{"id":257902,"date":"2025-12-30T11:06:15","date_gmt":"2025-12-30T11:06:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/257902\/"},"modified":"2025-12-30T11:06:15","modified_gmt":"2025-12-30T11:06:15","slug":"who-are-the-contestants-when-is-it-on-and-whats-new-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/257902\/","title":{"rendered":"Who are the contestants, when is it on and what\u2019s new? \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

Prepare the scoring paddles, put the tanning booth on standby and get ready to shimmy from the couch: Dancing with the Stars<\/a> will soon be back for a ninth season. Here is everything you need to know, plus some extra razzle-dazzle on top.<\/p>\n

When does the TV glitzfest begin all over again? <\/p>\n

The hunt for the glitterball trophy kicks and flicks into action on RT\u00c9<\/a> One and RT\u00c9 Player on Sunday, January 4th, at 6.30pm, with the show running for 11 weeks until Sunday, March 15th.<\/p>\n

Any cha-cha-changes this year?<\/p>\n

Quite a few. Two-time Strictly Come Dancing champion Oti Mabuse has joined the judging panel as head judge. She succeeds Loraine Barry, who announced last September that she was standing down from the role after eight years. Mabuse will be joined by returning judges Brian Redmond, Arthur Gourounlian and Karen Byrne.<\/p>\n

Laura Fox<\/a> will co-present the show this season alongside Jennifer Zamparelli<\/a>. Fox is standing in for regular co-host Doireann Garrihy<\/a>, who is on maternity leave.<\/p>\n

Three new professional dancers have also joined the glittering fold: Arianna Favaro, Leonardo Lini and James Cutler.<\/p>\n

Where have we seen Mabuse and Fox before?<\/p>\n

If you didn\u2019t see Mabuse lift the glitterball on the BBC\u2019s Strictly Come Dancing with celebrity partners Kelvin Fletcher and Bill Bailey in 2019 and 2020, you may have spotted her as a judge on Dancing with Ice, a panellist on The Masked Dancer or a campmate on I\u2019m a Celebrity \u2026 Get Me Out of Here! Her sister is Strictly judge Motsi Mabuse.<\/p>\n

Fox presents 2FM Mornings with Laura Fox on the RT\u00c9 station from 9am-12pm weekdays, as well as the RT\u00c9 One series Ireland\u2019s Fittest Family, while Dancing with the Stars viewers also will remember her from her run as a contestant on the 2024 series, when she reached the final.<\/p>\n

\"BrianBrian Redmond, Karen Byrne, Oti Mabuse and Arthur Gourounlian, the judges on Dancing with the Stars in 2026. Photograph: RT\u00c9 Who is trying their luck on the dancefloor this time?<\/p>\n

Twelve valiant celebrities will hope to emulate the triumph of 2025 winner Rhys McCleneghan or perhaps just get through their first dance without making a hames of it on live television.<\/p>\n

Notably, this year\u2019s crop of couples includes the first female same-sex pairing on the Irish version of the show.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a full rundown of the Class of 2026.<\/p>\n

Niamh Kavanagh and Stephen Vincent\"NiamhNiamh Kavanagh and Stephen Vincent on Dancing with the Stars 2026. Photograph: RT\u00c9 <\/p>\n

Niamh Kavanagh, winner of the Eurovision Song Contest in 1993 with In Your Eyes, famously saw the light leading her home again. Now she\u2019ll have professional partner Stephen Vincent leading her around Dublin\u2019s Font Hill Studios instead. Will she show no emotion, her feelings locked inside? It\u2019s one way of controlling nerves.<\/p>\n

Paudie Moloney and Laura Nolan\"PaudiePaudie Moloney and Laura Nolan on Dancing with the Stars 2026. Photograph: RT\u00c9 <\/p>\n

\u201cI am not a f**king hugger,\u201d declared Paudie Moloney on The Traitors Ireland, which doesn\u2019t bode brilliantly for his chances in the rumba. The retired prison officer \u2013 who is partnered with 2025 pro champion Laura Nolan \u2013 followed his turn as a traitor by popping up on Gogglebox Ireland and in the 3Olympia Christmas panto. Oh no, he didn\u2019t, etc.<\/p>\n

Katelyn Cummins and Leonardo Lini\"KatelynKatelyn Cummins and Leonardo Lini on Dancing with the Stars 2026. Photograph: RT\u00c9 <\/p>\n

Reigning Rose of Tralee Katelyn Cummins \u2013 she was the Laois Rose \u2013 will be sashaying her way into the competition with one of this year\u2019s new pros, Leonardo Lini. Cummins did some spins with her escort on stage in Tralee, though her long hemline restricted her movement. She says the jive is her favourite dance. Can Lini help her add some tricks to her repertoire?<\/p>\n

Michael Fry and Kylee Vincent\"MichaelMichael Fry and Kylee Vincent on Dancing with the Stars 2026. Photograph: RT\u00c9 <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m hoping there\u2019s an artful way to bend over with a stitch mid-routine,\u201d says comedian and actor Michael Fry, who is partnered with returning pro Kylee Vincent. Fry\u2019s one-man indie band makes songs out of as-seen-on-TV quotes, such as Nadine Coyle\u2019s \u201cmaking me a Gemini\u201d and P\u00e1draig Flynn\u2019s \u201ctry it some time\u201d. Will his dancing stint inspire new lyrics?<\/p>\n

Stephanie Kelly and Ervinas Merfeldas\"StephanieStephanie Kelly and Ervinas Merfeldas on Dancing with the Stars 2026. Photograph: RT\u00c9 <\/p>\n

Fair City actor Stephanie Kelly, one of the longest-serving cast members in the RT\u00c9 soap opera, has been involved in some traumatic storylines in her time and plays a resident of Carrigstown called Sash Bishop. Does that mean she can only move diagonally? Tune in to watch her first dance with pro partner Ervinas Merfeldas to find out.<\/p>\n

Eric Roberts and Arianna Favaro\"EricEric Roberts and Arianna Favaro on Dancing with the Stars 2026. Photograph: RT\u00c9 <\/p>\n

Not to be confused with the US actor of the same name, Eric Roberts came to attention on TikTok and Instagram, then joined the weekend presenting team on Virgin Media Television\u2019s Ireland AM. Paired with new pro Arianna Favaro, Roberts taught himself hip-hop moves after watching the 2006 teen-dance film Step Up. Who didn\u2019t?<\/p>\n

Philip Doyle and Daniela Roze\"PhilipPhilip Doyle and Daniela Roze on Dancing with the Stars 2026. Photograph: RT\u00c9 <\/p>\n

Philip Doyle won an Olympic bronze medal in the men\u2019s double sculls (alongside Daire Lynch) at Paris 2024, so he knows how to work as a pair. But can he do it on dry land on a Sunday night in Dublin? The doctor and rower will be trying to find new ways to move his hips alongside aptly-named partner Daniela Roze.<\/p>\n

Tol\u00fc Makay and Maciej Zieba\"TolüTol\u00fc Makay and Maciej Zieba on Dancing with the Stars 2026. Photograph: RT\u00c9 <\/p>\n

Singer Tol\u00fc Makay\u2019s breakthrough moment came in early 2021, when her cover of N17 by The Saw Doctors on RT\u00c9\u2019s 2020-2021 New Year\u2019s Eve show went viral. Her performance, backed by the RT\u00c9 Concert Orchestra, struck an emotional chord \u2013 will her dancing with pro Maciej Zieba do the same? She says the show \u201cticks every box\u201d for her, which helps.<\/p>\n

Amber Wilson and Alex Vladimirov\"AmberAmber Wilson and Alex Vladimirov on Dancing with the Stars 2026. Photograph: RT\u00c9 <\/p>\n

Amber Wilson is \u201cdeeply proud\u201d to be part of the first female same-sex pairing to compete on the show. She is best known for co-hosting podcast Vogue & Amber alongside sister Vogue Williams, who she will now swap for pro partner Alex Vladimirov. She says sequins are already a staple of her everyday wardrobe.<\/p>\n

Anne Cassin and Robert Rowinski\"AnneAnne Cassin and Robert Rowinski on Dancing with the Stars 2026. Photograph: RT\u00c9 <\/p>\n

Nationwide presenter Anne Cassin says the last time she danced in public involved a spot of Irish dancing when she was 10 years old. The journalist, a self-described \u201ccomplete rookie\u201d, will take to the dancefloor with Robert Rowinski, following in the brave steps of RT\u00c9 friends Teresa Mannion, Mary Kennedy, Marty Morrissey and Eileen Dunne.<\/p>\n

Jordan Dargan and Rebecca Scott\"JordanJordan Dargan and Rebecca Scott on Dancing with the Stars 2026. Photograph: RT\u00c9 <\/p>\n

A finalist on The Apprentice in 2025, Jordan Dargan was handed Alan Sugar\u2019s business card as he left the boardroom, but he\u2019ll be swapping it for a dance card as he teams up with Rebecca Scott. Before he fired him, Sugar told him he had applied \u201ctoo early\u201d for the show. He\u2019ll be looking to display better timing on the dancefloor.<\/p>\n

Brian Kennedy and James Cutler\"BrianBrian Kennedy and James Cutler on Dancing with the Stars 2026. Photograph: RT\u00c9 <\/p>\n

Singer-songwriter Brian Kennedy will dance with new pro James Cutler, making them the second same-sex pairing on this year\u2019s show. Kennedy is also the second Eurovision entrant, having represented Ireland in 2006 with Every Song is a Cry for Love. Can he win douze points from the judges? No, because the scores only go up to 10.<\/p>\n

Who will flop and who will be FAB-U-LOUS?<\/p>\n

We couldn\u2019t possibly say, though several of this year\u2019s celebrities have indicated that they will be stepping out of their comfort zone to do the show. That can go one of two ways.<\/p>\n

Sadly, this is one of those situations when the advice \u201cdance like no one\u2019s watching\u201d requires a certain suspension of disbelief to be effective.<\/p>\n

Remind me why this is happening again?<\/p>\n

Dancing with the Stars, which is produced for RT\u00c9 by ShinAwiL, represents part of the broadcaster\u2019s statutory commitment to commission content from the independent production sector.<\/p>\n

Despite being made with a fraction of the budget enjoyed by Strictly Come Dancing \u2013 the \u201cparent\u201d format of the international TV hit \u2013 the show has been a success since it first launched in 2017, when it replaced The Voice of Ireland.<\/p>\n

[\u00a0Oti Mabuse, double Strictly champion, joins RT\u00c9\u2019s Dancing with the Stars as head judgeOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

Part of its appeal is that it is both a dance competition and a popularity contest. The judges\u2019 marks only represent half of the total score, with the public given a say on which celebrities waltz through to the following week and who must foxtrot home. Viewers\u2019 votes alone determine the result in the final.<\/p>\n

Most importantly for its multigenerational audience, the show brings a touch of sparkly fun to drab winter nights.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Prepare the scoring paddles, put the tanning booth on standby and get ready to shimmy from the couch:…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":257903,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[75],"tags":[5071,18,117,19,17,133434,61956,1181],"class_list":{"0":"post-257902","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-entertainment","8":"tag-dancing-with-the-stars","9":"tag-eire","10":"tag-entertainment","11":"tag-ie","12":"tag-ireland","13":"tag-jennifer-zamparelli","14":"tag-laura-fox","15":"tag-rte"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/115808199404390775","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/257902","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=257902"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/257902\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/257903"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=257902"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=257902"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=257902"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}