This year’s Dancing with the Stars final takes place on Sunday night, and it’s safe to say that it’s going out with bang and not a whimper.
Season seven of the Irish version of the dancing competition continues to be hugely popular with audiences, with almost half a million tuning in to watch the show on RTÉ One every week.
So far this year’s DWTS viewing figures are up slightly on last year’s, with an average of 478,000 enjoying the competition each Sunday, with the grand finale still to go.
As well as impressive viewing figures, the show continues to break boundaries, following on from Brian Dowling taking part in the Irish series’ first ever same-sex couple performance in 2020 and Paralympian Ellen Keane signing up in 2022 as the show’s first ever disabled contestant.
One of the highlights of this year’s DWTS was the inclusion of Jason Smyth, a Paralympic runner described in 2017 as the fastest Paralympians on the planet.
Smyth only 10% vision and, at the start of the series, it was almost impossible to imagine that he would be able to learn the complex dance routines that the series demands.
Incredibly, he has not only kept up with his fellow contestants but has become an accomplished dancer, culminating in him competing in the final this Sunday.
Another memorable moment from this year’s series was when head judge Loraine Barry deftly and powerfully responded to online trolls who had made disparaging body-shaming comments about contestant Katja Mia.
“May I just take a moment – I’d like to send a message out to those who need to hear this,” she said, looking straight down the lens during the 4 February show.
“I am a world champion and I have the credentials to say this. Katja is a beautiful dancer and all ladies and men, whatever shape or size, they have the right to dance.
“And if you have a problem with that, it is your problem,” she finished, leaving an emotional Mia in tears.
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Another progressive step the series took this year was the inclusion of drag performer Blu Hydrangea, the show’s first non-binary contestant, who has also danced their way to the final.
So what can we expect from this year’s grand finale? Well, it’s the first Dancing with the Stars final to be held on St Patrick’s Day, and there’s no doubt that the show is leaning heavily into the green theme, with a dazzling dance from the cast of Riverdance promised.
This April marks 30 years since Riverdance wowed audiences around the world as the seven-minute Eurovision Song Contest interval act.
Some of the most memorable contestants from previous seasons are returning for one night only. The alumni include Irish comedian Bernard O’Shea, sports broadcaster Marty Morrisey, country singer Cliona O’Hagan, series four Glitterball champion and 2fm presenter Lottie Ryan.
Ryan’s return to the dancefloor coinciding with Riverdance’s debut is particularly poignant. “I’m being given the incredibly rare and prestigious opportunity of dancing with Riverdance, 30 years after my dad [Gerry Ryan] first introduced this iconic masterpiece to the world,” she said.
“I now get to stand side-by-side and shoulder to shoulder with some of the most amazing dancers our country has ever produced – to say I’m honoured would be an understatement.”
Also returning to the show are Fair City actor Ryan Andrews, television and radio presenter Brian Dowling, Paralympian Ellen Keane and TV presenter and entrepreneur Suzanne Jackson.
The pro dancers and finalists will open the show set with a group dance to Feels This Good by Sigala.
The four finalists will each perform two dances – the first will be judges’ choice, where the celeb will reprise the performance from the season that most impressed the trio of judges.
They will then each perform a show dance – their final chance to influence that all-important public vote.
Wrapping up the final, all the couples from this year’s season will storm the dancefloor with the final group dance, set to Murder on the Dancefloor by Sophie Ellis-Bextor.
Meet the finalists
Laura Fox
How we know her: Galwegian glamazon radio and TV presenter, best known for her weekend radio show on 2fm and as the presenter of Ireland’s Fittest Family.
Professional dance partner: Denys Samson
Her Dancing with the Stars journey in three words: Enthusiastic, positive, passionate
Moment of the season: Judge Arthur Gourounlian labelled Fox the “Charleston queen” after she danced to the fast-paced Do Your Thing by Basement Jaxx. The judges agreed that the flexible Fox delivered an assured and highly energetic masterclass in this notoriously difficult dance and awarded her 30 points, and the studio audience gave her a standing ovation.
Dedicated dance: Her lively, light-footed quickstep to Galway Girl by Sharon Shannon and Mundy was dedicated to her grandmother and biggest supporter, Nora AKA ‘Nono’.
What can we expect this week:
Judges’ Choice: Laura’s week one jive to River Deep, Mountain High by the Glee Cast
Show dance: Make it Look Easy by DITA
In her own words: “Anyone who I’ve met who’s from Galway says, ‘We’re so proud of you’ and that’s just the nicest feeling in the world. Dancing with the Stars is everything I hoped and dreamed, and then some. It’s without doubt one of the greatest experiences that I’ve ever got the chance to take part in.”
Blu Hydrangea
How we know them: Northern Irish drag queen who came to prominence on the 2019 edition of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK. They went on to win the first season of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs The World in 2022.
Professional dance partner: Simone Arena
Their Dancing with the Stars journey in three words: Flamboyant, joyful, skillful
Moment of the season: Blu’s Samba to I Go to Rio by Hugh Jackman during Orchestra Week was a season highlight, drawing the first perfect marks of the series. It was the perfect combination of skill, fun, flamboyance and drama. Judge Loraine Barry said: “This was a full-on production. It was really, honestly, really good… it was all there. This tonight for me was epic, absolutely epic.”
Dedicated dance: Blu performed a fierce paso doble to Sissy That Walk by RuPaul, in honour of the American drag legend who propelled them into the limelight.
What can we expect this week:
Judges’ choice: Blu’s contemporary ballroom fusion to Tattoo by Loreen from week five
Show dance: I Am What I Am by John Barrowman
In their own words: “I think I would feel really proud to be the first drag queen worldwide to win Dancing with the Stars, and I think it would be great for anyone in Ireland who feels like they’re an outsider or a bit different, to see someone like me just living my best life. It’s not all about winning, but if I did… that’s a dream come true. And I’d feel very lucky, privileged and I would be so proud.”
David Whelan
How we know him: One-quarter of pop band Wild Youth, best known for hits like Can’t Move On and Making Me Dance, and for representing Ireland at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2023.
Professional dance partner: Salome Chachua
His Dancing with the Stars journey in three words: Brave, strong, consistent
Moment of the season: Whelan impressed the judges from day one, overcoming his fears around aggravating a horrific collarbone injury he suffered last year. However in week ten that his efforts were rewarded with a perfect score. His mummified salsa to Wrapped Up by Olly Murs dazzled the trio and a much-relieved Whelan finally got what he had been working so hard for.
Dedicated dance: Whelan dedicated his dance to his father, who is a ballroom dancer and teacher himself. Speaking about his dad, Whelan told RTÉ.ie Entertainment that “I owe him my career”, and credits his father for working incredibly hard all of his life so that his children could follow their dreams. He danced a rumba to Fields of Gold by Sting.
What can we expect this week:
Judges’ Choice: Whelan’s Movie Week jive to You Can Never Tell + Misirlou from Pulp Fiction
Showdance: All That Really Matters by ILLENIUM and Teddy Swims
In his own words: “I’d a really tough year last year, so I was just going to say ‘yes’ to things I want to do. And I’m going to be me more. Wild Youth, I love, and Wild Youth’s my thing, but I am a person, an individual within Wild Youth. It was hard to go through that experience, in pain… I’ve been jumping over hurdles all year long, physically and mentally, with all the stuff that was going on, but it’s put that extra meaning into this year. I want to enjoy life. A few months ago, the heaviest thing I could lift was a cup of tea.”
Jason Smyth
How we know him: He’s a six-time Paralympic gold medal-winning sprinter who is legally blind. He retired from competing in 2023 to take up a full-time role within Paralympics Ireland.
Professional dance partner: Karen Byrne
His Dancing with the Stars journey in three words: Groundbreaking, inspiring, tear-jerking
Moment of the season: A turning point in the competition came for Smyth in week three, when his contemporary ballroom to Show Me What I’m Looking For by Carolina Lia began with a blur on the screen, replicating his visual impairment and giving viewers a glimpse into his disability. The moving dance drew high praise from the judging trio, with Brian Redmond commenting: “That for me was one of the most special moments from all seven seasons of Dancing With The Stars... that is by far your best dance so far.”
Dedicated dance: Smyth dedicated his dance to his two daughters Evie and Lottie, performing an elegant Viennese waltz to Daughters by John Mayer.
What can we expect this week:
Judges’ Choice: Smyth’s week seven samba to Rhythm Divine by Enrique Iglesias
Showdance: Go the Distance by Michael Bolton
In his own words: [On building trust with pro partner Byrne] “Just from my experience in sport – building that trust is such a key piece for me. I can’t rely on what I see; for me trying to learn something is about how I feel the movement rather than how I see the movement. The first time me and Karen met she said to me, let’s be open around what you can and can’t see. And I said, yeah, absolutely. I think that’s probably the precedent that starts those kind of foundations is that openness and honesty, that there isn’t a right or wrong question from her end to ask me.”
Dancing with the Stars: The Final, RTÉ One and RTÉ Player, Sunday 17 March at 7pm
