Dancing with the Stars returned to our screens with a glittering start tonight (Sunday January 5th) on RT One and RT Player. Back for its eighth season, tonight's show showcased a new series of glitz, glamour and dazzling dance performances.
The first episode of the brand-new season unfolded with a fun-filled opening number, All I Wanna Do by Outasight, featuring all eleven celebrities: Olympic gold medalist and gymnast Rhys McClenaghan, Ireland AM presenter Elaine Crowley, celebrity chef Kevin Dundon, actress Yasmin Seky, social media star Kayleigh Trappe, meteorologist Joanna Donnelly, Eurovision singer Mickey Joe Harte, Irish taekwondo Olympian Jack Woolley, comedian Gear id Farrelly, Mrs. Brown's Boys actor Danny O'Carroll, former Miss Universe Ireland, Aishah Akorede and each of their professional dance partners. They were joined under the glitterball by presenters Jennifer Zamparelli and Doireann Garrihy, alongside judges Brian Redmond, Loraine Barry, Arthur Gourounlian and new judge Karen Byrne, each giving it their all on the dancefloor.
The first couple to take to the dancefloor tonight were Mrs. Brown's Boys star Danny O'Carroll and his pro partner Salome Chachua. The couple danced a smooth Foxtrot to Obviously by McFly.
New judge Karen Byrne said: What a way to open up the show! Your frame in week one was very impressive.
Loraine Barry added: I think you have a very good dancing frame. Lots of flow in the Foxtrot which is what you need. You used your feet well I'd like to see more. You have potential!
Brian Redmond said: Danny O'Carroll, Buster Brady. I think you can bust a move!
Danny and Salome scored a total of 22 points from the judges.
Next up was the actress Yasmin Seky and her pro partner Simone Arena. The duo danced a fast-paced and feelgood Samba to Oh Na Na by Camila Cabello, Myke Towers and Tainy.
Loraine said: You need two ingredients for the Samba rhythm and bounce. The hips were ticking! You need to get grounded and get more power.
Arthur commented: Yasmin in the house! You brought the sass but I want more. You got this baby.
Brian said: A little bit stiff but the energy, rhythm is there.
Yasmin and Simone were awarded 25 points by the judges.
Comedian Gear id Farrelly and his dance partner Stephen Vincent brought passion and dramatic attitude to their Tango, which they danced to Training Season by Dua Lipa.
Karen said: You were both so in sync. I actually have goosebumps. That was just so special and you should be so proud of yourselves.
Loraine added: That was authentic and clever. The fact that you swapped roles consistently was mind blowing to me. Normally it's one leader and one follower.
Gear id and Stephen received a total of 28 points from the judges.
Next up was Irish taekwondo Olympian Jack Woolley and his pro partner, Dancing with the Stars Ireland newcomer Alex Vladimirov, who danced an elegant Viennese Waltz with dizzying twists and turns to Die with a Smile by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars.
Karen said: I can see how relieved you are. I feel I could cry after seeing that. You don't see that type of performance in Week 1. For your first dance I'm lost for words.
Arthur said: When I met you first I thought you were shy and timid but I was wrong! I'm jealous - your musicality is en pointe! You have that je ne sais quoi!
Jack and Alex were awarded a total score of 30 points.
Weather presenter Joanna Donnelly made it rain on the dancefloor alongside her dance partner, Maciej Zieba, another new arrival on the show this series. The pair danced an upbeat Cha-cha-cha to It's Raining Men by The Weather Girls.
Loraine commented: I'm always very happy to see true, classic Cha-cha steps. And I definitely saw that tonight. Now some of the action was missing inside the steps, but you gave it your best.
Brian added: Cha-cha needs two things - energy and commitment. Give it more energy.
Joanna and Maciej were awarded 15 points by the judges.
The sixth couple to take to the dancefloor was Eurovision singer Mickey Joe Harte and new dancer Daniela Roze. The pair danced a powerful Paso Doble to Teenage Kicks by The Undertones.
Loraine said: The musicality and characterisation was there. There was a bit too much bounce but it was strong enough - you made your mark.
Arthur said: You have to be more in sync with Daniela. Keep doing what you're doing.
Brian said: A little bit Mickey Joe manic - perhaps less intensity next time. Not a bad start!
Mickey Joe and Daniela scored a total of 19 points.
Former Miss Universe Ireland, Aishah Akorede and her pro partner Robert Rowi ski dazzled with a fast and flowing Quickstep to Stargazing by Myles Smith.
Arthur said: Elegant meets energy! You were gliding with precision and speed. Just relax, because overall the sky is the limit for you!
Loraine said: It was absolutely beautiful. Your posture, your position, your poise. I loved it, I really did.
Aishah and Robert scored a total of 29 points.
Celebrity chef Kevin Dundon and new professional dancer Rebecca Scott took to the dancefloor with an elegant American Smooth to Everybody Eats When They Come to My House by John Lithgow.
Brian said: All icing but no cake for me. It was sweet, cute and fun but it needs a little more work. Keep smiling.
Arthur: I'll come to your house any day if you cook and dance like this. It wasn't perfect, but you had the moves, you had the style, and the only way is up baby!
Kevin and Rebecca scored a total of 17 points.
Social media star Kayleigh Trappe and her pro partner Ervinas Merfeldas danced a fast and fun Jive to Yes by Merry Clayton.
Karen said: Halfway through I wanted to join you! Overall it was very slick. I loved it.
Brian commented: There was plenty of go in the show, you just n
Most recent headlines
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
19/11/2025
Sphere Sound Kicks Up Its Heels at Radio City Music HallUltra-immersive system from the singular Las Vegas venue is also ready for sportsBy Dan Daley, Audio Edi...
19/11/2025
The Future of Stadium and Arena Video Control Rooms: Tech Leaders Talk 4K, IP, a...
19/11/2025
One Year at Intuit Dome: Walking Through the Stunning Arena's Advanced Video...
19/11/2025
SVG Sit-Down: IMG's Francois Westcombe Goes Inside IMG's Annual Digital ...
19/11/2025
Inside Brighton & Hove Albion's fan-first media machine By George Bevir
Tuesday, November 18, 2025 - 10:10
Print This Story
Brighton & Hove Albion'...
19/11/2025
Rock Chalk Rebuild, Part 1: Kansas Athletics Brings New Production Power to Rebu...
19/11/2025
Rock Chalk Rebuild, Part 2: A Pro's Guide to Kansas Athletics' New Video...
19/11/2025
MLB Media Rights Shakeup: NBC Inks Three-Year Deal for Sunday Night Baseball, Pe...
19/11/2025
Rohan Parashuram Kanawade attends the premiere of Sabar Bonda (Cactus Pears) at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival at Egyptian Theatre on January 26, 2025, in Pa...
19/11/2025
Awards season is heating up, and the International Documentary Association just ...
19/11/2025
Aerojet Rocketdyne President Ken Bedingfield and Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders were joined by state and local officials to celebrate the groundbreaking o...
19/11/2025
L3Harris and PentenAmio formalise their teaming agreement at MilCIS 2025, streng...
19/11/2025
Calrec gives Phoenix Broadcast Solutions its full support in strategic multi-year enterprise partnership New Singapore OB company invests in Calrec technology f...
19/11/2025
October brings a larger audience in front of TV screens. The cooler autumn weather and the continuation of new programming schedules brought increases in both t...
19/11/2025
IRVING, Texas Nexstar Media Group and Tegna filed applications on Nov. 18 with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) seeking its consent to transfer broad...
19/11/2025
Vitec has acquired Datapath, a developer of real-time video processing for large-scale video walls, AVoIP content distribution and KVM control in mission-critic...
19/11/2025
NEVADA CITY, Calif. Telestream has introduced ARGUS Version 2.3, which introduces Live Look, a feature that lets operators inspect live and on-demand streams vi...
19/11/2025
STAMFORD, Conn. and NEW YORK Charter Communications, Inc. has announced a major deal with Amazon Web Services (AWS) that establishes AWS as one of Charters stra...
19/11/2025
TOKYO Atomos has announced a major firmware update that brings integrated camera control to the Ninja TX GO and Ninja TX its new CFexpress-based monitor-recor...
19/11/2025
Berklee's Signature Series Reimagines the Musical and Visual Artistry of Col...
19/11/2025
PlayBox Neo departed the NAB Show New York 2025 on a high note. The company's all-new PlayBox Neo Suite made a splash on the show floor, drawing strong inte...
19/11/2025
AAVBR (American Audio Visual Baton Rouge), a leading full-service event production company serving Louisiana and the Gulf Coast region, has enhanced its product...
19/11/2025
In its mission to deliver live event services combining advanced engineering with a creative approach to captivating live sports and entertainment experiences, ...
19/11/2025
NEW YORK Short-form vertical video has exploded across platforms like TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, but a new survey commissioned by Media.net, a provider of c...
19/11/2025
NEW YORK YES Network, the regional sports network home of the New York Yankees and Brooklyn Nets, and CAMB.AI have struck a partnership they said will leverage ...
19/11/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission has issued detailed guidance on filings that were disrupted by the government shutdown. While many of those fil...
19/11/2025
NEW YORK The popularity of NFL games is largely responsible for continued seasonal momentum in TV viewership into October (measured Sept. 29-Oct. 26), according...
19/11/2025
DirecTV has announced that its MyFree DirecTV streaming service has added seven new channels. Those include four sports services, NBA FAST, Red Bull TV, DAZN Ri...
19/11/2025
SURREY, U.K. Mark Roberts Motion Control (MRMC) has launched Flair Bridge, a compact device that transforms how operators control the company's motion-contr...
19/11/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission, which is continuing to rapidly ramp up its operations after the end of the federal government shutdown, has se...
19/11/2025
IRVING, Texas Nexstar Media Group and Tegna filed applications on Nov. 18 with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) seeking its consent to transfer broad...
19/11/2025
Martin Freeman, Jessie Buckley, Wu-Tang Clan's Raekwon, Eddie the Eagle and ...
19/11/2025
Rohde & Schwarz collaborates with Broadcom to enable testing and validation of n...
19/11/2025
Back to All News
Innato, starring Imanol Arias and Elena Anaya, arrives on Netf...
19/11/2025
Back to All News
Guillermo del Toro Sits Down With Troll 2 Director Roar Uthaug...
19/11/2025
Some projects feel monumental from the moment the first phone call comes in. When BCE, the host broadcaster appointed to coordinate the national coverage, asked...
19/11/2025
November 19 2025, 08:00 (PST) BAY AREA HOST COMMITTEE AND DOLBY PARTNER TO DELIVER IMMERSIVE FAN EXPERIENCES
During the Week of Football's Biggest Game...
19/11/2025
Michael D. Higgins: Ireland's Ninth President features RT Archives footage and interviews across seven decades
Watch Wednesday 19 November at 9:35pm on RT...
19/11/2025
Scripps Research scientists receive $1.1 million to advance AI modeling for HIV vaccine development New AI system helps scientists rapidly pinpoint the most pro...
18/11/2025
Independent media across Central America are operating under intensifying financial pressure, yet there is a clear appetite for models that can sustain both ind...
18/11/2025
NBA Debuts New Comms Infrastructure and Systems for RefereesTwo-phase rollout is intended to improve game flow, enhance officiating accuracyBy Dan Daley, Audio ...
18/11/2025
Platinum White Paper: How Aggreko Delivers Certainty For Broadcasters On The Wor...
18/11/2025
Kiswe Extends DTC Products With Kiswe Core Cloud-Based Tool for Distributing Con...
18/11/2025
Spanish Basketball Federation partners with ScorePlay to power digital transform...
18/11/2025
HBS selects BBright encoders and decoders to connect ST 2110 live production wor...
18/11/2025
Ashes to Ashes: Inside TNT Sports' hybrid and maverick' production plan...
18/11/2025
SVG All-Stars: Mimi Fotopoulos, Director, Talent and Production Operations, Tenn...
18/11/2025
SVG LIVE! Conference Explores the Tech Side of Sports and Entertainment ConvergenceLive sports and music productions increasingly share gear and infrastructureB...
Dancing with the Stars returned to our screens with a glittering start tonight (Sunday January 5th) on RT One and RT Player. Back for its eighth season, tonight's show showcased a new series of glitz, glamour and dazzling dance performances.
