Five more celebs join the hunt for DWTS glitterball
The competition is heating us as five more contestants have been announced for Dancing with the Stars 2024.
Yes, the DWTS line-up is almost complete, and a host of well-known faces have joined the hunt for the highly sought-after Glitterball trophy.
Virgin Media presenter Elaine Crowley will compete against Olympian Rhys McClenaghan, Kin actress Yasmin Seky, TikTok star Kayleigh Trappe and renowned chef Kevin Dundon in the New Year.
Elaine has said she’s excited to put herself out of her comfort zone, and we can’t wait to see what she brings to the dancefloor.
The Ireland AM star admitted: ‘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?’
On the back of becoming an Olympic gold medalist (no biggie!), Rhys McClenaghan is ditching his gymnastics get-up for some sparkles and sequins.
He said: ‘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!’
Rhys will compete against Yasmin Seky, best known for her role as Nikita Murphy in Kin. The RTÉ studio is a tad more glamorous than what Yasmin’s typical exposed to in the gangland war crime series!
‘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!,’ Yasmin said.
‘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!’
Kevin Dundon will also be serving up some mean moves on the dancefloor.
The chef has a sweet reason for being ‘excited’ to take part in the show. He said: ‘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.’
The styles of dancing Kayleigh Trappe will be taught on DWTS are worlds away from those quick TikTok dance routines.
Ready to twist and shout her way to Glitterball glory, Kayleigh said: ‘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.’
These five stars join Eurovision legend Mickey Joe Harte, Olympian Jack Woolley, comedian Geróiid Farrelly, Mrs Brown’s Boys’ Danny O’Carroll and former Miss Universe Ireland Aishah Akorede in the line-up.
The eleventh and final contestant will be revealed on Sunday, and we can hardly wait!
