Dancing with the Stars contestant Matthew MacNabb has paid tribute to his "brilliant" professional dance partner Laura Nolan, telling RTÉ Entertainment that although they have many an argument in training, their bond grows stronger by the day.
The Love Island star and his teacher arguably stole the show last Sunday night with their Contemporary Ballroom routine that was dedicated to MacNabb's late friend Ryan Freeman.
The performance saw them top the leaderboard when judges' scores and viewers' votes were combined, winning the pair immunity from this weekend's first dance-off.
For MacNabb and Nolan, the performance clicked from the moment they started their preparations, and they enjoyed their "easiest week" as a team.
"Normally, me and Laura are falling out because I'm not doing the right steps or I'm messing up some part - but we didn't have any arguments!" the Downpatrick man laughed.
"We're both in the same mould. We're ultra-positive people, We're able to take criticism, we don't have egos. We just work hard and just say, 'We're going to give it our best and see what happens'. Because who knows? Our best could be enough to get far."
Having just delivered his best performance in the series to date, MacNabb is enjoying his underdog status - and eager to find out what happens next.
"I would say I've definitely grown, unbelievably, over the past six weeks," he admitted. "It's reflecting maybe in my performances now.
"I didn't really have any expectations going into anything. I've never been overly talented at anything; I just throw myself into it and work hard and believe that I can do what I'm supposed to do.
"I think it's mostly just my positivity is what gets me through a lot of these situations. I just think if you work hard... I've got Laura by my side, who's an unbelievable dancer and great person. She supports me."
"We're building this as a story," MacNabb concluded. "From week one, where you saw me as a completely different person, to now. So why not transform that even more and get to a higher level again? That's what it's about - it's about improving.
"I had no dance experience whatsoever before this. Nothing whatsoever. Now, I've pushed forward and I've got to this point. Why can't I go higher than that?"
Dancing with the Stars, Sundays, RTÉ One and RTÉ Player, 6:30pm
