Jason Smyth has responded to backlash he’s received over winning RTÉ’s Dancing with the Stars.
The Paralympian was crowned the 2024 winner of the show alongside his dance partner Karen Byrne on Sunday.
The pair beat fellow finalists David Whelan and Salome Chachua, Laura Fox and Denys Samson, and Blu Hydrangea and Simone Arena.
While viewers were delighted to see him win, some argued that he wasn’t the best dancer out of the final four.
But in response to the critics, the 36-year-old told RSVP: “For me, the show is called Dancing With The Stars, it is not called ‘The Best Dancer Competition’.
“If you want to watch the best dancers only, don’t watch a show with celebs who haven’t danced before.
“That feels like a different competition to me… it [Dancing With The Stars] is about connecting with people.”
His dance partner Karen added: “I said to Jason from the very beginning that he was not the best dancer.
“Let’s call a spade a spade… but we wanted to make an impact and connect with the viewers every Sunday night.”
Jason is legally blind, with his central vision being affected by Stargardt’s disease.
During the final, the pair performed a moving dance while Karen was blindfolded, which was widely praised online.
