Matthew MacNabb revealed his fellow Dancing With The Stars contestants have been giving him grief over the speculation about his love life – after he announced he found romance on the show.
The Love Island star and his pro-dancer partner Laura Nolan have been surrounded by relationship rumours since early on in the season – fuelled further last week by comments from the judges about their chemistry.
Laughing off the growing speculation this wee, Matt said: “The other contestants been giving me grief.
“Yes, they actually have. I can’t even say what they call me.”
The 27-year-old last week revealed he has found new love on the show, but has refused to confirm her identity.
But he discussed his bond with Laura.
He added: “We are really growing close, I think with dancing and stuff when you’re in this process. It’s so intense.
“And you’re in each other’s pockets seven days a week, all day, you get emotionally reliant on the person. And I think it’s vice versa. Because it really is so intense, especially when you’ve got all that pressure, you’ve got the whole nation watching you.
“You got the producers, you got your fellow contestants watching, you don’t want to let people down, you don’t want your family down.
“And especially you don’t want to let yourself down. And your partner because you’ve put in the work.
“We work all week, like we put in ridiculous hours, all week, every day, I haven’t taken a day off in like 10 weeks, 11 weeks at this point. And so you really do become a lot closer.”
The Co Down lad also told how he and Laura have already met each other’s families and credited them for their support throughout the show.
He told the Irish Mirror: “It’s amazing because it’s just like after Sunday nights when you are all buzzing and stuff it’s amazing just to go and talk to your family and talk to your friends and talk to you know, Laura’s family and everybody around you. It is such a really great buzz.”
With the quarter finals tomorrow, he said the pair will be aiming for more local votes as the competition heats up.
After catapulting to fame on ITV’s Love Island, Matt said he has been blown away by the difference in support since appearing on the RTE show.
He added: “So the thing I love by the show is the community based aspect of it.
“Like Love Island is quite international and it just doesn’t have that same sort of, you know, connection with your community and the people around you. And I love Ireland. I love my home.
“And so, the support’s been amazing.
“And I am going to reach out to different schools, I was down at the Downpatrick race course which is right beside my house.
“They called me down, but it’s all my mum doing that – I’m so busy dancing.
“She’s like, can you meet this person? It’s the community aspect of it.”
Tomorrow’s show will see the six finalists and their pro partners dance to music and routines inspired from various places around the world.
Matt and Dubliner Laura will perform the Argentinian tango to Duran Duran’s Rio.
- Dancing With The Stars continues at 6.30pm on RTE One.
