Dancing With The Stars’ Loraine Barry has called out the performance teacher who criticised Ryan Andrews’ posture after he opened up about his traumatic experience.
The Fair City actor had the audience in tears on Sunday when he told of his battle with scoliosis.
He then revealed a harrowing childhood experience when a drama teacher had told him he’d never appear on stage.
Dubliner Loraine, 55, who teaches dancing all over the world, said she had very little respect for the person who made the comment.
She told Dublin Live: “I was very shocked actually.
“I was just thinking what a way to come out tonight and for him to relive that memory of being that child and being put up in front off a class.
“Not a lot of respect needed there for the teacher who did that and maybe that teacher might be watching tonight. You never know.
“Maybe she has that regret or maybe she is just so happy that he fought it and he came out and he did a beautiful number tonight.”
Meanwhile, opening up about her own “most memorable year” after the celebrities shared their own stories on Sunday, she recalled her final years of dance, while opening up about her father’s death.
She said: “Gosh, I do have a few. I always have my emotions are the ups and the downs.
“Obviously the ups is winning. Winning that first – 1999 is a really big memorable year for me because I got to win from January all the way to December the grand slam. every single title that was available – world, European, British, international, UK the whole thing and the last one went on my birthday on the 10th of December, which was the world championships.
“It was just like the perfect one.”
“But then in 2005 my father died at 63 so yeah, we’ve just… I was going to say ‘celebrate it’, I nearly stopped myself, but we did... we just celebrated the 15 years of my dad just bringing back that celebration and great memories of him.
“He got cancer and he just retired. He was two years into retirement and passed away... 63, too young.”
Heading into switch up week, where the show has hinted at having its first same-sex couple, Loraine said she can see it becoming permanent next year.
The Dubliner told: “Yes I believe so. Something is on the cards there. I don’t know exactly what it is but I think it is the way forward and we have to open up to that.
“You gotta go with the times and that is what we’re going to do.
“I love the classic dances. That Cuban action in the rumba, that relationship – be it man or woman or be it a leader or a follower.
“I might have to say that next week.
“Because I teach same-sex couples. I teach the two men and I also have two ladies in that.
“So you have to get used to saying lead and follow, you can’t say, the lady now needs to do this because it just doesn’t apply, so you have to switch the language a little bit.”
