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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Entertainment
Sandra Mallon

Former Dancing With The Stars pro dancer Ryan McShane posts dramatic weight loss since leaving RTE show

Former Dancing With The Stars professional dancer Ryan McShane has revealed he had “completely given up” on himself – as he posts dramatic weight loss since leaving the Rte One show.

Ryan - who is dating model Thalia Heffernan after the pair met when she was a contestant in 2019 – was dropped from the show in 2021.

He has since lashed out on social media, claiming he was made feel “worthless” on the show while making accusations he was challenged about his weight.

Read More: Thomas O'Halloran was repeatedly stabbed in 'vicious attack', court hears

On Tuesday, Ryan revealed a dramatic transformation – revealing he has lost 32 pounds in 11 weeks.

Captioning before and after pics, Ryan said: “I had completely and utter given up on myself.

“I was so ashamed and embarrassed about myself I needed to do something about it…

“The last 11 weeks have been truly humbling, I needed help so I got the best in the business @elitedmk Danny is truly a genius.

“If this posts motivates one person to make a change then I would be over the moon, and if you need any motivation give Danny a follow!

“A message to everyone that sent me a message, or words of support… thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking the time out of ur day to give me some of your energy!”

He thanked his “wonderful support” Thalia Heffernan.

“To my wonderful support system my love @thaliaheffernan, thanks for never given up on me! For lifting me when I was at my lowest and showing me unconditional love I am forever thankful and blessed to have you in my life!”

“The next 12 weeks starts in a week, but before that I’m going on holiday!

“Peace out, support the people around you… you never know when they might need it!”

In 2021, Ryan posted a lengthy statement on his Instagram after he discovered he was dropped from the RTE One show.

He said at the time: “I feel it’s only right to speak out.

“For the last four years I gave my all to the show and dedicated all my time and energy to it, but sadly it’s not all the glitter and glamour it’s portrayed to be, at least from my side of the story.

“I’ve been living under a dark shadow for the last three years which has deeply affected my mental health and caused what I now see as real damage to my well-being.”

And he claimed he was challenged over his weight by some individuals in 2019.

“To be judged based on my size, and not my ability – from hurtful text messages, has demoralised me and made me feel like I was worthless,” he alleged.

“I used to use my humour to deflect how I felt before someone could bring it up and call me ‘the fat one’.

But Ryan said he was “inspired” to speak out by the “bravery” of men who opened up about their eating disorders on RTE’s documentary, Unspoken.

He added: “Having experienced first hand how I was treated by this industry . . . and the effect it’s had on me, I really hope it will stop happening to anyone again.

“Words have consequences and can hurt, and I hope that the people who have inflicted this damage never speak to their loved ones or children in the way that I’ve been spoken to.”

He said it hurt to find out that “the show is back and I’m not — after 18 months waiting for the phone call”.

He added: “With the New Year incoming I want to focus my energy on teaching and sharing my skills with everyone, regardless of size, weight or gender, and make sure I never make anyone who wants to dance feel like I’ve been made to.

“Despite all this, I want to thank the team of pros who’ve reached out and those on set who were always so kind and professional.

“Let this be a reminder to reach out to those in your life who may be struggling but don’t say it outright.”

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