On an unexplained Fright Night-themed Dancing with The Stars semi-final (RTÉ, airing 6.30pm on Sunday), only four out of five remaining stars would progress to the final next week. The show opened with the skillful professional dancers entertaining us with a radiant red glitterball-topped sceptre, a miniature eerie child, and sparkling red and black attire. In such stunning moments, the high production value of RTÉ’s limited unscripted series comes to light.
Hosts for the evening, Jennifer Zamparelli and Doireann Garrihy, playfully cracked Oscar-related jokes while managing a somewhat shaky introduction before presenting our first couple – Wild Youth’s David Whelan and his professional dance partner Salome Chachua.
Clad as attractive mummies, we saw Whelan spring out of a casket, mimicking the lyrics of Wrapped Up by Olly Murs as they rhythmically salsa around the stage. The duo delivered another extraordinary performance, earning the maximum possible score of 30 from the judges. Loraine Barry, a judge, jokingly remarked on the rising heat in the room, implying the intimidating effect it would have on the rest of the competitors.
Following this, Laura Fox, the host of Ireland’s Fittest Family, and her dance partner Denys Samson, appeared with a Frankenstein-themed American Smooth routine to Bobby Pickett’s Monster Mash. Despite the duo’s engaging performance, their rendition did not impress the judges much.
Brian Redmond criticised their act as a “monster mish mash,” lacking the required elegance, albeit Arthur Gourounlian, another judge, disagreed. They scored a disappointing 26.
Paralympian Jason Smyth and Karen Byrne, his professional dance partner, impressed with a clown-themed tango set to Rihanna’s Disturbia. Their performance, filled with handstands and somersaults, attracted a commendable score of 27 from the judges. Gourounlian expressed his admiration for their act, commending their deserving presence in the semi-final.
In this year’s contest, the lone remaining contender, former jockey Davy Russell and his partner Kylee Vincent, didn’t hold back. Their unexpected steamy rendition of a Day of the Dead-inspired Viennese waltz to Never Tear Us Apart by INXS was striking. Unfortunately, their judge’s score of 27 failed to protect them from the series’ final showdown, where they performed alongside Whelan and Chachua.
To conclude the evening’s couple performances, the drag star, Blu Hydrangea, and her dance partner Simone Arena, presented a brisk Charleston to Witch Doctor by The Cartoons. Gourounlian remarked, “Blu the witch, you indeed threw everything into your notorious cauldron,” and a worn-out Barry stated, “I’m not sure what else there is to discuss since I’m out of witchcraft-related puns.” The duo earned their third perfect 30 score of the competition.
When the dance-off concluded, Davy Russell was finally voted off, leaving both the audience and judges to give a standing ovation to this previous racing champion. Then Russell expressed heartfelt gratitude saying: “I have to say a big thanks to my wife.” His comment hinted at the support he received from his entire town of Youghal in Cork.
Emotion ran high as his dance partner, Kylee, and Zamparelli, struggling to hold back tears, praised Russell. Both commended his manner, his effort, and most importantly, his undeniable transformation into a bona fide dancer. “I don’t reckon there are words sufficient to express my pride,” said the dancing professional. Garrihy even labelled Russell as “a darling.”
With next week’s finale looming, the tension is palpable, and the competition is fiercer than ever. The glitterball trophy is up for grabs, and anyone can emerge as the victor.