RTÉ's Teresa Mannion, whose report from the eye of Storm Desmond went viral in December 2015, has said that her weather-themed debut routine on Dancing with the Stars will "have everybody smiling".
Speaking to RTÉ Entertainment, the reporter admitted that she and her professional dance partner John Edward Nolan "aren't taking ourselves too seriously" in their first dance, a tango.
"It is a light entertainment show, so we have put our own interpretation on it. It's weather themed", she laughed." I think it will have everybody smiling more than anything. It's fun!"
The journalist was "on a bit of a high today" ahead of her routine on Sunday night's second episode, where the female contestants will make their debut.
"I'm actually feeling good today, it's funny I'm feeling a bit of a high because it's all so close now. We practiced again today and I really feel we have it nailed now! The awful nerves are kind of gone, it's a bit more pre-show nerves now. I feel quite good about the routine."
#DWTSIrl @gbayfm @daveoconnell1 Rehearsing first dance in Galway. Big thanks to @CTribune today @johnednolan pic.twitter.com/5Xsr0wv1y1
— TERESA MANNION (@TeresaMannion) January 12, 2017
Although she thinks she "may have gotten labelled the most nervous" out of all the contestants, she says they're all in the same boat.
"To be honest, I think we've all been pretty nervous, so I'm not really that different to anybody else", she explained. "I did have waves of anxiety last week, and now this weekend I feel like I'm ready for my first dance routine."
She and her dance partner John will be taking to the glittering dance floor for a tango, which Mannion said is "simmering". Her role in the tango is to be "haughty and feisty", but she added that it won't be very serious.
The RTÉ News Galway journalist said that taking part of the show is "tiring because as well as the physical training, your head is going all the time trying to remember these steps", and also the commute and amount of time involved mean it's a "huge commitment, there's no question, you have to give it all".
However, Mannion said her experience on the show so far has "just been a gift".
"It's hard to describe, it's intense and it's time consuming but it's such a wonderful opportunity to be given", she said. "I know it's a huge challenge and I'm so out of my comfort zone and it's so far away from my day job, but sometimes it's just good to grasp an opportunity and run with it.
"I feel I'm getting really fit as well, I've lost 10 pounds, just from twirling and moving your body for hours on end!"
#DWTSIrl @RTEOne @endaob Back to the day job in Galway before the Tango next Sunday! pic.twitter.com/SI0RmVDiXa
— TERESA MANNION (@TeresaMannion) January 10, 2017
Her husband will be supporting from the audience on Sunday's show, and her two teenage sons will be coming to one of the later ones, "that's if I'm still in it", she said with a laugh.
Mannion joked that sons thought her viral video fame would eventually dissipate, but "now look what happened, I'm back centre stage, dancing!"
And are they proud of her? "They actually are, they're just typical teenagers, some of my younger nieces and nephews are besides themselves with excitement", she said.
The excitement levels are certainly mounting ahead of her solo dance routine debut, especially because the first show "got such a fantastic reaction".
"Hopefully it will help the old brain cells as well!" she said. "There are times when my brain and my feet just do not connect and that's so frustrating. It's hard being older and feeling 'I'm so bad at this, why can't I pick this up quicker?' And then when you do you're so elated, it's actually really all highs and lows. You've great days and then you have bad days and some days you feel 'I'm actually getting this'.
"I'm really happy with it so I hope the public like it!"
Getting ready to watch the ladies take to the dance floor for the first time on Sunday at 6.30pm on RTÉ One! 🎉💃🏼 #DWTSIrl pic.twitter.com/FzqSp2yjJM
— LHP (@LHPublicity) January 13, 2017
Mannion will be taking to the stage on Sunday along with Dr Eva Orsmond. Denise McCormack, Thalie Heffernan, Aoibhinn Garrihy and Katherine Lynch.
Watch episode two of Dancing with the Stars airs on Sunday January 15 at 6.30pm.
