Dancing With The Stars boss Larry Bass has sparked hope the show will return to RTÉ next year.
The 2021 series of DWTS was cancelled due to the pandemic, but rumours are rife it will be back on our screens in early 2022.
The show still hasn’t been given the green light by RTÉ, but TV producer Larry is confident they can make it work.
Speaking to the Irish Daily Star, he said: “It’s looking positive. Covid obviously hasn’t gone away and the restrictions haven’t been fully lifted so we have to work on current restrictions.”
“We can’t work on future restrictions because they’re only confirmed when they happen.”
“The country should be opening up pretty much as it was pre Covid after October 22 but until we get to those dates without any further interference with the plan, we just can’t confirm that.”
“But what we are doing in light of it is we are trying to do as much prep as we can but until we can all move forward 100 per cent, there is nothing confirmed. But we are certainly looking to be in production with the show in January,” he explained.
“Pre-production for Dancing With The Stars will hopefully commence if the restrictions are lifted past October 22 without any interference but until such a time, everything is just conjecture. That’s our plan.”
Larry continued: “If the show is coming back it has to be the complete show. Anything else doesn’t really pass muster in terms of value to the audience and top the broadcaster.”
“For us, trying to make a show less than it was in the past, we don’t want to do that. We want to make the best possible show. In fact, we want to make it better.”
The newspaper also reported that if DWTS returns, it will be filmed at a new studio in Fonthill, Liffey Valley – where they’re currently filming RTÉ’s new talent series Last Singer Standing.
