The first four celebrity contestants confirmed for Dancing With The Stars were unveiled on The Late Late Show on Friday night.
TV presenter Grainne Seoige, newscaster Aengus Mac Grianna, Paralympian Ellen Keane, and comedian Neil Delamere lead this year’s line up of 12 celebrity contestants.
Speaking about her upcoming stint on DWTS, Grainne said: “I am excited and petrified in equal measure to be joining Dancing with the Stars.”
“I’ve always wanted to learn to dance, and now, I’m getting the chance to learn from the very best in the country. Let’s see how it goes!”
Meanwhile, former Six One News presenter Aengus said: “I love a challenge that pushes me way out of my comfort zone.”
“Dancing with the Stars is high-energy showbusiness and is definitely the most physically demanding challenge I have ever undertaken.”
“Given that I don’t dance I am both excited and terrified about the weeks ahead.”
Paralympic swimmer Ellen, who won gold in Tokyo this year, commented: “I am so excited for the show to begin.”
“I am such a competitor, so I’m in it to win it, but I’m really looking forward to having a good time, learning new skills and making new friends!”
“I’m loving this because I get to be dry and have my hair and make-up done and experience all the glamour that comes with Dancing with the Stars. I can’t wait to show people what I can do.”
Popular comedian Neil added: “I’m very excited to be on the show. I’m hoping to discover a hitherto entirely absent talent for dancing.”
“So far, I’ve only gotten as far as saying ‘Flatley, Flatley Flatley’ and the great man appears to give you a lesson. I currently dance like a full-back shepherding the ball out of play, but hopefully, that changes over the next few weeks.”
“Some of my friends from the comedy scene have been on the show and raved about how much craic it was, so I can’t wait.”
Dancing With The Stars will return to RTÉ One in January 2022, with presenters Jennifer Zamparelli and Nicky Byrne at the helm
Loraine Barry and Brian Redmond will return to the DWTS judging panel, but longstanding judge Julian Benson will be replaced by acclaimed choreographer Arthur Gourounlian.
Read more about the upcoming season here.
The Gosscast is back with a brand new episode, sponsored by Irish-owned CBD company Greenheart CBD.
Hosted by Goss.ie Founder Alexandra Ryan and Goss.ie Editor Kendra Becker, this week the girls are talking through the biggest celebrity cheating scandals to rock the showbiz world.
Watch the full episode below, or else listen on Spotify or iTunes.
