Dancing with the Stars contestant Denise McCormack has told RTÉ Entertainment that the first elimination this Sunday will be "awful", as everyone on the show has become so close in a short space of time.
The Red Rock star, who received the highest score with professional partner Ryan McShane last weekend, described the atmosphere in the dance studio this week as "fiercer" because everyone realises that time is so precious in the run-up to this Sunday's elimination.
"It will be awful - and to think we have to go through that every week," said the Dubliner. "We've been each other's fans; we've been each other's support network.
"I'm very conscious that everyone is putting themselves through the grinder. We're constantly checking in with each other - 'Are you alright? How are you feeling?'. We're not in our comfort zone; we're not doing what we're trained to do in life. It's a really frightening thing to do."
Super productive day at the #studio @denisemcactress is on a mission this week for Sunday's @DWTSIRL show! 💥
— RYAN Mc SHANE (@RYANMCS) January 18, 2017
Having watched BBC's parent show Strictly Come Dancing down the years, McCormack admitted that the biggest surprise for her as a contestant is how much she has taken the experience to heart.
"I remember watching it and all the contestants, they become like a close-knit group and their emotions are very high," she continued. "I remember thinking that's [over-the-top]. Now that I'm in it, the emotion has been the most shocking thing for me.
"I remember going out last week - I actually feel a bit emotional talking about it - and my family was in the audience. I was choked up when I stood on those steps. I don't know what it does, and I haven't worked it out yet, but I think it's a concoction of everything. It's very feral, almost. You're back to basics."
Looking ahead to her routine this weekend, McCormack said viewers would see something very different to her table-topping Jive.
"My first routine was quite pink and this is quite black - dark anyway!" she laughed. "There's a lot more drama in it so it's probably in my comfort zone. But still... I start over-thinking it then as it comes close to it and that's the wrong thing to do."
When asked if she was able to acknowledge how strong a debut performance she had put in last Sunday, McCormack replied that it took some time to see her dance with the right frame of mind.
The couple's Jive received 22 points from the judges last weekend
"It's like anyone: you look at a picture of yourself or you hear yourself and you don't think you look or sound like that," she explained.
"What I did was I pulled myself apart for the first few times I watched it. And then I sat back and I acknowledged what I did right and I looked for what the judges' comments were and I could see where they were coming from.
"This is too hard to constantly beat yourself up; you just can't do it. So I try to balance that out. I want to learn from mistakes, but I also want to congratulate myself when I do something well."
For the mother-of-two, the biggest joy in taking part is the reaction of her family.
"They're so proud of me," she enthused. "They're so excited as well - it's brought a new dimension to the whole family. The week goes by quite quickly because they're looking forward to the weekend.
"My boys are at that stage where they love dancing and they've no inhibitions. I love doing the show because I'm saying to them, 'Just get up there and dance and don't care what anyone else thinks'. So I'm hoping that's registering with them at a young age - boys can dance too!"
Dancing with the Stars, Sunday, RTÉ One, 6.30pm
