The most glittering and glam dance show on RTE has kicked off and one of the stars is trying to juggle learning the steps with her role as a mum to three small kids.
She has spoken out about the fact that she wasn't going to let the opportunity to appear on the show pass her by just because she is a mum.
She said, ''I can’t and don’t want to give up every opportunity that comes my way because I’m a mum.''
The 38-year-old has three kids - eleven-year-old Dara, two-year-old Eliza and Bonnie, who she gave birth to in August.
Mairead will take to the floor to perform her first dance this tonight alongside her professional dance partner, John Nolan.
While she is determined to embrace the experience, she wants to enjoy both the dance and being what she loves most, being a mother.
She said, ''I am a mammy and I love being a mammy, it’s like my favourite job but I am also Mairead, I’m still me.''
She continued, ''And I can’t and don’t want to give up every opportunity that comes my way because I’m a mum.”
Mairead also revealed that the show is the hardest thing she's done so far.
She said, ''I don’t want to be moaning because I’m in this amazing production and I’m really lucky to be part of it but it is pretty hard for me because I’ve got three kids and two of them are babies.''
However, it was her husband Louis that persuaded her to take part, as she wasn't so enthusiastic in the beginning.
She said, ''I said I couldn't possibly do it, that there was no way I’d have the time or the energy. But my husband said, ‘You are mad if you don’t do it’. He was the one who also said it’s not forever. It’s just a couple of weeks out of our life so he said just go and do it.''
She continued, ''I had two babies in less than two years and it was time for me to do something nice for myself and he said this could be it.”
We think that she is going to be amazing - good luck Mairead.
