Producer Larry Bass has opened up about the production of the Irish version of Dancing With The Stars.
RTÉ only recently revealed that the show, which will be an Irish take on the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing, is set to hit our screens early next year – and will take over from The Voice of Ireland on RTÉ One.
Now, Shinawil productions’ producer Larry Bass has revealed all about the new show – but admitted that no celebrity contestants have been confirmed just yet.
“The only place in the world it’s called Strictly Come Dancing is in the UK. Every other country around the world it’s referred to as Dancing with the Stars,” he told Ray D’Arcy on RTÉ Radio 1.
Finally: Larry Bass says Dancing With The Stars Ireland has been a long time coming | VIPIRELAND.COM
“It was one of those shows that the BBC keep close to their chest. It’s a hugely important format for them and they’re very particular where it goes and what happens to it. Finally they’ve agreed to allow RTÉ do it.”
When asked whether any celebrities have thrown their hat into the contestants pool yet, Larry remained tight-lipped.
“I couldn’t divulge that. There’s nobody desperate in Irish television! We’ve still to sit down [and pick contestants].
“These are the fun parts of putting these shows together and working it out. It’s significant time and commitment – people have to rehearse and practise. There is a major commitment in terms of time in this so it’s not going to be everyone’s cup of tea,” he explained.
Exciting: No celebrities are lined-up just yet for DWTS IrelandÂ
Despite there being no confirmed line-up, Larry admitted that he has a few celebrities in mind that he knows would be popular with the Irish public.
“There’s so many people that I think are great people that I know the Irish public will love the journey they go on, because it is a real journey on a show like this
“When Irish people watch Daniel or Nicky do it in the UK they follow that journey where they have their ups and downs trying to get together the ability to dance at that level. It’s a phenomenon to be able to turn somebody who’s not a dancer into a professional dancer in a matter of weeks.”
Phenomenon: Larry mentioned the success of Daniel O’Donnell on Strictly | BBC
Speaking about the constant comparison between shows that are filmed in both the UK and Ireland, including the likes of The Voice, Larry is sure that Dancing With The Stars Ireland will be just as good as the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing.
“Everything we’ve done in the past, whether it was The Apprentice or Dragons’ Den or, indeed, The Voice, they’ve always been compared.
“We’ve got fantastic production people in Ireland who, I believe, deliver a show that’s comparable with any of those shows on a fraction of the budget. So we’re looking forward to the task of doing this equally the same way.”
“We’re blessed with an island full of talent. We’ve always punched way above our weight,” he added.
