“I’ve never felt fear like it,” Ms Fox said. “I was standing there going, ‘God this could all be gone tonight and it’s over and done with’,” she added.
“Being where I was in that position last week was terrifying and it really did give me a kick coming in Monday morning to rehearse.
“I went, ‘I don’t want to be back down there again, but if I am, I want to make sure that I’m going out on an absolute high’,” the radio presenter said.
This week, Ms Fox and her professional dance partner Denys Samson with take on the Samba.
2FM presenter Laura Fox. Photo: Barry McCall/RTÉ
While she has come into this week with a new perspective, Ms Fox said her dance partner has been a “huge support”.
“I can voice any fears or anxieties I’m having or if there’s a certain part of the dance that I’m just not getting, we concentrate on that more,” she said.
“Having a dance partner that really just knows what they’re doing and knows when to go, ‘you need five minutes’, is fantastic.”
Another big support is her boyfriend Brian Moran, who was one of the people who encouraged her to take part in the show.
While he has been in the audience every week since the show began, Ms Fox said he isn’t a bit jealous seeing her dance with her pro partner.
“Brian doesn’t have a jealous bone in his body. Also, I do think he has looked at this for so many years as one of the biggest opportunities you could ever possibly take on,” Ms Fox said.
“So, week in, week out, he is so proud.”
Despite being in competition with the other stars, Ms Fox said that all the contestants get on well together and she has struck up a friendship with former newsreader Eileen Dunne.
“Myself and Eileen just have the craic. I love her, I love going for coffee with her,” Ms Fox said.
“I know that I can come out and have a rant to her straight away and she’ll very much give me a good smile and say ‘Go on, well done. You’re great’.
“It’s mad because you massively respect her career and everything she’s done, but there is so much more to her as a person.”
The past year has been a big one for Ms Fox, something she said isn’t lost on her.
Dancing with the Stars is just one of the many jobs that is keeping the 2FM host busy. Aside from her radio show, she also took over as host of RTÉ’s Ireland’s Fittest Families.
“It’s not lost on me what a big year I’ve had. I feel like it’s ten years of work and it’s all coming together, and I am so proud and I’m so happy,” she said.
“That’s what I’m saying about enjoying every second of this show (Dancing with the Stars). I love being on it so much.
“The same with fittest families. I showed up every day and Brian used to slag me when I came home because I was like ‘That was the best day ever!’ and he’d say, ‘It can’t all be the best day ever’.”
Dancing with the Stars airs on Sunday on RTÉ One at 6.30pm.
