The comedian, who is competing alongside pro dancer Stephen Vincent, shared some of the heartwarming messages he has received from other members of the LGBTQ+ community since the new series of the show kicked off earlier this month.
He said some viewers told him they came out to their families after seeing the pair dance.
“I’ve been getting a really great reaction which I’m still kind of shocked by. The one I’m most excited about, I’ve had a couple of emails that said, ‘I watched the tango and afterwards I told my parents that I’m gay’,” the comedian said.
“I got a great message from a gay couple who got married a few years ago who said they didn’t dance at their wedding because they felt so self-conscious about it, so it’s great to see two men dancing on television.”
Farrelly said he has also received messages of praise from dancers who are “surprised” by the choreography involved with two men dancing together.
“The choreography we do is slightly different and we can swap things up with regards to the lead and the follow. We get lovely messages and the reaction is really, really positive.
“I was asked to do the show before and – not that I had any problem with the show, I love it and I watch it – I said, ‘It isn’t for me, that’s just way outside of my comfort zone’. I don’t consider myself a showman. My reason for doing it now was when we had that conversation about dancing with a man I thought, ‘OK, I’m gonna do this’. Chances are I’m going to look stupid and silly, but if somebody wakes up on a Monday morning and feels a bit better about their situation, it’s worth looking a bit silly for.
“Those messages have been brilliant. It’s just been really nice and positive.”
Farrelly being a part of Dancing with the Stars has been a big deal for his family, particularly for his mother Deirdre who he said is “obsessed” with the show.
“When I did The Late Late Show, she couldn’t be in the audience because she was too nervous, but with Dancing with the Stars she said, ‘I’m there week one’. She’s having a ball.
“It’s the most excited my parents have ever been about anything I’ve done. My mother was in the hairdresser and told them, ‘My son’s doing Dancing with the Stars,’ and that wouldn’t be something my mam would do.
“Apparently the hairdresser said, ‘Do you not have to be a celebrity to do that?’.”
Up next for Farrelly and Vincent on the show this week is an emotional Viennese Waltz to R.E.M.’s Everybody Hurts. He said the amount of spinning involved in rehearsals has been a challenge.
“There’s so much spinning that I’ve started – and this may be cheating – but I’ve started to wear travel bands. We keep having to stop rehearsals because I’m like, ‘Just give me one minute now, I think I’m going to be sick’. It’s lovely, Stephen’s done a great job on the choreography, it is really emotional.”
‘Dancing with the Stars’ airs on RTÉ One and the RTÉ Player on Sundays from 6.30pm
