Des Cahill has said that it's "unbelievable" how women are reacting to him since he took to the floor for Dancing with the Stars.
The RTÉ Sport presenter, under the canny guidance of professional partner Karen Byrne, has survived four eliminations and seen off better dancers including Thalia Heffernan and, most recently, Des Bishop as the show heads into its seventh week.
And no-one is more surprised by Cahill's popularity with the show's female viewers and voters than the man himself.
"They shout out windows of cars at me - in a fun way," he told RTÉ Entertainment during a break in training. "They're reacting to 'Dancing Dessie' rather than Des Cahill, the sports presenter."
Memorably described on Twitter as "basically everyone's da", Cahill has found that his have-a-go Ballroom and Latin heroics have now become a topic of conversation in restaurants and shops.
"I was out for breakfast with my eldest fella," he recounted. "I had a fry and [women said], 'Ah Des, don't be eating that!' And they mean it for the best.
"I was buying shoes in Dundrum and they were, 'Oh, they better be good dancing shoes!' Every woman. I can't believe it."
For the broadcasting veteran, the banter reflects the size of the show's audience.
"That has probably surprised everybody," he continued. "Obviously, that has surprised me. And people's children know me! Fellas are saying, 'This is 'Dancing Dessie'; there's my two youngsters'. So it's clearly being watched by families, which is unusual nowadays as well. That has amazed me."
Find out if Cahill can keep the public on his side this Sunday on RTÉ One at 6.30pm.
