Lottie Ryan and RTE have defended the star’s past dancing experience ahead of her stint on Dancing With the Stars.
Some fans criticized Lottie’s selection for the show, claiming that she would have an advantage over other contestants due to having a dance background.
However, Lottie reiterated that she is by no means a dance pro in an interview with Ryan Tubridy, announcing her for the show.
In an interview with the Irish Mirror in 2017, Lottie reportedly said that she had pursued a dance career as a teen.
According to The Irish Mail On Sunday newspaper, she said: “All I wanted was to be a dancer. I trained as a dancer and I had tunnel vision when I was in transition year.”
“I also trained as a dancer in New York and I teach hip-hop to adults and kids at the weekend.”
However, an RTÉ spokesman said that her dance past is being exaggerated by some.
They told The Mail: “Lottie attended Broadway Dance Center when she was on holidays a couple of times for a drop-in dance class. But not the NY Academy of Dance.”
Another spokesman for RTÉ said: “Over previous series the DWTS celebrities have had varying levels of dance experience and work with their pro dancer to master a number of different dance genres for the live shows.”
“None of the celebrities who are participating are professional dancers.”
In her interview with Ryan Tubridy, Lottie clarified:
“I’m really looking forward to being out of my comfort zone and doing something that I just have no clue about. It is learning something new.”
“I went to performing arts school as a child – as many people do – but this is, this is a completely different discipline.”
“Like technically ballroom, Latin I have never done something like this in my whole life. I am planking myself,” she said.
Lottie will compete in the dance show alongside Brian Dowling, Love Island’s Yewande Biala and Glenda Gilson.
