It's the semi-final of Dancing with the Stars and the final five contestants and their partners will face their biggest challenge yet with the theme of 'Dancing through the Decades'.
This week, the couples will have an individual dance inspired by a genre, song, or theme from a specific decade over the last hundred years. The pressure is on as they compete to secure a spot in the Grand Finale.
After they perform their individual dance, each couple will dance for a second time in a ‘Time Machine Trio’, where they will be joined on the floor by a second professional dancer. This will be their biggest challenge to date as it will be their first time navigating the floor with an extra pro dancer.
Both routines will be scored out of forty, so the second performance could completely flip the judges’ leader board on its head.
Having experienced the highs and lows last Sunday, with a perfect score and finding themselves in the dance-off, Tolü Makay and Maciej Zieba come back this week with a Paso Doble inspired by the 1980s and Guns ’n’ Roses Welcome to the Jungle. The couple will also time travel to the 1950s for their trio dance Jive to Tutti Frutti by Little Richard, where they will team up with eliminated pro dancer Stephen Vincent.
After receiving the lowest score from the judges last week, The Traitors Ireland star Paudie Moloney and partner Laura Nolan will go back to the 1930s for a Fred and Ginger-inspired American Smooth to Cheek to Cheek by Matthew Morrision and Jane Lynch. For their 'Time Machine Trio’, Paudie and Laura will go back to the 2010s, with a Samba to Psy’s groundbreaking K-Pop smash Gangnam Style alongside trio partner Robert Rowiński.
Ireland AM presenter Eric Roberts and partner Arianna Favaro won last week’s Orchestra-thon, and this week they will be going disco with a 1970s Salsa to Boogie Wonderland by Earth, Wind & Fire. They’ll then team up with Kylee Vincent and take a trip back to the 1940s for a Quickstep to Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy by The Puppini Sisters.
Rose of Tralee Katelyn Cummins and partner Leonardo Lini will fight for a place in the final with a century-old Charleston from the 1920s to Charleston by Bob Wilson & His Varsity Rhythm Boys. Katelyn and Leonardo will then time travel to the decade she was born, the 2000s, to take on a Samba to Beyoncé’s iconic Single Ladies (Put a Ring On it), alongside pro dancer Alex Vladimirov.
The Apprentice UK star Jordan Dargan and his partner Rebecca Scott will bring rave to the dancefloor for the first time ever with a 1990s-inspired Cha-cha-cha to Dreamer by Livin’ Joy. Next, it’ll be Beatlemania for Jordan and Rebecca when they are joined by James Cutler for a 1960s Charleston to the Beatles’ hit Help!
The two couples with the lowest combined points from the judges and public vote will face each other in the final Dance-Off in the season. One couple will go home, and sadly miss out on a chance at winning the Glitterball Trophy.
Dancing with the Stars is hosted by Jennifer Zamparelli and Laura Fox and airs Sundays at 6:30pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.
