The first four contestants for the new series of Dancing With The Stars have revealed why they are taking part in the show, with Panti Bliss saying, "I've already worked with Twink and Linda Martin so I’m afraid of nobody!"
Performer Panti (aka Rory O’Neill), Ireland’s entry to 2022’s Eurovision Brooke Scullion, Gaelic footballer Paul Brogan, and businesswoman Suzanne Jackson all appeared on Friday night’s Late Late Show.
The four hopefuls have already been practising their moves with their professional dance partners ahead of the new series of DWTS, which begins on RTÉ One in January, and all revealed their reasons for taking part – with some sounding more confident than others.
"I thought it would be so much easier than it is," said Derry girl Brooke. "There are bones which I thought were muscles in my feet! It is very difficult. Singing and dancing is so much easier because my dancers do all the work.
Now THAT'S an entrance, @PantiBliss 😂#LateLate pic.twitter.com/KnDCZld9Fr
— The Late Late Show (@RTELateLateShow) December 2, 2022
"My family are massive fans of the show, but my granny is worried that I’d be a wee bit distracted. I’m very distractable. I have to learn to focus!
Asked if she was injury prone, she said, "Oh dear. Will we go from the feet up or the head down? Basically, I broke my toe, broke my leg doing backflips skiing, broke my kneecap and had surgery, and I broke my skull."
She added, "Saved by The Bell was on and one of them jumped on someone’s back on the show and then I jumped on my sister’s back and ended up on a wooden floor. I bought a skateboard before I joined DWTS. Why would I do that?"
Panti Bliss, fresh from the stage of the Abbey Theatre, said, "The idea of learning to dance was appealing and I want my skinny pre-Covid body back and everyone tells me I’m going to get it.
"I’ve already worked with Twink and Linda Martin so I’m afraid of nobody! Having a same-sex dance partner on the show was also important to me. It’s about time we had one on the show.
"Panti will be doing most of the dancing but I’m insisting on doing one out of drag so you’ll get the picture - these are two boys dancing and that’s perfectly fine. I asked lots of people who’ve already done the show and they all said it was an amazing experience, you get skinny, it’s like a big family."
Speaking about how the family has reacted, Panti added, "My family usually don’t give a crap about what I do but when they heard about this, they said, `you’re doing it!’ I have the pizazz gene and that counts for a lot! Sure, the judges know nothing!"
Tattooed Dublin footballer Paul Brogan added, "I’m starting to regret saying yes to the show. I can’t dance.
"I have two left feet and it’s going to get worse as the show goes on. It’s tough! I have a newfound respect for dancers. You look at it and think it looks easy. It’s not but I am excited about the show."
Suzanne added, "It’s extremely difficult. I can’t believe how difficult it is. I did some Irish Dancing when I was younger, but I didn’t move my upper body. The hips a little bit, the feet slightly but that’s about it. Look, it’s great. It’s a new challenge for me.
"I’m a bit of a thrill seeker and I’ve always loved the movie Dirty Dancing. I’m going to bite the apple and learn how to chew later."
A further contestant will be confirmed on Sunday.
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