with calfing season at her home farm than filming a VT.
“I was really nervous, it played a huge factor in not knowing what the public eye was going to be like and how the cameras were going to be around me all the time. But I have to say in the last two weeks, like everyone is so, so supportive. I had said that I was so awkward in front of the camera and talking into the camera.
“When you have that support there and the encouragement to know that you don’t have to act a certain way, just be yourself, and to keep hearing that, it puts you more at ease. I think it did definitely impact me for a while, but I think now we’re okay.”
Despite her nerves, she is topping the leaderboard and she is one of the favourites to win the show. But the 21-year-old is not letting that concept weigh on her.
“The Bookies and all that hasn’t really played any impact on my mind. It was the same thing in Tralee, we had people betting on us all to win. But you get so bet into an experience, you actually forget that it’s a competition. I have one year of being in the spotlight and being able to get all these opportunities.
“And I just said yes to them because I know I only have one year to do it, and it’s more fun for me than anything. I’m trying to immerse myself in the experience. I wouldn’t say I’m ‘in it to win it’ but to win, it would be lovely. But that’s not the end goal.”
She mentioned the support she has in the show, none more than her current roommate – Tolü Makay.
“We were both so delighted for each other that you know we have both done so well in the show. No competition between us, and thankfully, our very supportive of each other,” she beams.
We’re loving their friendship!
Dancing with the Stars airs Sundays at 6:30pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player
