
The first four celebrity contestants for this year's Dancing with the Stars, which will begin on RT One in January, have been unveiled and will be exclusively interviewed on Friday night's Late Late Show. Ryan Tubridy will chat with PANTI BLISS (RORY O'NEILL), BROOKE SCULLION, PAUL BROGAN and SUZANNE JACKSON, who will be among the 11 celebrity contestants who will take to the floor for the hit series this January.
PANTI BLISS (RORY O'NEILL)
Rory O'Neill aka Panti Bliss is Ireland's best known drag artist. The Mayo native has been performing as Panti since 1998. In 2007 Rory opened Panti Bar on Capel Street in Dublin which has become one of Ireland's most well-known gay bars. In 2015 Panti became a household name in Ireland as she spoke out and campaigned for equality in the marriage referendum. Many cite Panti's now infamous Noble Call' on The Abbey Stage as a moment that sparked debate and altered opinions. Following the marriage referendum Panti became an icon for change in Ireland and has even been spoken of as an establishment figure. In 2019 Rory married his partner Anderson Cabrera.
Panti says: It's happening! I cannot wait to take to the dance floor with my partner - and it'll help me get back into shape after the lockdowns! I feel really privileged to be part of the first same-sex couple competing on Dancing with the Stars from the very start of a series. It's a really exciting time!
BROOKE SCULLION
From Bellaghy in Co. Derry, Brooke represented Ireland at Eurovision in 2022 with That's Rich'. She co-wrote the song and travelled to Turin in Italy for the competition but was unlucky not to qualify. Brooke first came to public attention in 2020 on The Voice UK. All four coaches turned for Brooke and she made it all the way to the final. In September 2020 Brooke wrote and released her debut single Attention' and followed on with her EP, Chaotic Heart. Brooke is allergic to animal hair but is a cat mom' and has a hairless Sphynx cat, Draco.
Brooke says: I'm so excited to be joining the Dancing with the Stars family and to be part of an iconic Irish series! What girl doesn't want to get on her dancing shoes every Sunday night?! It's a dream come true bring on the sequins!
PAUL BROGAN
Paul Brogan is an All-Ireland winning former Dublin GAA footballer. He is part of the Brogan GAA dynasty as the younger brother of legendary Dublin players Bernard and former senior football captain Alan. Paul was on Dublin's winning team for the 2008 O'Byrne Cup and was part of the Dublin panel that won three Leinster titles and the 2011 All-Ireland senior football championship. He left the Dublin senior football panel in October 2012. 36-year-old Paul is a larger-than-life character who admits despite not having much dance experience, he is well up for giving it a go and the worst thing that could happen is getting a few slags from his brothers and former teammates.
Paul says: I'm so excited to be part of this show. I am a competitive person, but this is way out of my comfort zone and from what training I have done so far, I know it is not going to be easy. It will take a lot of hard work, but it'll also be a lot of fun. Rehearsals have been great so far and I'm looking forward to the live shows. It will be a great experience and a new test. This will just be a different game in a different stadium - Croke Park to RT !
SUZANNE JACKSON
Suzanne began blogging in 2010 under SoSueMe. She wrote about all things fashion and beauty and soon found her audience growing and any product she recommended sold out instantly. By 2013 she left her day job to dedicate her time to her own business. In 2016 Suzanne made another leap and launched her own beauty range SoSu Cosmetics. It has proven to be hugely successful and grown to be worth an estimated 2.12million. In July 2022 Suzanne announced her plans to step down as CEO of the business. She presents RT 's The Style Counsellors, and has just finished filming the fourth series that is due to air in 2023. She lives in Malahide with her husband Dylan O'Connor.
Suzanne says: I've watched DWTS for years and I love the show and everything about it from the dancing, the glam and the costumes to all the incredible people involved. It's such a fantastic production and to be part of it this year is a dream for me. I was an Irish dancer when I was younger, but ballroom is a completely different challenge! The timing is right for me and I'm going to give it my absolute everything with my dance partner.
A further contestant will be confirmed on Saturday 3rd December, embargoed for Sunday 4th December at 6am.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
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...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
17/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
16/01/2026
From Berlin to London: Amazon delivers NBA Europe games for an international aud...
16/01/2026
How Vizrt, TriCaster Helped Harvard Athletics Embrace Vertical Video and More to...
16/01/2026
SVG GameDay, Ep. 1: PMY Group's Mike BonnerThe longtime industry veteran provides insight into his approach to producing live eventsBy Kristian Hern ndez, S...
16/01/2026
Attacking the Pin: Inside the PGA TOUR's Replay Remodel With Hawk-Eye Innova...
16/01/2026
Back to Unrivaled: TNT Sports Reconnects With Mediapro for the League's Soph...
16/01/2026
FloSports Orchestrates Mega Weekend Spotlighted by Chili Bowl Nationals, UCA & U...
16/01/2026
Eleven Projects to Be Developed at Annual January Screenwriters Lab; Nine Projec...
16/01/2026
The start of a new year brings fresh possibilities. Whether you're diving in with big goals or simply setting new intentions, audiobooks can bring inspirati...
16/01/2026
In 2025 we launched the Spotify Partner Program to give creators more ways to tu...
16/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
16/01/2026
Marshall Electronics is showcasing its VMV-402-3GSH Seamless 4X Switch at ISE 2026 (Booth 4N900). Designed for presentation systems, control rooms and remote pr...
16/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
16/01/2026
Graduate Spotlight: Nadia Castagna The educator, who grew up in Rochester, New York, shares how she went from Berklee to collaborating on meaningful programs ...
16/01/2026
Back to All News
Culinary Class Wars' Returns for Season 3, Raising the St...
15/01/2026
Milano Cortina 2026: OBS CEO Yiannis Exarchos Previews Production InnovationsFirst Person View drones, AI-based tech target greater fan engagement, efficiencyBy...
15/01/2026
Clever with cameras: Bringing the drama of the 2026 ISU European Figure Skating ...
15/01/2026
No stranger to ice: Host broadcaster Sunset Vine on pressure and planning for th...
15/01/2026
SVG Campus Shot Callers: Leah Gill, Associate Athletic Director, Digital Media, ...
15/01/2026
National Sports Broadcaster Perspectives: What to Expect in Production in 2026Leaders from ESPN, FOX Sports, Netflix, and Warner Bros. Discovery share their pro...
15/01/2026
From Berlin to London: Amazon delivers NBA Europe games for an international aud...
15/01/2026
LOS ANGELES, CA, January 15, 2026 - The nonprofit Sundance Institute today announced the appointment of David Linde as Chief Executive Officer. Linde will assum...
15/01/2026
The SGL Carbon site in Bonn has a long tradition of training. For many years, young talent has been successfully trained here, regularly achieving excellent exa...
15/01/2026
The JEC Composites Innovation Awards annually honor the most innovative and ambi...
15/01/2026
X-energy Reactor Company, LLC ( X-energy ) and SGL Carbon LLC ( SGL ) have signed a 10-year framework agreement to provide graphite for the deployment of X-ener...
15/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
15/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
15/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
15/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
15/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
15/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
15/01/2026
Telos Alliance To Showcase Broadcast Audio and Intercom Innovations at ISE 2026
Search
Cleveland, Ohio (January 15, 2025) - Telos Alliance , trusted global...
15/01/2026
RT is tonight announcing that Mari Hurley has decided to leave her role as RT 's Chief Financial Officer to take up a new position outside RT . Mari will r...
15/01/2026
15 Jan 2026
VEON's Kyivstar Reaches 3.0 million Customers with Starlink Dir...
15/01/2026
Views to free streaming service U grew by 15%, average monthly active users by 23% and registrations by 18%
UKTV's channels achieved record viewing share, ...
15/01/2026
Thursday 15 January 2026
Sky Sports to show Final Stage of inaugural FIFA Women's Champions Cup
Sky and FIFA have agreed an exclusive new partnership whi...
15/01/2026
Thursday 15 January 2026
The official trailer for the second season of Seth Mac...
15/01/2026
Wuppertal January 15, 2026
Riedel RefCam Takes Center Court in German Basketba...
15/01/2026
Back to All News
Nah Yung-suk Presents Take a Hike!' - A Snowy Reality Adv...
15/01/2026
Back to All News
Firebreak Premieres on Netflix February 20
Entertainment
15 January 2026
GlobalSpain
Link copied to clipboard
DOWNLOAD THE FIRST LOOK IMA...
15/01/2026
Back to All News
The Variety, Voices, and Vision Shaping What's Next on Net...
15/01/2026
Back to All News
Netflix and Sony Pictures Entertainment Enter New Pay-1 Deal W...
15/01/2026
The Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) today announced the nominees for th...
15/01/2026
Award-winning production solutions bridge traditional and next-generation workflows
FOR-A MixBoard
FOR-A IMPULSE
viztrick AiDi
MFR-3100EX...
15/01/2026
Arvato Systems Named Launch Partner for AWS European Sovereign Cloud
As a launch partner for the AWS European Sovereign Cloud, Arvato Systems enables customer...
15/01/2026
NVIDIA kicked off the year at CES, where the crowd buzzed about the latest gaming announcements - including the native GeForce NOW app for Linux and Amazon Fire...