Football star and RTÉ pundit Stephanie Roche has been confirmed as the eighth celebrity to take part in the new season of Dancing With The Stars.
Excited to wow audiences in dresses instead of training gear, the Dublin’s Peamount United striker is keen to show her competitive edge on the dance floor as well as on the pitch.
Taking to Instagram, the newlywed said: “The secret is out! Staying active in the off season with a twist (and some twirls).”
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With just three more places left to be announced for next year’s DWTS, Stephanie will now join former Ireland rugby player Shane Byrne, former State pathologist, Dr Marie Cassidy, former Dublin GAA player Paul Brogan, social influencer and businesswoman Suzanne Jackson, drag queen Panti Bliss, Eurovision star Brooke Scullion and Glee star Damian McGinty on the dance floor.
Speaking to Ryan Tubridy on his RTÉ Radio 1 show yesterday morning Stephanie said, “I’m excited and nervous to get started on Dancing with the Stars.”
“This is a whole new experience for me and one that will definitely take me out of my comfort zone but I’m excited to learn to dance and to enjoy the whole experience.”
No stranger to reality TV, last year Stephanie took part in RTE’s Special Forces Ultimate Hell Week: The Professionals. And claimed she thought she was going to die on the show.
She added, “There were times when I thought, ‘Maybe I might die here’ but from day one, my priority was to try to listen to every bit of information the DSs gave us, because they are the professionals.”
“I reasoned that if I took that information on board and did it to the best of my ability, then I wouldn’t die.”
“I was in bits for weeks after the show. In the car on the way home, after I finished, I’d fall asleep only to jerk awake and start balling like I was drunk with anxiety.”
“The whole time I was there, it was complete mental torture, being constantly on edge, waiting for something to happen.”
Having survived Hell Week, despite dropping out from the show on the second last day of filming, DWTS producers have promised their preparations for competition will be a lot less traumatic, but they can’t promise that top Judge Brian Redmond won’t make any mean comments about her dance routines.
As Stephanie will be prepping to quick step a win for the DWTS Glitterball, as well a place to kick footballs with Vera Pauw’s team in January, Stephanie spoke exclusively to The Mirror last week, and said, “I’m going to do everything possible to try and impress Vera.”
“I’d love to be part of the Irish squad. My heart tells me I won’t be, as I’m kind of at the other end of my career. But there are spaces up for grabs. And like everyone else I’m going to try fight for a place.”
“Everyone wants to represent their country. I would never say I didn’t want to wear the green jersey.”
Having made her international debut in 2009, Stephanie has scored 14 goals over the course of 58 appearances for Ireland.
Stephanie previously explained, “There was a time I thought the door was closed and that was a sad time for me. But Vera wants the team to do well, and she wants me to do well. That gives me the motivation to keep going.
I’d try to keep playing for Ireland until I’m 50 if I could!"
“The World Cup is still in the back of my mind. I’m in the WhatsApp groups, on stand-by lists, home-based training sessions, but not being part of the team is tough.”
“The squad has improved as well but when I’m around them in the home-based sessions it doesn’t feel like I’m at a different level in terms of fitness.”
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