TV presenter Elaine Crowley, chef Kevin Dundon, TikTok comedian Kayleigh Trappe, Olympian Rhys McClenaghan and actress Yasmin Seky have been revealed as the next five contestants for the new season of Dancing with the Stars.
Earlier this week, singer Mickey Joe Harte, Irish taekwondo Olympian Jack Woolley, comedian Gearóid Farrelly, Mrs. Brown’s Boys actor Danny O’Carroll and former Miss Universe Ireland Aishah Akorede were revealed as the first five hopefuls for the show.
The five new contestants were joined on the Late Late Show by Karen Byrne, who has been announced as the newest judge to join the Dancing with the Stars panel.
Karen, who is a two-time winner across seven seasons, shared her insights on what it takes to bring home the glitterball not once, but twice.
Meet the latest dancers:
Elaine Crowley
Elaine has been central to Virgin Media’s daytime schedule for over twenty years and currently co-hosts Ireland AM alongside Martin King. Beginning her career in the station’s newsroom, she eventually make the move to entertainment, where she hosted shows such as Midday and her self-titled talk show, Elaine.
Praised for being incredibly honest about the personal struggles she has faced throughout her career, Elaine has spoken frankly about being diagnosed with dysphoria and overcoming dark periods in her life.
Elaine commented: "I've never done anything remotely like this before, never mind in front of so many people. But my eldest sister said to me, you haven't put yourself out of your comfort zone for decades.
"You can interview the politicians. You can do all the stuff on Ireland AM but challenge yourself for once. So, class of 2025 bring it on. What's the worst that can happen?"
Kevin Dundon
Celebrity chef, presenter and author Kevin is a household name in Ireland's culinary circles. Best known for presenting television series such as Guerrilla Gourmet and Heat, Kevin is also an author and has published several cookbooks.
He has cooked for Irish and US presidents and the late Queen Elizabeth II and appeared on various shows on Irish, British, Canadian and American television. Kevin recently launched his own podcast, Under The Grill, alongside journalist Caoimhe Young.
Kevin commented: "I'm excited. The fact that I'm actually going to learn to dance means that my wife will hopefully now enjoy dancing with me at weddings, and I won't make a complete fool of myself!
"I'm a little bit nervous, as it's quite difficult to learn the moves. It's tricky. As a chef, I'm coordinated, but not with my feet. My first dance is an American Smooth, so I'm going to treat it like a risotto - nice and slow with a little bit of excitement at the end."
Kayleigh Trappe
Kayleigh is a social media star from Co. Monaghan. A former primary school teacher, she has 400,000 followers and millions of likes on TikTok and Instagram for her comedy sketch videos, in which she lip syncs along perfectly to pop culture clips and Irish celebrity moments.
Some of her most famous sketches have attracted attention from those she has imitated, including Nadine Coyle, the cast of Derry Girls, Peter Crouch and Abbey Clancy, among others.
Speaking about taking part in DWTS, she says, "I’m so excited. It feels so surreal, especially because I'm so used to just being behind the camera in the comfort of my own home, and now I’m going full glitz and glam.
"It’s a big change but I can’t wait to get the glitter ball rolling! This type of glam has never been a part of my life, but I have so much support from my family and friends at home in Monaghan. I can’t wait to be in the midst of it all now."
Rhys McClenaghan
Rhys is a gymnast and gold medal Olympian from Co. Down. Widely recognised as one of the best pommel horse specialists of his generation, he made history when he became the first ever gymnast to win an Olympic gold medal in this sport for Ireland at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
He has celebrated many successes prior to this; he was the first Irish gymnast to compete in a European final and win a European medal, and also to win a world bronze medal in 2019.
Rhys commented: "I'm thrilled to take on this new challenge and look forward to bringing some gymnastics skills to the dance floor. I am approaching my training for the 2025 competition year differently. I took some time to travel, and as I begin my first training block for the LA Games, I will also have some fun figuring out how to dance!
"Hopefully, with the guidance of my pro dance partner, I can bring some of my pommel horse flair to the dance floor, too!"
Yasmin Seky
In 2022, Yasmin was awarded the RTS Ireland Award for Best Newcomer for her role in Kin. She is currently filming new Channel 5 crime drama, The Puzzle Lady, in Northern Ireland, starring Phylis Logan (Downtown Abbey). Yasmin is playing the role of Becky Baidwan.
Yasmin commented: "I’m a little nervous, as I’ve never really done anything like this before. But I’m really excited too.
"I suppose nervousness and excitement manifests in the body the same way, so I don't know which one I am! I think the anxiety that I have from time to time motivated me to take part. With acting on screen, if you mess up you can go again, but with this you get one shot and you just have to make it happen!"
The eleventh and final name for the new season will be revealed on Sunday morning to complete the line up for the Dancing with the Stars class of 2025.
Dancing with the Stars will be hosted by Jennifer Zamparelli and Doireann Garrihy again this season, with Karen Byrne, Loraine Barry, Brian Redmond and Arthur Gourounlian on the judging panel.
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