Brian Redmond has responded to rumours he was set to be replaced as a judge on the new season of Dancing with the Stars.
Season five of the popular RTÉ show kicked off on Sunday night, with six of the twelve celebrity contestants making their dancing debuts.
Nicky Byrne and Jennifer Zamparelli returned as hosts, while Loraine Barry and Brian were joined on the judging panel by choreographer Arthur Gourounlian – who replaced Julian Benson.
Ahead of the new season, there was speculation that Brian wouldn’t be returning to the show and that he would be replaced in a shake-up of the judging panel.
Speaking about the rumours, Brian said: “At the end of the day, we’ve got to do the best job we can do every single week. If you look at the formats around the world, on Strictly for example, every time there’s a change on the show, the reaction is ‘oh, so and so is leaving!’”
“Six weeks later, it’s done and dusted and forgotten about. This show is almost bigger than anyone who’s on it. It recycles talent every year. It does that with celebrities and it could do the same with judges, with presenters, everybody.”
“When I first started doing the show if you told me I’d be still doing it five years later, I’d have been really happy with that. I am delighted to be here, and I just want to make sure I do the best job I can and try to make myself as impossible to get rid of if that’s possible to do,” he added.
The 44-year-old also revealed he has no intention of holding back with his criticism this year.
He said: “The booing from the audience is fuel to my fire sometimes. It was great to be back for the first show and great to see the audience haven’t forgotten what I do. I think my opinions on Sunday were valid.”
“It’s a challenging thing to do the first week of a show like this and step out of your comfort zone given the restrictions with Covid. The team have done a fantastic job.”
“I think the first of this year’s dancers have set a particular standard and the rest of the contestants will have seen that.”
Comedian Neil Delamere, model Missy Keating, cyclist Nicolas Roche, author Cathy Kelly, jockey Nina Carberry, and presenter Gráinne Seoige made their dancing debuts on Sunday night’s show.
News anchor Aengus Mac Grianna, Aslan’s Billy McGuinness, Paralympian Ellen Keane, singer Erica Cody, Love Island star Matthew MacNabb and rugby player Jordan Conway will take to the dancefloor this weekend.
Dancing with the Stars continues on Sunday, January 16 at 6:30pm.
