Doireann Garrihy has been announced to take over from Nicky Byrne as the new presenter of Dancing with the Stars.
RTE announced that the 2fm radio host will join Jennifer Zamparelli to present series six of the entertainment series when it returns to screens on RTÉ One in January.
Doireann, 30, who currently presents 2FM Breakfast on weekday mornings, alongside Donncha O’Callaghan and Carl Mullan, said bagging the highly sought after gig is ‘a dream come true’.
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“I am ecstatic to be joining the Dancing with the Stars family - the glitziest gang in town. This is a dream come true for me. I cannot wait to get going with the team. I never thought I’d say this but roll on the month of January.”
Doireann has previously presented RTE’s brief revival of The Podge and Rodge Show in recent years, as well as Big Night In, Reeling in the Fears and her comedy show ‘The Doireann Project’, which aired on RTÉ Player and RTÉ2.
Returning to present her fifth series of Dancing with the Stars, Jennifer Zamparelli said: “I’m really excited to welcome my 2FM pal, Doireann as my new co-host on the show.
“I predict a lot of fun and a lot of laughs! It's shaping up to be a great new series."
Alan Tyler, RTÉ Group Head of Entertainment, Music and Comedy, added: “We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Doireann into the Dancing with the Stars family. She is a hugely talented broadcaster bursting with energy, humour and a real passion for the show - all of which make for the perfect combination.
“We are incredibly lucky to have the brilliant Jennifer Zamparelli on the show already, and the addition of Doireann makes for a host dream team on Sunday nights. We can’t wait to bring the new series of Dancing with the Stars back to your screens early next year.”
Doireann’s new role comes after Westlife star Nicky made the decision to step back from the winter show due to his commitments to the band. And speculation has been rife since he made the announcement in August that he could be replaced by a woman to create an all female line-up - with Lottie Ryan among the frontrunners tipped to take over.
The 2fm entertainment host, who is the late Gerry Ryan’s daughter, was thought to have been a firm favourite, as a former champion of the show, having won the series in 2020, as well as presenting the official DWTS podcast, and already having experience co-hosting the TV show, after impressing when she filled in for Jennifer last season when she was sick.
Lucy Kennedy, Vogue Williams, Laura Whitmore, Bláthnaid Treacy and Maura Higgins we’re also in the mix of possible contenders. Brian Dowling, James Patrice, Marty Morrissey were among some of the male contenders for the job.
Dancing with the Stars will return in the new year with 11 new well-known figures teaming up with a professional dancer to perform a live routine every week.
Each pairing will have a different dancing genre to master every week, from the Charleston to hip hop, and they’ll have just seven days to perfect their routine before performing live to the nation.
Each celebrity couple will be scored by an expert panel of judges and the viewing public at home, with the winning couple claiming the much-coveted glitter ball trophy at the end of the series.
Dancing with the Stars is produced by ShinAwiL for RTÉ.
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