Dancing with the Stars welcomes a new judge for 2025
Two-time Dancing with the Stars winner Karen Byrne to join the Dancing with the Stars judging panel in January
RT announced today that the two-time Dancing with the Stars winner and professional dancer Karen Byrne will join the judging panel in 2025 alongside longstanding judges Loraine Barry, Brian Redmond and Arthur Gourounlian.
Returning once again to RT One and RT Player in January 2025, Dancing with the Stars promises to bring glitter, glamour and dazzling performances to audiences in the new year.
Karen is a celebrated Ballroom and Latin dancer from Ballyfermot, best known for her standout performances on Dancing with the Stars, Karen featured as a pro dancer for seven seasons. She is a two-time winner of the coveted glitterball trophy, most recently in 2024 with Paralympian Jason Smyth and in 2018 with singer Jake Carter. Karen has represented Ireland at international dance competitions, teaches at her own studio in Inchicore and has a weekly podcast The Carter Couch with her partner Jake Carter and his brother Nathan - and occasionally Lenny the Cavapoo dog getting in on the action too!
Karen Byrne said, I am absolutely delighted to join the judges panel for my eighth season of Dancing with the Stars. Having been lucky enough to win it twice and working with all my incredible dance partners, it will feel strange sitting on the other side of the desk. I can't believe it I have to pinch myself! It doesn't feel real I don't think it will feel real until I sit in the chair. I've always looked at the judges seats and thought that must be the best seat in the house. Oh my god I get to hold a paddle!
The DWTS journey is the best, this show is in my veins I absolutely love it. I feel so honoured to now be on the judges panel with the fabulous Loraine Barry, Brian Redmond and Arthur Gourounlian. Let the madness commence please can it be January already?
Head judge Loraine Barry commented: I'm thrilled to be heading into season eight of DWTS Ireland especially as we welcome the two-time champion Miss Karen Byrne to the judging panel. Karen is fresh off the dance floor into the judging seat and I look forward to working with her.
Arthur Gourounlian commented: I am over the moon to be returning for my fourth season of Dancing with the Stars! The thought of reuniting with this amazing DWTS family, sharing unforgettable moments, and diving into all the excitement we have in store fills me with so much joy. And what can I say about the incredible Karen? After watching her grace the dance floor with pure magic for three seasons, I'm beyond thrilled to now share the judging panel with her. It's going to be absolutely electrifying! Now, let's be honest the biggest question of the season might just be: who's going to win the battle of the biggest hair? Stay tuned. It's going to be an unforgettable ride.
Brian Redmond added: I'm delighted to be back on the judging panel for Dancing with the Stars 2025. I'm chuffed that Karen will be joining us on the judging panel this year after winning two glitterballs and seven seasons on the show, I think she's earned her place. I'm sure she'll challenge me, and maybe I'll challenge her, but it all makes for great excitement ahead of the new year. I can't wait to welcome Karen along to become the first fourth judge on Dancing with Stars. Roll on the new year!
Dancing with the Stars will be hosted by Jennifer Zamparelli and Doireann Garrihy again this season.
The first celebrity taking to the dance floor for the brand-new season of Dancing with the Stars will be announced on Monday December 9th.
-ENDS-
Date: Friday December 6th 2024
RT Communications:
Rayna Connery and adaoin Nic Giolla Chomhaill
About Dancing with the Stars 2025
Filling our Sunday evenings with glitz and glamour from January, the RT One series sees 11 well-known figures team up with a professional dancer to perform a live routine every week. Each pairing will have a different dancing genre to master every week, from the Charleston to hip hop, and they'll have just seven days to perfect their routine before performing live to the nation.
Each celebrity couple will be scored by an expert panel of four judges and the viewing public at home, with the winning couple claiming the much-coveted glitter ball trophy at the end of the series.
Dancing with the Stars is produced by ShinAwiL for RT .
Dancing with the Stars is proudly sponsored by Hyundai.
For all the latest news and backstage gossip on Dancing with the Stars, keep an eye on our social channels:
Instagram: @RTEOne & @DWTSIrl
TikTok: @RTEOne
Facebook: @RTEOne
Twitter: @RTEOne @DWTSIrl
#DWTSIrl
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Zero in on one that says yes (and no)
Andy Marken May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Hero image courtesy of Deposit Photos
For content creators the most difficu...
29/05/2026
With InfoComm 2026 just weeks away, NDI is giving attendees plenty of reasons to...
29/05/2026
Reaffirming a partnership that has defined Canadian sports broadcasting since 19...
29/05/2026
Mobile/tablet is No. 2 device for watching TV, suggesting that the sports-production industry needs to take another look at the format
Ring Digital's Sprin...
29/05/2026
Berliner Ensemble, one of Berlin's five major theater companies, has expande...
29/05/2026
Solid State Logic will showcase its new compact, fly-away TCA Tour audio product...
29/05/2026
Gerald (Jerry) Pierce, a pioneering technologist who helped shape the digital transformation of the motion picture industry, passed away last month on April 12 ...
29/05/2026
Paramount+ will be the English-language U.S. home for Barclays Women's Super...
29/05/2026
Further strengthening its virtualisation strategy to fully support broadcasters ...
29/05/2026
Swiss broadcaster Canal Alpha has deployed Harmonic's award-winning, software-based XOS Advanced Media Processor to modernize playout operations across cant...
29/05/2026
PTZOptics will showcase a new generation of intelligent video workflows at InfoComm 2026, June 17-19, Las Vegas. Visitors to booth N8227 will see how PTZOptics ...
29/05/2026
Arizona's Family has launched the Arizona's Family Sports (AZFS) streaming app, a new direct-to-consumer destination for live, local sports. The app is ...
29/05/2026
Starting in 2027, DAZN will be the exclusive home of The Canadian Football Leagu...
29/05/2026
Comcast Business has detailed the advanced network infrastructure it has deploye...
29/05/2026
In two-day event, leaders from academia and industry explored solutions to chall...
29/05/2026
The Basketball Tournament (TBT), now entering their 13th year of competition, ha...
29/05/2026
Roku has launched FOX One as a Premium Subscription on The Roku Channel in the U.S. Roku customers can now subscribe to FOX One using their Roku account for liv...
29/05/2026
In its sixth year, the broadcaster's coverage has become a global brand and ...
29/05/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent ratings news and is derived from press re...
29/05/2026
The days are getting longer, the temperatures are rising, and playlists are filling up for the season. With summer around the corner, Spotify's global edito...
29/05/2026
New retro-inspired MPC announced
There are few devices that have gained the status held by Akai Pro's MPC range, and in recent years, the company have s...
29/05/2026
Save up to 30 on acclaimed titles
Following a successful launch at Superbooth 2026, Bjooks have revealed that they will be continuing the Kickstarter campa...
29/05/2026
Binaural monitoring application improved
Genelec have just released an update that brings some powerful new features to their HRTF-based binaural headphone ...
29/05/2026
6 June 2026 at SAE Institute, London, UK
IMSTA FESTA 2026 is almost upon us, with some of the biggest names in pro-audio set to descend upon SAE Institute i...
29/05/2026
Gerald (Jerry) Pierce, a pioneering technologist who helped shape the digital transformation of the motion picture industry, died April 12, 2026, at his home in...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Comparing 5 AI Video Enhancers for Restoring Old Video Quality
Kate Luvis May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Digitizing VHS, MiniDV, and other legacy formats doe...
29/05/2026
Studio Hamburg Builds New Post Pipeline with DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Workflow replaces a patchwork of legacy tools...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
At the Intersection of Music and Dance, an Epic Collaboration Boston Conservatory musicians and dancers found creative parallels in their recent performance o...
29/05/2026
Back to All News
Latino Film Institute Fellows Screen Their Short Films at the Egyptian Theatre
The Inclusion Fellowship and Spark Animation Grant uplifts 15 ...
29/05/2026
GLOOKAST LAUNCHES CINNAFILM TACHYON PLUGIN FOR MEDIA PRODUCER AND MEDIA SERVICES
This release first appeared here.
Visit our Tachyon product page or contact...
29/05/2026
May 29 2026, 09:00 (PDT) Dolby and rednote Bring More Immersive Storytelling to...
29/05/2026
Something fundamental has shifted in how people consume media. Audiences aren't abandoning television or radio content; they're just expanding how, wher...
29/05/2026
Youtube exclusive special drops today
Watch now
UKTV today announces another e...
29/05/2026
Back to All News
The Official Trailer of Physical 100 Italy, on Netflix From Se...
Dancing with the Stars welcomes a new judge for 2025
