Paudie is competition in DWTS final, says Katelyn as she reveals shock injury latest & plan for straight after RTE show

ROSE of Tralee Katelyn Cummins has revealed she sees Traitors star Paudie Moloney as her biggest competition in the final of Dancing With The Stars this Sunday.

The 68-year-old defied critics last weekend doing a Gangnam Style dance, which saw him make the last four.

Katelyn, 21, who is tipped to win the Glitterball trophy, told The Irish Sun: “Age isn’t a factor in this competition. I definitely think Paudie is competition in the final.

“He has a serious amount of votes and a massive following.

“We are all trying our hardest every weekend, and that’s all we can do. I also want to say, Paudie is such a lovely person and so easy to get on with.

“He is having the time of his life, like the rest of us.”

Katelyn will also have to out-dance Ireland AM star Eric Roberts and singer Tolü Makay to win the big prize.

However, her bid for the Glitterball could be in jeopardy after her Italian dance partner Leonardo Lini suffered an injury.

He will be going into the finals weekend with a broken thumb.

The issue had forced them to halt rehearsals last week and alter their dance routines last Sunday night.

Katelyn admitted: “It was frustrating. There were some lifts we couldn’t do because of that.

“We did have a tough week, but we were very happy with the choreography. We don’t regret anything about it.”

Despite this, the couple landed the perfect score of four tens for a Charleston, which also prompted their first standing ovation from outspoken judge Brian Redmond.

Leonardo has vowed that the injury, which left his thumb in a cast, won’t hamper them in the final.

He said: “We did have this injury, so it took us time to recover, and we lost time from our rehearsals. Katelyn was worried about it on Sunday, but I said leave it to me.

“I think we handled it well. We will have the same situation in the final, and we will deal with it.”

The former dance champ also revealed that he holds off praising Katelyn for her dancing until their routine is over each Sunday night to help keep her focused.

Katelyn said: “The only compliment I get is after my dance on a Sunday. It works so well for me because, if I got too much praise, I think it would get to me.

“So, his method of teaching really works for me. We stay working hard until we get to Sunday, and then he’ll say, ‘Wow, you just smashed that out of the park’.

“Motivation comes from wanting to be in the final, wanting to make it the full way.

“We work hard every single day, we push ourselves to the limit and hardly take any breaks.”

But, win or lose next Sunday, the beauty queen won’t be hanging around once DWTS finishes, as she resumes her duties as the reigning Rose of Tralee.

Katelyn said: “The day after the finals, I fly to New York for the St Patrick’s Day Parade. I’m there for four days, then I go to Texas for the Texas Rose selection. Then on to Nashville for four days, and then Canada for a week.

“I was supposed to go to Boston this week, but whether I was involved or not, I wanted to be here for the DWTS final. So I am flying out the next day.”

From the village of Ballyouskill, on the Laois–Kilkenny border, Katelyn will continue her duties as the 65th Rose until October, when she plans to resume her apprenticeship as an electrician.

She said: “The day I found out I was doing Dancing With The Stars, I went into my boss and told him I wouldn’t be working during December, January, February or March. He said, ‘No problem’ and was really supportive.”

Katelyn also revealed that since stepping out on the dancefloor, she has learned that her grandparents, Fabian and Mary, were once ballroom dancers.

She said: “My grandad only passed away a year-and-a-half ago, but I think of him and my granny looking down on me. To win for them would make me so proud.”

• The Grand Final of Dancing With The Stars airs on RTE One next Sunday at 6.30pm.