DWTS win won’t make me propose... but it could speed the process up!

WILD Youth frontman David Whelan has said a win on Dancing With The Stars won’t make him propose to his girlfriend – but it could ‘speed up the process’.

Whelan paid tribute to his long-term partner, Ruth Devine, for ‘keeping him sane’ in his months in hospital after a fall during New Year’s Eve celebrations at the start of last year.

During a brief break from his intense rehearsal schedule this week, he was asked if he planned to follow the example set by Fair City actor Ryan Andrews.

Andrews said in 2014 he would pop the question to his girlfriend if he won the Glitterball trophy. But he never got the chance to make good on his promise after losing out in the final to Lottie Ryan.

Whelan, 29, replied: ‘I don’t think the show is going to make me propose – that day is going to happen regardless. It might speed up the process but I’m not going to say it now, because if I win, then I’ll have to! Let’s get the trophy first and then we’ll get the ring.’

He and Ruth have been together since they were 13, and their relationship became even stronger after his eight-foot fall, in which he crushed his shoulder.

He said recently: ‘I found out last year who my people are when this accident happened. I found out who had my back and who actually cared about me. Ruth was the most solid person I could have ever asked for when this happened. She went beyond to keep me sane because I was kind of losing my mind.’

Asked if he was nervous about the final tomorrow night, Whelan said: ‘I think we’re calmer this time around. Most weeks there’s pressure to stay in the competition. Now we’ve made it all the way, so in a way we feel like we’re winners because we have got through 11 weeks. We are still here and everyone goes home on Sunday so we’re really not feeling that much pressure.’

‘I found out who cared about me’

No pressure: David Whelan dances with his pro partner Salome Chachua