Demi Isaac Oviawe opens up about losing both her parents after DWTS elimination
Last night, Demi Isaac Oviawe lost her place on RTÉ One's Dancing with the Stars after finding herself in the first dance off of the series.
Ah hard luck to Demi. #dwts #DWTSIRL #RTEOne pic.twitter.com/sg583N66fC
— RTÉ One (@RTEOne) February 17, 2019
Sadly it followed the Cork native’s strongest performance of the series. Her Viennese waltz was praised by judge Loraine Barry, who said she had taken “an 18th- century dance and brought it into this century”.
A "gorgeous" Viennese waltz from @demiisaac and @Kaiwidd. Great comments and 21 points! #DWTSIrl @DWTSIRL pic.twitter.com/SwzPKb1gu4
— RTÉ One (@RTEOne) February 17, 2019
Demi joined Ryan Tubridy in the studio this morning to talk about her experience on the show, the tragic loss of both her parents and how she’s coping with balancing life and studying for the Leaving Cert.
“I don’t know how I’m supposed to feel, there were a lot of tears last night but there are no tears now, and that’s a good thing,” she told Ryan.
The 18-year-old blamed herself for the result and was upset for her partner Kai Widdrington that his journey was also over.
She continued to say she felt disappointed in herself and thought she didn’t do enough.
I felt disappointed in myself because I thought I didn't do enough. I didn't do enough campaigning or for the judges to like me
She continued: "I felt bad for Kai. The choreography he had planned for the future looked really good and now they won't be used”
Tubs quizzed leaving cert student about her studies saying he was getting “all dad like” watching her in the show, “now that girl needs to get back to the books”.
Demi’s school has organised for her to take her mock exams in four weeks time, despite the rest of her year having just finished sitting theirs.
She then went on to open up to Ryan about losing both her parents.
Nigerian born Demi says her father's death was the "hardest moment" of her life - and urges anyone going through similar heartache not to keep their feelings bottled up.
Demi also lost her mother to breast cancer when she was just five.
People who know me know I don't cry. So for me to cry on the show showed that there was a lot going on. So when I did the song for my dad it was the toughest. The emotion of it was so hard
"I was five (when my mum died). My auntie died a few months later so it was a whirlwind of stuff.
She lives with her four younger brothers and her stepmother, her father’s former partner, and her father’s brother, Courage.
Listen to the full interview here:
