Dancing With The Stars: 'I always knew age was going to be an issue' - Eilish O'Carroll first celeb to be axed

Mrs Brown’s Boys’ comedian Eilish and pro dance partner, Ryan McShane, were sent home after a public vote despite impressing judges with their sexy samba and the swing action the grandmother showed at the tender age of 66.

However judge Brian Redmond questioned the grandmother's dancing skills, though he added he hoped “I have the same energy when I’m 66."

But Eilish told him age was “not a factor, I’m here to learn.”  The couple scored 12 for their efforts.

“I’m going to miss it,” Eilish said. “I’m going to have a lie in tomorrow, but it’s been great.”

Eilish told Independent.ie after the show: "I always knew the age was going to be an issue, I brought it up first as I wanted to get it out of the way.

"Ryan came to my defense tonight. I didn't want age to be an issue - it was about the dance and how I danced."

Ryan paid tribute to his dance partner, saying: “She’s the most amazing lady I’ve ever met," as he insisted she'd worked very hard and he'd always defend his partner.

Host Nicky Byrne said: “It’s never easy, we’re going to miss you.”

Eilish provided not only sex appeal as she danced the samba in a bright orange dress but she brought a dash of comedy as she lifted her dance partner, Ryan’s leg into the air.

Just seconds after Fair City actor Johnny Ward finished his foxtrot earlier in the show, a power outage lasting around 11 minutes, put a halt to proceedings.

But Nicky maintained professionalism as he stood with Ward and the rest of the dancers awaiting the couple’s score.

“We are back, the scores are in,” Nicky said.  The couple gained third place on the judges’ scoring list with a healthy 19.

Mairéad Ronan kicked off the show with a red hot Charleston and she looked every inch the dancing queen as strutted her stuff with pro dance partner, John Nolan.

The RTE presenter even managed to melt the heart of judge Brian Redmond, who told the new mum her performance was “fun and energy.”

Though Mairéad raced ahead at the start of the show and held her place, she was still somewhat self-deprecating on her ability, telling the judges: “I felt during the week that my fitness was going to let John’s routine down.

“He (John) might have dropped me ....in the dress rehearsal.”

The busy mother-of-two has been rehearsing daily from 7am with her dance partner and she’s proving herself to be a real dark horse in the competition.

The couple scored an impressive 24 points and shot to the top of the leaderboard.

Comedian Fred Cooke, bagged second place on the scoreboard, with a high energy Charleston.

He and dance partner, Giulia Dotta, dressed in red overalls, looked more Super Mario than Fred and Ginger. But despite their comedic style, complimented by a funny tune, ‘Right Said Fred,’ they couple were a tour de force on the dance floor.

An enthused Redmond told the pair: “It was funny, quirky, can you do it again? You smashed it.

“As far as I’m concerned the next time I need something shifting, I’ll be giving you a shout.”

The pair scored 23 points and produced one of the standout performances of the night.

Demi Isaac Oviawe, 18, came back tonight with an elegant foxtrot and scored 14 points for her efforts.

And though she gave the dance her all, it still wasn’t enough to convince the judges of her dancing prowess.

The teenager, who’s currently sitting her Leaving Cert, has been under pressure to work harder at rehearsals but she told how more than anything it was “important to show how comfortable I am in this competition.”

Demi, who stars in The Young Offenders sitcom, wore a powder blue ballroom gown as she glided across the floor to ‘After All’ a Cork anthem by The Frank And Walters.

The uplifting tune featured in the RTE show a hilarious kidnapping scene unfolded on a bus.

Judge Brian told the schoolgirl:  “It was an improvement on last week… if last week’s cha cha was a fail, you might not be an honours student yet but that was a pass."