We caught up with legendary rugby star Peter Stringer to discuss his incredible fitness regime, his newfound Zumba moves and how he's learned to embrace the glitter of Dancing with the Stars.
As a scrum-half, Peter Stringer spent his rugby career putting his body to the test, and the results have clearly paid off. Not only can the former athlete lift his pro-dance partner Ksenia Zsikhotska off the ground in a series of intricate - and acrobatic - moves with ease, but he can rock a see-through shirt like nobody's business.
"It's very, very, different," smiled Peter. "The first day I walked in - pink sequins, black see-through shirt. Very different from what I normally wear but when you come to this show, you've just got to embrace it. Embrace the pink! My wife said 'just go for it' - don't be ashamed of it, wear it with pride."
During his time on the show, Stringer has wowed the judges with some high-energy performances including a Charleston, a Viennese Waltz, a Paso Doble and a Quickstep. And although his rugby training has stood to him when it comes to stamina and strength, his time of the pitch did nothing for his hips.
Judge Loraine Barry suggested that he spend a little less time in the gym (a completely foreign concept the Peter) and a little more time in Zumba class. Despite his initial protests, the Cork man admitted that it was a great learning experience.
"It's one thing to dance to a routine but when you go into freestyle dance to something out of your comfort zone, that has always been my biggest nightmare - and to do it on TV in front of hundreds of thousands of people...
"I'd recommend it to anybody to challenge [themselves] and step out of that zone because it's so easy to say no to things in life and I'm so glad that I said yes to this."
Outside of Zumba, Peter takes his fitness regime seriously - like, Mark Wahlberg levels - and starts his day in the gym at 6am before heading to seven hours of dance rehearsals. Every day.
"I'll be in the gym for an hour and a half, maybe two hours, then into rehearsals for dancing for seven or eight hours. Bit of food in between, and good sleep and lots of water. It's been like groundhog day for the last number of weeks."
Although most people would cringe at the thought of appearing on live television, Peter is an old hand at performing under pressure and says he is bringing some of his sporting knowledge to the dancefloor.
"It is a nerve-wracking experience. A game of rugby is 80 minutes and even though this is only 90 seconds, you need to be on it for every single micro-second, and it's about managing that and the pressure, and not thinking about the crowds, and using what I've learned over the years.
"When you're in the moment, you have to bring your best performance on the live show and, hopefully, that's what I've done every week."
Dancing with the Stars continues every Sunday on RTÉ One at 6:30pm
