Rose of Tralee Katelyn Cummins has said the reaction in her local community has been "completely amazing" as she heads into Dancing with the Stars Movie Week.
Speaking to RTÉ Entertainment, Cummins said she has not been home much since the live shows began, but that the support has followed her anyway.
"It has been absolutely phenomenal," she said. "My parents, they’re being stopped every day."
She added that the messages can come from the most unexpected routes.
"There’s people who’ve been getting my phone number from random people just texting me and being like, 'Oh this is me and I’m so-and-so… best of luck’," she said, laughing at what she described as that familiar Irish, small-town chain of connections.
"If somebody can find any connection to you, they definitely will do their absolute best."
Cummins said her parents are often the ones fielding the questions, because she is constantly on the move. "I’m never home… I’m in a different county every day," she said, adding that "my parents never know where I am" because her schedule changes so quickly.
Cummins opened the series with the highest score of the first show, earning 31 points for her Tango with professional partner Leonardo Lini.
She followed that with 28 points in week two, again drawing strong feedback.
Cummins said Movie Week is pushing contestants into fuller character work, and she is enjoying that challenge, even if it takes her outside her usual comfort zone.
"I’m really excited," she said. "It’s getting into… characterisation."
She described this week’s routine as "very princessy", adding that she has enjoyed being asked to show emotion and tell a story through the dance. "It’s definitely nice to… express myself," she said, adding that it can be "outside of my comfort zone".
For Movie Week, Cummins and Lini will dance an American Smooth to Rachel Zegler’s version of Whistle While You Work from the recent live-action Snow White.
A proud Laois woman, Cummins also spoke about growing up on a farm, and how that shaped her approach to work and pressure.
"We quite enjoyed the fact that we had to grow up on a farm," she said. "You’re always out… it definitely did teach me how to work with my hands… tough work, and learn to get on with things quick."
And, with a smile, she added: "If you complain, you were told fairly quickly where to put your complaint."
Cummins is also an apprentice electrician, and spoke frankly about managing the demands of Dancing with the Stars alongside a calendar that has barely slowed since she won the Rose of Tralee.
"I love being busy… I thrive on being busy," she said. "If I had a day off… I hate doing nothing."
At the same time, she acknowledged the pace can be intense. "I’ve always been the type of person trying to say yes to everything," she said, admitting she could "eventually hopefully burn out" if she is not careful, but adding that she is "loving every second of it".
She said the rule she has set herself is simple: "It’s about making sure that it is time for my rehearsals first, and then if there’s an event that we can work around my rehearsal time, then we try and do that as well."
Watch: Katelyn Cummins dancing a jive on week two of Dancing with the Stars
Cummins also returned to a theme she has spoken about publicly since winning the Rose: encouraging young women to see careers like electrical work as a real option.
She said she has heard from girls through school visits and on social media, often asking how to get started and how to gain experience. She described the response as "extremely positive" and said she has not received negative feedback about working in a male-dominated trade.
"You just tell them like it is," she said. "It is no different than any other job."
Asked if the stigma is easing, Cummins said she believes it is improving, but that getting a first foothold can still be difficult, particularly around experience. Her advice was practical: find someone local, ask questions, and try to get in with a crew to learn.
Cummins admitted the constant filming was one of the biggest adjustments at the start. "That was my biggest fear," she said, describing how strange it felt initially to rehearse and then perform with cameras around her.
But she said the crew’s support helped settle her nerves. "Everyone is so supportive," she said, adding that she has been encouraged repeatedly to simply "be herself."
