She’s used to the pressure on the pitch but the dancefloor is very different.
Stephanie Roche was first up on Dancing with the Stars on week one and while she danced her heart out she was rewarded a low score of 13.
It means that she was bottom of the leaderboard after her first dance and she admits that she does think it was a “harsh” score.
Speaking to VIP Magazine ahead of her second week on the dancefloor, she tells us: “All my teammates and friends who know me messaged me to tell me that I did quite well. It was nice to have that support.
“I thought they were a little bit harsh, but that’s just the way it goes. I know I’m not the best dancer, I know I probably won’t win the show. But I just want to improve every week. This is an experience I’ll never have again so I want to enjoy it.”
But she admits that she has an incredible support group, including her husband, Dean Zambra who has been in her corner for almost 16 years. The pair tied the knot last year and life has never been better.
“He’s been brilliant. After last week’s show, he knows how competitive I can be and how much it means for me to do my best. He was so supportive, he thought I was brilliant, he was delighted for me and he thought I did really well.
“He’s been more annoyed about where we finished up on the show than I am. He’s always encouraging me and telling me to keep going. He’s been brilliant, he really has,“ she laughs.
Dancing with the Stars continues on RTÉ One at 6:30pm on Sunday
