Easy gig? I’m doing six hours of dancing every day!

DEIRDRE O’Kane has admitted she underestimated the amount of practice hours involved in competing on Dancing With The Stars. ‘It’s actually ridiculous because it’s so physically demanding,’ the comedian said. ‘Honest to God, every part of my body hurts.’

Her husband Stephen Bradley is helping to keep their home life in step, the 49-year-old is struggling on the rehearsal front.

‘I underestimated the situation by a country mile. You’re contracted for and obliged to do 12 hours a week. But sure listen, you’d learn nothing in 12 hours a week. I’m doing five or six hours a day now. And I need them,’ she told the RTÉ Guide.

‘Beforehand I thought, I’ll do my writing in the morning and my dancing in the afternoon. That went out the window in week one!’

Fellow contestant Anna Geary, the former Cork camogie captain, is also feeling the pressure on the dance floor, admitting she was surprised by how vulnerable she felt on set.

She said: ‘I have a certain body shape, an athletic frame and I’m quite worried when I step out in certain costumes. I’m worried about my legs and so on. I anticipated there would be nerves but I never realised how vulnerable I would feel at times.’

This week is set to be a busy one for O’Kane as she’s also hosting Thursday’s Irish Film & Television Academy Awards. Saoirse Ronan, Colin Farrell, Ruth Negga and Barry Keoghan are all nominated. Gabriel Byrne is to be receive an outstanding achievement award.

Deirdre, pictured, will be keeping a very close eye on the category for Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Film) as she is nominated for her performance in Halal Daddy. She said she will talk about the Time’s Up movement, launched to fight sexual harassment.