Calling all fans of Dancing With The Stars!
The first four contestants of the popular dance show have been announced and it’s a cracker of a line-up so far.
From an iconic drag queen to Eurovision star, there are some huge names that will be taking to the dance floor this January to battle it out against their celeb co-stars.
The first famous face to appear on the show is Panti Bliss, also known as Rory O’Neill when out of drag. The Mayo native is Ireland’s best known drag artist and owner of Ireland’s most well-knwon gay bar, Panti Bar, in Dublin. She became a household name during the marriage referendum as she campaigned for equality.
When asked about the show, Panti revealed, “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!”.
Next to the dance floor is Brooke Scullion, who represented Ireland at Eurovision 2022 with her hit song That’s Rich. Before competing in Italy, Brooke first came to public attention in 2020 on The Voice UK. She excitedly explained, “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!”.
Also batting it out against the 11 contestants is Paul Brogan, the All-Ireland winning former Dublin GAA footballer. 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. The 36-year-old left the Dublin panel in 2012.
When discussing putting on his dance shoes, he said, “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 RTÉ!”.
Last but certainly not least, the final contestant that has been announced at the moment is make-up guru Suzanne Jackson. Suzanne became known for blogging under the name SoSueMe and went on to launch SoSu Cosmetics in 2016, which is now worth an estimated €2.12M.
Suzanne announced, “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”.
