Dancing with the Stars' Laura Fox has said "it's absolutely insane" that she has made it this far in the competition and that taking part in the show has been "really overwhelming in the best possible way".
The 2fm presenter and Ireland's Fittest Family host is gearing up for the RTÉ One show's Orchestra Week this Sunday evening, a significant milestone in the competition.
She told press ahead of the show: "It's absolutely insane, I actually can't believe it. It's been really overwhelming in the best possible way.
"It's so exciting - this doesn't happen in real life - you don't ever get this chance to dance with the orchestra! I'm really enjoying it."
Fox was quick to admit that "it doesn't get any easier" to learn the choreography as the weeks go by and that the thrill of the live shows keeps her on her toes.
"I haven't lost the excitement of getting to the live show every single Sunday," she shared. "I can't say that I feel more nervous now that we're further into it, but I'm also definitely not more relaxed."
The Galway native and her pro-partner Denys Samson have impressed the judges and viewers at home this season, last week scoring 24 points for a fun and lively Cha Cha Cha.
The presenter said she is "without a doubt" the fittest she has ever been due to the rigorous training routine.
"I would have played sport my whole life, I would have gymmed my whole life, I have done everything, but I've never felt this physically fit," she said.
"Because I'm constantly moving - you're talking six to eight hours a day, seven days a week of non-stop movement.
"But then at the same time, I'm doing a 90-second dance and when we're finished I can't catch my breath, I feel I'm going to die, and then I look over to Denys and he's totally fine. It's infuriating to watch the pro dancers not even break a sweat after they do their dance!"
It's most definitely the business end of the competition as we head into Orchestra Week, with Rosanna Davison, Davy Russell, Blu Hydrangea, Katja Mia, David Whelan and Jason Smyth also among the talented remaining competitors.
Fox said she is still trying to keep her focus week by week rather than looking ahead to the final.
"Obviously the end game is the final and glitterball, and you'd be lying if you said it wasn't. But at the end of the day, what I'm really trying to remind myself is that I get to do this one year and one year only," she said.
"I think that if you're not enjoying things as they're happening, then what's the point? And there's less time left in this competition than what's passed. We've been three months doing this - two months on telly from this Sunday, but a full five weeks before that in training - so it's been a huge part of our lives.
"Now I know that it's coming to a very near end and hopefully that I see it straight through, but I'm enjoying every single second of it for what it is."
Fox has said she's getting more attention since appearing on the show "in the nicest possible way".
"Anyone who I've met who's from Galway says 'we're so proud of you' and that's just the nicest feeling in the world", she shared.
"It's everything I hoped and dreamed, and then some," the radio and TV star added. "It's without a doubt one of the greatest experiences that I've ever got the chance to take part of. I look back on the things that we've achieved so far and the dances that I've done that I'll never do again.
"I'm also dreading when it's finished because I've got a heap of weddings and I just know that everybody's gonna be expecting me to bust a good dance move on the dance floor and it's not happening. I can do what I'm told, I'm not good at freestyling!"
Dancing with the Stars continues on Sunday with Orchestra Week, 6.30pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.
