‘Dad’s ballroom experience is no help,’ says ‘Dancing With The Stars’ contender David Whelan

“I never spoke to my dad about dancing before. My dad danced ballroom, but I never really asked him what his story was with dancing,” he said.

“He’s never once sat me down and told me, ‘Do this, do that’.”

Based in Dublin and used to a life on the road with his band, Whelan said the commitment required for the RTÉ dancing show is made easier by being at home.

“It’s crazy. It’s absolutely full-on, it’s tiring. You get out of this how much you put into it,” he said.

“The more hours you do, the more you put in, the better. I’m a workaholic, my family know this already, so I could disappear for three or four months on a tour, come back and do it again.

“I’m used to that element. I’m lucky to be in Dublin. With the band we’d be touring in Europe, gone for ages. That’s hard when you’re in different countries and different time zones.

“Dancing With The Stars is only 11 weeks of your life, so it’s nothing to cry about. It’s nearly over. I wish it wasn’t over.”

After breaking his collarbone in January, Whelan spoke about being in pain while on the show.

Now at the semi-final stage, he said the injury is a bigger concern for professional dance partner Salome Chachua than for him.

“Salome’s more nervous than I am. If we did a lift and something happened, she wouldn’t be able to forgive herself. It’s still broken and still hanging on by a metal bar,” he said.

“I was told that if something happens it will be bad, but I’m not really worried.

“Maybe I get blinded when it comes to this sort of thing – I ignore the pain and the injury a lot.”

Dancing With The Stars is on RTÉ One and the RTÉ Player tomorrow at 6.30pm.