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Tangogate: Hughie goes for bronze medal on Dancing with the Stars

Updated / Monday, 16 Jan 2017 23:01
Hughie Maughan was the shining star on the night. Well his face was
Hughie Maughan was the shining star on the night. Well his face was

It may have been ladies' night on Dancing with the Stars on Sunday but it was Hughie Maughan's fake tan that put all the other contestants in the shade (literally) after his heavily bronzed appearance lit up social media.

The Ballymun man was the (burnt) toast of the internet, not just in Ireland but around the world, with his spray-on shenanigans which generated more excitement than the first full leaderboard on the show.

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Responding to the online buzz about his tangoed face, Maughan laughed off all the talk saying he was taking the slagging in his stride. 

"People who are commenting – they can just get a grip. It does not bother me. To me it is a laugh. It has made people talk about me which is a good thing."

Speaking to Ryan Tubridy this morning on RTÉ Radio One the Big Brother runner-up insisted that he had no choice but take to the stage looking like he been dipped in a tub of wood stain.

Apparently after the sweaty exertions of rehearsal left his existing tan looking a tad patchy, an emergency repair job was required. Unfortunately the tanning product chosen was designed with a much darker skin tone in mind.

Scarleh for ya!

"There was nothing I could do, I had to go out looking as I did as they didn't have any other colour left.

It was a tan they used on Jamelia when she was doing The Voice two years ago. 

The entire place was staring at me. People said, 'he's done it for attention,' but I haven't. I didn't think it was going to be the top trending thing on Twitter.

However other reports suggest that he may have used as much as ten layers of St Tropez along with Jamelia's make up to perfect his look.

Ooompa loompa doompety dee...

Whatever the explanation, it does seem as if Hughie's grip on the false tan isn't going to be loosened any time soon. According to a member of the production team "as hard as we tried, Hughie had a solid grasp on his bronzer and there was no releasing it".

Hughie's fellow contestant, Fair City star Aoibhín Garrihy, told RTÉ Entertainment that she could see him getting "progressively darker" as the rehearsal stages progressed and that all she and the girls could see when he took to the stage for the male dance on Sunday night was "teeth and eyeballs".

"We could see it getting progressively darker as the dress rehearsals went on and then as the lead up to the live show," Garrihy told RTÉ Entertainment. "But, that's him, he doesn't care – clearly. I mean, we're here talking about it today. He's there to provide entertainment, and that's what he's doing. It's an entertainment show."

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"He's a good laugh, he really is. All of the girls were up on the podium and he hit the floor for the male dance last night, and all we could see was teeth and eyeballs, but it's brilliant, that's what it's all about," she added.

His mahogany face has already inspired a host of internet memes and has even won the celebrity backing of the most famous tanned face on TV, Mr Bargain Hunt himself David Dickinson who's on the look out for some tips.

Many people were reminded of Ross Geller's unfortunate tanning episode on Friends:

Or even Robert Downey Junior in Tropic Thunder:

If you stare long enough you will go blind.

Or in this case if you stare long enough you WILL see Hughie beside Des Cahill and Aidan O'Mahony

Though others saw a parallel with the not-so-pc Blackface Minstrels of old:

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