TV presenter Mairéad Ronan has been announced as the first star to don her dancing shoes in the New Year when RTÉ One’s hit show Dancing with the Stars returns.

Following on from Jake Carter's win in series two, Ronan, who has hosted Ireland’s Fittest Family on RTÉ One, will take to the dance floor in a bid to win the coveted glitter ball trophy.

Ronan: "This is going to be a whole new experience for me! "

Speaking about taking part in Dancing With The Stars this year, the 38-year-old Dubliner said: "I’m very excited but I have a big ball of nerves in my stomach!"

"I’ve never done anything glamorous on TV, I’m always out in fields and mucky places with wellies and runners, so now to be in heels and sparkly dresses is both brilliant and brutal. The only dancing I do is around the kitchen with my baby, so this is going to be a whole new experience for me!"

The next celebrity dancers to join Mairéad will be revealed on The Ryan Tubridy Show on Monday, December 3.

Jennifer Zamparelli and Nicky Byrne will present the new series of Dancing with the Stars. Airing on RTÉ One for 12 weeks from Sunday 6th January, a total of 11 celebrities will pair up with their professional dancing partners as they step out of their comfort zones and onto the dancefloor, each hoping to claim the much-coveted glitter ball trophy at the end of the series.

Each pairing will have a different dancing genre to master every week from the paso doble to the waltz and they’ll have just seven days to perfect their routine before performing live to the nation.

Also returning this year is our expert panel of judges Brian Redmond, Loraine Barry and Julian Benson. Once again the celebrities and their dancers will be scored by the judges and the viewing public at home.

Can’t Stop Dancing, the preview show for Dancing with the Stars hosted by Bláthnaid Treacy will also return on Friday, January 4 on RTÉ One to go behind the scenes to capture all the glitz, glamour and gossip back stage and get the low down from the judges, the professional dancers and the stars.

The two-hour show will be broadcast from Sunday, January 6th until March 24th 2018.