Thalia Ryan
The model and the pro dancer on understanding each other’s jobs, overcoming long-distance challenges – and keeping the romance alive
TV dance shows have long been linked to relationship break-ups, giving rise to the moniker of the ‘Strictly curse’. But for Thalia Heffernan and Ryan McShane, taking part in Dancing With The Stars was more of a blessing than a curse.
A year after getting together, the model and the pro dancer are still going strong and there’s a seamless ease between them as they sit finishing one another’s sentences in a bar near Ryan’s dance studio.
Though theirs is a long-distance relationship for several months of the year, perhaps it helps that their relationship blossomed under the intense scrutiny of the RTÉ show. Certainly, they seem to have a very calming influence on each other.
‘It has been very seamless,’ says Thalia. ‘It’s been one of those relationships where I would say that people assume that we have arguments – not because it’s turbulent, because it isn’t, but there is distance and we have two jobs which some might find troubling. With what I do, people can find it
quite difficult to stomach and the same for Ryan. The world has a few things against us but we have never let that affect us. We’re lucky in that way but we are two very understanding and trusting people.’
It’s the day before Thalia’s birthday and Ryan admits he has nothing planned yet. Valentine’s Day is also a work in progress. These are admissions that could ruffle some partners but Thalia simply brushes it off, only too aware of the pressure her partner is under.
‘What are we doing for Valentine’s? Great question. Hanging about with McGregor,’ Ryan says of his DWTS partner Erin, sister of UFC champion Conor. ‘I haven’t even got that far but will 100% come up with something. I just need time. There’s always romance, that’s 100% – it’s just usually unplanned romance.
‘It’s very hard because my schedule is so demanding right now. I’m in studio at 9am and I leave at 6pm, then I might have a VT or something like that. Then Thalia is modelling and doing TV presenting and all of that. Then we’re trying to see about time together. We always try for each other and that is probably the best thing about us. We are always giving towards the other person.’
Thalia nods and smiles, seemingly immune to the fact that her partner will spend two Hallmark occasions pressing the flesh with another woman in the close quarters of a dance studio.
‘We have a few things to think about,’ she says understandingly. ‘Right now he’s thinking about DWTS and doing his best with that, while I’m planning on fitting a second dog into our lives. I understand the process, which is great for the relationship. I know what it’s like being in the show.’
Ryan nods in agreement. ‘It’s very difficult for a person who’s not in my position, someone who’s not an actor or a model or a dancer. My job is to get as close to my partner as possible in a training room to teach her things that put her in the best position to look as good as she can. We do dances that are romantic, that are aggressive, dances that are full-on and are sexy. But on the flip side of that, Thalia is a model so she might go and do a lingerie shoot. It’s my responsibility as part of this relationship to understand that it’s her job and not to see it as someone who isn’t involved in that world might view it.
‘It’s a mutual understanding. I look at it as an art form. If I didn’t, and if she looked at my job in the wrong way, then we would probably have major problems. And we have never even had words really, we don’t even argue. This is the first relationship ever where I don’t fight.’
Thalia admits that while it wasn’t love at first sight, there was definitely a frisson between them from the get-go. ‘I found him intriguing and I wanted to get to know him – and I did,’ she says. ‘We met for the first time at the meet and greet which was before the rehearsals started. So we didn’t know who anyone, not even our partners, were. I had no idea who he was. I walked into the production meeting not knowing who was part of the crew, the dancers or hair and make-up. This year the celebrities had seen the show so they knew who the dancers were. We were walking in blind.’
“RIGHT NOW HE’S THINKING ABOUT DWTS AND DOING HIS BEST WITH THAT, WHILE I’M PLANNING ON FITTING A SECOND DOG INTO OUR LIVES”
One of the main factors that could have potentially derailed their romantic intentions is the distance. Ryan lives and works for six months of the year in Birmingham.
‘I like to think travelling to Birmingham is like travelling through Dublin at rush hour,’ Thalia says matter-of-factly.
‘It’s actually quicker – I would get over the Irish Sea quicker than I would cross the Liffey sometimes. Once you compartmentalise it rather than thinking, he’s so far away and I don’t see him every day, then it works.
‘The longest time we had apart was about two months I think. That was because it was straight off the back of Dancing With The Stars. He had a lot to do and I was really busy here.
‘It shows the strength of the relationship when it doesn’t faze you at all. It isn’t ideal not seeing your boyfriend all the time but it’s great being able to talk over the phone.
‘We have all these different ways of keeping in touch – it’s not like we have to write war-torn letters across the world. It’s not The Notebook any more, we have moved on,’ she laughs of the romantic drama. ‘When he’s coming over here for six months for the show, that’s great. But the initial time apart after spending six months with me and then he’s suddenly gone, that break is tough. We are going to see what we can do this year to make sure it benefits both of us.’
So what are the chances of moving in together? ‘Possibly. Who knows?’ Ryan laughs.
As we chat, the bar is almost empty, perhaps a good thing given that there has always been great interest in the couple since Ryan confirmed their speculated romance with a kiss live on air.
But they don’t let prying eyes ruin their precious time together.
‘We went public with it the first week of February when I left the competition,’ Thalia recalls. ‘We didn’t do a big thing, it wasn’t some big announcement. But because of the show and the “Strictly curse”, people were mad for it. We always say we noticed the cameras were pointing a bit more at us when the speculation first came out.
‘We still dance together in public, we don’t care. You can look at the attention as a big deal and think that it’s scary that people are watching you all the time. But you don’t have to care and we mainly took that approach. People are going to watch if they want to watch.
‘Sometimes you would be just sat there and you turn around and someone’s phone is in your face but definitely the Irish are fairly chilled. The funniest thing for me is when people think that they know us. I have had people come up to talk to me and they will be mid-conversation and I have never
“WE NOTICED THE CAMERAS WERE POINTING A BIT MORE AT US WHEN THE SPECULATION CAME OUT”
met them before. People with a few drinks can be a bit funny like that because they see you on the TV and think they have a connection. But I don’t think there have been any negative experiences.’
Ryan perks up and softly interjects. ‘I probably get more negative stuff, because obviously I’m smaller than Thalia so you’ll always get some eejit saying something silly. Like I would be walking down the street and someone would turn around and tell me to stand up, they would say something smart like that.
‘I actually laugh at it because to me I feel like Rod Stewart! It doesn’t bother me one bit and I’m very proud to be with her so nothing fazes me. There is nothing that we could really do about it and, you know what, Dublin is really cool anyway. It isn’t very intrusive.
‘If we are out and someone wants a photograph with us they generally come up and ask politely. That’s fine, no problem. I don’t think anyone has been really sneaky.’
On first impressions, the pair are quite different characters. She is chatty and bubbly with an Amazonian figure, while Ryan is quiet but confident. At 22 and 32 respectively, there is a tenyear age gap but Thalia says she knows she made the right decision.
‘I liked Ryan because he is elusive,’ she says. ‘You would have to make the effort to say hello and I liked that challenge. Then I fell in love with him. It’s funny how that happened. I wanted to soften him and I think I have managed that well,’ she laughs.
In Ryan’s defence, he insists that his intensity and focus stem from his desire to bring the best out of his dance partner but can often be mistaken for arrogance.
He again points to the intense working schedule he has. Even now, on a Tuesday afternoon, he seems wiped. His precious lunch time has been spent talking to me rather than recovering for the busy afternoon ahead with Erin McGregor.
‘Because we do the group rehearsals, I find the whole process of DWTS really draining,’ he reveals. ‘Not physically draining, just mentally draining. When you’re put in a room with 20-odd people and everyone is talking, it’s like going back to school.
‘So sometimes I’m a bit reserved and that can sometimes come across as almost like I don’t want to be there or that I’m angry or cross. I have a resting bitch face!
‘But when we got talking, Thalia realised that I wasn’t like that, it’s just that this process is so draining and you need to take five or ten minutes away because that might get you through a few hours’ rehearsals.’
As the interview winds down, they playfully discuss what might happen for Valentine’s Day. Whatever it is, you can be sure it will be both a surprise and romantic.
‘We live by the advice Ryan’s parents gave him and they have been together 45 years,’ says Thalia. ‘They say to us to be always boyfriend and girlfriend – keep it young and fun and leave the serious stuff and responsibility alone. We’re just living the life the best we can within our means and it’s going great.’
‘Anyway her birthday is tomorrow,’ Ryan quips. ‘I need to get that right first!’