Dancing With The Stars hopeful Damian McGinty has admitted that he's finding the show tough going and that on some days, he has "near breakdowns" but always bounces back.
The 30-year-old Derry singer and former Glee star is set to dance a Quickstep with his pro dancer partner Kylee Vincent this Sunday night, but he says the long hours in rehearsal can take their toll.
"It definitely has its unique challenges. I have learned that every single week the cycle is the same - on Monday, you’re still tired from Sunday night. I make sure I’m in rehearsals at 9am every day and you literally have to start from scratch, what’s next?
"Tuesday and Wednesday are the panic days," he adds. "My close to breakdown days are always Wednesday night. Last week, I swear to god, it was Tuesday it hit me on the Jive. I love Kylee and how she challenges me but sometimes the routines are so hard. Last Tuesday night, I was physical exhausted and overwhelmed.
"Every week so far on Friday, it’s kinda getting in the body and you start gaining confidence and think maybe It won’t be a shambles. It’s a very tough process but you learn to bounce back."
Damien has been married to American actress Anna Claire Sneed for four years and the couple have decided to spend the first three months of this year in Ireland, regardless of whether he progresses on DWTS or not.
However, long days in rehearsal mean that they are often apart. "It’s always about finding balance and this process has been particular interesting," he says. "I have really not been home a lot and that could be the case for three months. I’m very grateful to her because it’s a huge sacrifice but that’s marriage for you as well.
"I’m not going to lie - sometimes I get back from rehearsal, like Tuesday when we did the Jive, and I’d had a really bad day and I got home and I said, `I’m sorry, I don’t want to go anywhere tonight, I really don’t want to do anything’ and she was fully understanding because she’s in the industry as well and understands it.
"It requires patience from both of us and putting yourself in the other person’s shoes with as much grace as possible."
He laughed off suggestions that he and Anna Claire have come up against "the Strictly curse".
"That doesn’t come into it at all," he says. "Kylee’s married too. I understand why the Strictly curse happens, I’m not stupid. You spend a lot of time with your dance partner, but you have to separate those things. It’s very different professionally and personally."
Damian has been working in showbiz for 16 years. He sang with Celtic Thunder and his big break came In 2011 when he won US reality show The Glee Project, having been selected from 40,000 people to take part in the talent competition.
He landed the role of Rory Flanagan in the popular television series Glee, which he played for three years.
Asked if he has had much reaction to his appearance on DWTS in the US, he said, "Yeah, I have. Whatever way my career has played out to this point, it’s always mostly been based in the states.
"That’s where most of my opportunities have been, I’ve been fortunate to build a career and a profile there for nearly sixteen years and I’m fortunate to have an audience to come with me everywhere I go.
"So, we’re having a lot of Americans tuning into the show whether it’s on the RTÉ Player or posts on Instagram. They’re really enjoying the journey and following it along. The Irish version of the show is very similar to the American one.
"I have to compliment Shin Awil. They do a phenomenal job. I think this production is unbelievably stellar and you can see that there’s a lot of love and care behind the production. It’s the No 1 show on Sunday night and that’s no coincidence.
"There’s a lot of blood, sweat and tears going on behind the scenes and not just from the dancers but from make-up and wardrobe, the sets and the production staff."
He adds that he is delighted that his family back home in Derry can see him do something closer to home.
"It’s been really enjoyable. It was a no-brainer for me to take part in the show because I’m still young, but I feel older because I’ve been in the entertainment industry for 16 years already, but I’ve just turned 30.
"Now my head is getting to a place where I’m starting to think of transitioning a part of my career towards Ireland so I can spend more time here as I get older.
"If me and my wife decide to have children, I honestly want to make sure they have the Irish experience. I love Ireland, this is home for me, and it always will be. It’s really important for me to instil that in my family."
Dancing With The Stars, Sundays, RTÉ One, 6.30pm
