Dancing with the Stars’ Matthew MacNabb and his pro partner Laura Nolan have batted off romance rumours after fans speculated about their chemistry after Sunday night’s intense performance.
The pair topped the leaderboard at the weekend, and bagged a free pass from the dreaded first dance off next Sunday, after an emotionally charged performance dedicated to Matthew’s late friend Ryan.
Judges hailed the moving contemporary number, which was jam packed with impressive lifts as ‘stand out’ and ‘a league above’ anything they have done before in the competition, whilst fans at home questioned if they were ‘more than just dance partners’.
When quizzed on the relationship comments after their performance, the pair laughed as Laura told Irish Daily Mirror: “Myself and Matthew, we are great friends and we get on so well and have a great time together.
“Yeah we like each other and we have a great laugh and we really enjoy each other’s company.
“We get on so well in the studio together and I think that that is really important.
“We probably wouldn’t be here at this stage if we didn’t, I think it is really important that you get on with your partner and that you enjoy each other's company when you spend this much time together. So yeah, we are great friends.”
It was a tear jerking night on the hit RTE show, as each of the stars celebrated ‘dedicated dance’ night by paying tribute to someone special in their lives.
But it was Co. Down native Matthew and Laura who came out on top of the emotional night, as they finished the show with an electric performance to ‘See You Again’ by Charlie Puth in memory of his pal Ryan Freeman, who passed away last summer aged 27.
Ryan tragically passed away just days before Matt entered Love Island last summer, and he told how found out the news alone while he was quarantined in Spain before entering the villa.
The 26-year-old wasn’t able to attend his funeral, and admitted he felt like he didn’t get to process the loss as a result, but told how Sunday’s performance finally allowed him to celebrate his friend as he had always hoped.
He said: “When Ryan passed, I said I wish I could give him the celebration he deserves. Well last night,[Sun] I did that and for me that meant more to me than anything else.
“Since Ryan’s passing, I felt like I didn’t get the chance to process it properly. I didn’t have the mental space to go deep inside.
“Truth be told, I was using life to avoid experiencing those emotions. This dance allowed me to actually celebrate my friend and to thank him for the impact he had on my life.
The star also told how his ‘heart is full’ after the weekend, and said he felt his friend was there with him all the way.
“I could write about how special Ryan was and how much he meant to me but I think you all seen that in my dance last night. That was for him and all our friends in San Diego.
“Ryan was with me last night, nobody can tell me otherwise.”
Matt said he was ‘overwhelmed’ by the emotions that came from the performance, and told how he hadn’t even thought about the immunity challenge of the night.
“I’m just so grateful I wasn’t expecting it whatsoever," he said.
"I didn’t care about the score or the judges, my whole focus was on my tribute to Ryan.
“I just cared about doing this for him.”
“I’m overwhelmed.
He went on to thank Dubliner Laura, who he called ‘the most amazing lady’ for helping to make the moment happen.
“She knows how much this meant to me and she choreographed the most beautiful dance possible.”
Laura added: “I can honestly say that for me that's been the most enjoyable moment I've ever had with a celebrity on Dancing With The Stars.
Usually, I have had moments in my career where you have had the moment where you are in the zone and it is dark and the spotlight is on you. And that’s exactly what it was.
“I could feel that he was in this 100 percent. It wasn't just a routine, it wasn't steps, it was a moment.”
Dancing with the Stars airs on Sunday’s on RTE One at 6.30pm.
