Aishah Akorede is the first celebrity revealed for Dancing with the Stars

December 09, 2024
Aishah Akorede is the first celebrity revealed for Dancing with the Stars

Akorede said of joining the show: "I'm mostly excited about learning how to dance like a ballroom dancer, to be honest. I did a little bit of ballet growing up, but it's nothing compared to any of this... I did ballet from the age of four to fifteen, but I had to stop.

"But during the pandemic, I ended up going back to ballet at the age of 24. I'm 25 now and I'm the old lady in the class, which is crazy to say that a 25-year-old is an old lady!"

She continued: "I'm not a very competitive person, and people always think that girls in pageantry are really competitive.

"Everything I do in life, I kind of do with no expectations and with the aim of just enjoying the experience and whatever comes out of it.

"So hopefully I do come out on top, but even if I don't, I'll just genuinely be so grateful for the opportunity."

Akorede is no stranger to television having won the Discovery+ reality series Beauty and the Geek UK in 2022.

Following her Miss Universe Ireland win in 2023 she founded Recrowned Ireland, a non-profit social justice initiative that strives to make a lasting impact on key societal concerns.

On Sunday it was announced that two-time Dancing with the Stars winner and professional dancer Karen Byrne will join the judging panel when the show returns in 2025, alongside longstanding judges Loraine Barry, Brian Redmond and Arthur Gourounlian.

The Dancing with the Stars judges (clockwise from top left): Karen Byrne, Arthur Gourounlian, Loraine Barry and Brian Redmond

The ten remaining celebrity contestants joining the new series of Dancing with the Stars will be announced in the coming week.

Jennifer Zamparelli and Doireann Garrihy will be returning to host Dancing with the Stars in January.

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