David’s smash dance
Wild Youth star reveals danger of dancing after his broken bone
WHELAN ‘TERRIFIED OF FALL’ IN TV SHOW
I landed on my neck, broke my collarbone into dust. I’ve wires and ropes holding me together now
SINGER David Whelan has told how shattering his collarbone in a freak accident has left him at high risk of injury on Dancing with the Stars.
The Wild Youth frontman had a metal plate inserted last January – and suffering a fall in the RTE competition could spell disaster.
Opening up on the ordeal David, 29, revealed: “I had a really bad fall from a height of eight feet last January. It was pretty traumatic,
“I landed on my neck and I broke my collarbone into dust. Since then I have a big plate running along my collar bone and a plate in my shoulder.
“I have wires and ropes and stuff holding me together.”
David, who will perform the Charleston to Billy Eilish’s Bad Boy with pro partner Salome Chachau, 33, added: “I had two operations, each seven hours long.
“I was in rehabilitation, then we went straight into the Eurovision, I didn’t really get to experience it like the guys did because I was in a lot of pain and on medication.
“It was really hard for me mentally and physically because my body was so beat up.”
The accident left the singer incapacitated for most of 2023.
He continued: “Only four months ago I couldn’t lift anything heavier than a cup of tea with my left arm.
“It’s absolutely blown my mind how far I’ve come, that I have been able to get over that little mountain.”
But he admitted it “hurts” when he attempts the lifts and despite the surgeon giving him the all clear he is living in fear of falling.
He added: “There is a fear... I’m in pain every day. The surgeon said the plate is acting like your bone.
“But he said if I fall down heavy on it there’s a possibility I will break it. So I have to make sure I don’t fall.
“Myself and Salome have to map our way around doing lifts. “I’m terrified of falling.” David vowed that he won’t let the fear stop him from giving the contest his best shot.
He explained: “I think the best way to get over something is just to go do something that’s so hard.
“I feel so much stronger than I was last year, I’m a different human being.”
The singer joins 10 others including Ireland Am’s Katja Mia, paralympian Jason Smyth and Rosanna Davison in a battle to lift the glitterball trophy.
Last week Blue Hydrangea topped the leaderboard, but David and Salome got the only nine of the night, despite slipping during their routine.
David said Script guitarist Mark Sheehan, who sadly died last year age 46 after a short illness, continues to be an inspiration.
He said: “Mark was a mentor for us [Wild Youth]. If it wasn’t for them we wouldn’t be doing what we’re doing. They took us under their wing.” On what Mark would think of him on Dancing with the Stars, he said: “He’d be cracking up.
“I love all the lads, Danny is the man, Glen is one of the nicest human beings on the face of the planet.
“Everyone will remember Mark being the nicest human you will have ever met.
“No mountain was too high, it rubbed off on you. If you were with him for two minutes you left thinking you could climb Mount Everest.”
After representing Ireland at Eurovision last year, David said this time round he’s rooting for Erica Cody to fly the flag.
He told us: “She can sing, she’s bubbly and can crack a joke, I love Erica.
“It’s a crazy experience but I think she’d handle it pretty good, so go on team Erica.”
Mark (was) the nicest human you will have met. No mountain was too high, it rubbed off
Dancing with the Stars continues this evening on RTE One at 6.30pm. RTE last night announced that pro dancer Karen Byrne will miss tonight’s show due to illness. Her celebrity partner, paralympic athlete Jason Smyth, will instead perform with Urainian Juliia Vaslyenko, 30. An RTE spokeswoman said: “Jason and Juliia will dance Paso Doble to the Bryan Adams’ classic, Run to You. “Karen will hopefully return to the programme as soon as she has fully recovered.”