Sunday night saw the remaining couples and their pro partners take part in Dedicated Dance Week, but only one pair had the chance to earn immunity from next week's dance-off
Jack Woolley topped the leaderboard in what was an emotional night on Dancing with the Stars, as the remaining nine couples took to the floor for Dedicated Dance Week. No couple were eliminated from the show this evening, so all couples will dance again next week.
Jack and his pro partner Alex Vladimirov will be exempt from next week’s elimination however, as their dance saw them achieve the highest combined vote between the judges scores and the public vote. The first celebrity to dance tonight was the Olympic gold medal-winning gymnast, Rhys McClenaghan and his pro partner Laura Nolan. They danced an energetic Jive to Gold Dust by DJ Fresh in honour of Rhys’ coach Luke Carson. Luke has coached Rhys throughout his career and helped him to achieve his lifelong dream of winning a gold medal at the Paris Olympics in 2024. Read more: Rhys McClenaghan suffered broken bones and shoulder surgery but never doubted winning goldJudge Loraine Barry said: "Your coach Luke said you were a dream athlete, and now your coach Laura is saying the same - you are a dream dancer." Arthur Gourounlian added: "You have a presence on the dance floor that truly shines in this competition. You keep surprising us every week."Next up, meteorologist Joanna Donnelly and her dance partner Maciej Zieba danced a Tango to Dreams by The Cranberries. Joanna has spoken openly about her struggles with fertility and her IVF journey in the past and spoke about Pomegranate, the former charity she set up to help couples who were in a similar position to her but couldn’t afford the treatment. Tonight, her dance was dedicated to one of these couples. Arthur was left in tears as he told her: "It truly touched me. I can relate to your story. I can't even talk. You made me remember to keep believing and keep dreaming and that anything is possible."Joanna and Maciej scored a total of 24 points. Actress Yasmin Seky and her partner Simone Arena performed the first Rumba of the season to Halo by Beyoncé. Yasmin dedicated this dance to her youth club workers, Mary, Phil and Gary, who she credited as the driving force behind encouraging her to take on a career in performing. Loraine told Yasmin: "The rumba is such a difficult dance to do and you had a big dedication, and you achieved that goal. You really did execute the great steps of rumba. It was very good." Karen Byrne added: "What a dance, the whole of Cabra are buzzing tonight and are super proud of you."Kevin Dundon and his dance partner Rebecca Scott danced a Tango to David Bowie’s Let’s Dance , dedicated to Kevin’s wife Catherine and set to a song from the era when they first met. "The frame was better. The fact you dedicated it to your wife gave you a bit of pressure, which definitely paid off. You didn't just impress your wife, but me as well," Karen said. Loraine commented: "I saw your best. I did like that tango - I even liked it so much, I want to see more."Former Miss Universe Ireland, Aishah Akorede and her pro partner Robert Rowiński paid homage to Aishah and her mother’s Nigerian heritage with an African-inspired Samba to Kese by Wizkid. Aishah credited her mother Kemi as being the biggest influence in her life and a pillar of support as Aishah has dealt with sickle cell disease throughout her life. "Samba is so full of rhythm. You created a beautiful lightness and you can pop a hip like i've never seen before," Brian said. While Arthur added: "I absolutely loved how you infused your culture into this dance, it was vibrant, electric and very, very electrifying."Comedian Gearóid Farrelly and his partner Stephen Vincent danced a Paso Doble to Holding Out For a Hero by Bonnie Tyler in honour of Gearód's own heroes, his parents, Eamon and Deirdre. Karen said: "I never smiled at and enjoyed at a Paso so much. You believed in yourself from beginning to the end. The knee slides were perfect." Loraine told them: "You always validate the dance by being so true to it - the cape work, the knee work, it was all there. You are so in harmony with each other."Next up, social media star, Kayleigh Trappe and her pro partner, Ervinas Merfeldas danced a Contemporary Ballroom to Brave by Sara Bareilles. Kayleigh dedicated this dance to her four-year-old niece, Fíadh. Loraine gushed: "You put everything in that. To me, you are the brave one. You are 85 per cent there - give 15 per cent more and let it go." Arthur said: "You look absolutely beautiful, the lifts were so strong, I've seen a new side to you and I loved it."Taekwondo athlete Jack Woolley and his dance partner Alex Vladimirov danced an American Smooth to Grace by The Wolfe Tones. Jack dedicated the dance to his friend and two-time gold medal-winning boxer, Kellie Harrington, inspired by the support shown to him when he suffered a random assault just weeks after his first Olympic appearance in 2021. Karen said: "When raw emotion and steps come together... it was a journey we were all involved in. You were like a feather floating effortlessly. The connection you two have together is very special." "So many people are proud of you tonight. It was absolutely fantastic. From the waist up, I have never seen a male celebrity use the flow and feeling you created tonight," Brian gushed.The final couple to perform was Mrs. Brown’s Boys actor, Danny O’Carroll his pro partner, Salome Chachua, who paid tribute to Danny’s father, Brendan with a Mrs. Brown’s Boys inspired Cha-cha-cha to She’s a Lady by Tom Jones. Danny reprised his role as Buster Brady, while Salome stepped into the shoes of Mrs. Brown for one night only. Loraine said: "You busted a gut out there to really get the action. It was a little bit robotic at times, but very entertaining." While Karen added: "It was such a lovely thing to see. The cha cha had loads of content, you could've gone down the full comedy route, but you didn't. Mrs Brown never looked so sexy!"For tonight’s grand finale, the professional dancers performed a showstopping Contemporary Ballroom to Strangers by Lewis Capaldi.Dancing With The Stars airs Sunday nights at 6.30pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player
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