A week on from RTÉ’s Dancing with the Stars, Lottie Ryan still doesn’t quite believe that it has all happened. The finale was due to be aired on Sunday 22 March, but it was unexpectedly brought forward a week, due to the outbreak of the coronavirus.

“It’s all been just a bit of a dream, I’m still in a bit of shock,” says Lottie of her win. “Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to celebrate, but that’s probably why it doesn’t feel real.”

Lottie wowed judges with her moves on the dancefloor despite the short notice of the new scheduling. “We were told at lunchtime that very Sunday. It was a really quick turnaround,” she explains.

The entire cast and crew had broken for lunch after rehearsals on Sunday, when all members of the production team were called together. The contestants were about to start dress rehearsal for the semi-final when they were told that it was instead going to be the final. “Our mouths literally fell on the floor. This was at about 1pm and the show was to go live at 6.30pm. It was a big shock, there were so many different emotions going through everybody. Initially, we were all sad that we wouldn’t get to perform a show dance, but then we were like, ‘Oh my God, we’re in the final’.”

Lottie says she felt “acutely aware” of viewer numbers on a night when most people had been advised to remain at home. However, her professional dance partner Pasquale La Rocca, gave Lottie the confidence to perform at her best.

“I can’t imagine going through that process with anybody else, he was just a dream. From the minute I met him, I felt like I’d known him for years. We had a very similar work ethic, he’s very driven, very passionate about what he does, so we were on the same level from the get-go.”

Italian influence

Pasquale had flown to Ireland to be involved in Dancing with the Stars, just two days after winning the Belgian version of the same show. Lottie, who happens to be married to Italian native, Fabio Aprile, said that her husband didn’t mind that she had to spend so much time with the pro.

“They were buddies, they were yapping away to each other in Italian, they could have been giving out about me and I wouldn’t have known,” laughs Lottie.

She informs Irish Country Living that they are from the same area in Italy, and guesses that it might have been the reason that the pair were placed together.

“It was just a perfect situation. The lads got on great together, I understood Pasquale as I’m used to being around Italians, they’re my family and so it worked out really well.”

First dance

The 2FM presenter did not come from a dancing background, although viewers could easily have mistaken her for one of the professionals as she continued to impress the judges. “I had never even danced with a boy before, with the exception of my wedding day, so that was really strange at first,” she admits. There was speculation that she had trained professionally, but the closest Lottie had ever come to such a performance was when she attended The Factory at The National Performing Arts School as a child on Saturday mornings.

Now, having been bitten by the dancing bug, Lottie feels that she might have to keep dancing as a part of her future. “I feel like I’ve found something that makes me really happy, I’m surprised at myself. I definitely think that I need to have it in my life in some way.”

Contemporary ballroom and salsa dancing have been two of Lottie’s favourite dances to perform. But it is performing itself that has truly captured her imagination. “Just being in front of a live audience, especially if after you know that you’ve nailed it. That instant gratitude for the hard work is very addictive.”

There certainly was a lot of hard work and long hours put into keeping up with her job at the radio station alongside daily rehearsals for the show. After leaving a full day at work at about 4pm, she would drive straight to the dance studio and practice until 10.30pm. There was a full day of rehearsals on Saturday and an early start on Sunday ahead of the live show.

I enjoyed every second of it

“It’s been seven days a week since Christmas, it’s been full on and a lot of work, but it’s been one of the best things I’ve ever said yes to. I enjoyed every second of it.” As a result of all the rehearsals, Lottie feels that she is also at peak fitness. “It’s amazing,” she says, “it was like having a personal trainer.”

Having finished up with the show, things haven’t exactly resumed to normal daily life for Lottie. She too, along with the rest of Ireland’s population, has had to follow Government protocol and maintain social distancing.

In order to keep spirits high, Lottie is helping to promote a new 2FM campaign called #CreateDontContaminate. It’s a 14-day challenge where people will be given a new daily challenge to carry out, video it and tweet it to 2FM using the hashtag.

“We want to make sure that our listeners understand that distance is the only way that we can help to keep everybody healthy. It’s hard, so we have come up with this idea to keep our listeners occupied while they are at home.”