Love on the dancefloor at Bantry’s Strictly

A WEST Cork couple has bucked the legendary Strictly Come Dancing relationship curse and found love on the dancefloor.

Sharon O’Reilly and Kevin O’Regan were contestants in last year’s Strictly in Bantry, where as well as falling into each other’s arms while learning the tango, they fell for each other.

Sharon from Schull and a resource teacher in St Finbarr’s NS, Bantry, which the fundraiser is in aid of, recalls how she had just come back from travelling when she was asked to take part in the show.

‘I was open to new opportunities so I went for it even though I didn’t know what I was letting myself in for! I was away when the show was on the previous year and was pretty much going in cold,’ the 36-year old said.

Kevin, a tradesman from Caheragh, was asked to enter by his boss, who had taken part the previous year: ‘I said I’d do it for the laugh and it was too late to back out then!’

So, while neither of them knew what to expect, they certainly didn’t envisage falling for a dancer.

Sharon admited that Kevin was ‘on her radar’ pretty much from the start and she was delighted when they were paired to dance together.

‘We got on very well and worked really well from the start. There was chemistry between us,’ she said.

Kevin, aged 33, was equally as candid and said: ‘I was hoping I’d get matched with Sharon – it was at the back of my mind alright! Right from the start I felt very relaxed when we danced together.’

But it wasn’t until after the final show, that the pair sealed things with a kiss.

Kevin, a footballer with Tadgh MacCarthaigh GAA Club, said he didn’t want to jeopardise their performance by making a move before that.

‘Taking part was definitely one of the best things I’ve ever done and I even got to meet the love of my life,’ he said.

Theresa O’Donoghue, one of the show’s choreographers, said she put Sharon and Kevin together initially as their style of dance worked well together – and there was a chemistry there: ‘Their tango was very passionate and as the weeks progressed I could see they were getting more comfortable and relaxed with each other and they were always sitting together at practice. As the weeks went on I intensified the steps to make it more intimate and then it all fell into place!’