It's that time of year again, as Strictly Come Dancing returns to our screens for its 13th season.
The radiant Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman are presenting, and Len, Darcey, Bruno and Craig are back to critique the celebrity dancers' efforts. Sequins, feathers and fusions are sure to abound, but Irish eyes will be on Donegal crooner Daniel O'Donnell.
O'Donnell has been paired with professional dancer Kristina Rihanoff, who is famous for dating her former partners on the show, rugby player Ben Cohen and boxer Joe Calzaghe. But more importantly - how will our man on the dancefloor cope with having a spray tan (see here)?
To get you in the mood for the new series, we've picked out our top five Irish contestants from Strictly over the years. Some were good, some bad – but all of them were entertaining.
1) Christine Bleakley
Newry-born TV presenter Christine Bleakley competed in the sixth season of the show alongside professional dancer Matthew Cutler. Bleakley really went for it and had plenty of talent, with an average score of 28.40. She made it all the way to week 11 before being beaten by Rachel Stevens and her partner in the dance-off and finishing in fifth place.
2) Nicky Byrne
RTÉ 2fm presenter and former Westlife member Nicky Byrne came sixth in the 10th season of Strictly Come Dancing. Paired up with Karen Hauer, Nicky exhibited some pretty impressive moves, blowing the judges away with a quirky and energetic Charleston in week eight. Sadly, a challenging samba/American smooth fusion saw him eliminated in week 10.
3) Gloria Hunniford
Northern Irish broadcaster Gloria Hunniford appeared in the third season of Strictly in 2004 and was partnered with the returning champion, professional dancer Darren Bennet. Their first dance was a waltz, in which they scored a respectable 22 points from the judges, but Darren played it too safe with his choreography for the rumba in week two, and the presenter was eliminated the next week after a disappointing jive.
4) Jennifer Gibney
Dubliner Jennifer Gibney is best known for playing Cathy Brown in the series Mrs Brown’s Boys and for being married to its creator, Brendan O'Carroll. Gibney was paired with dancer Tristan MacManus (from Bray, Co Wicklow), but was voted off in week three after a Mamma Mia-inspired foxtrot.
5) Diarmuid Gavin
Garden designer and TV personality Diarmuid Gavin competed in the second series of Strictly in 2004. Paired with Nicole Cutler, he bravely danced through a cha cha, quickstep, tango and paso doble. Despite being ripped apart by the judges, Diarmuid's charm and enthusiasm won the public's support and he lasted for four weeks in the competition.
Kayla Walsh
