10 weeks of ballroom highs, emotional exits and leaderboard battles, just four celebrities remain in the hunt for the Glitterball Trophy. Katelyn Cummins, Eric Roberts, Tolü Makay and Paudie Moloney will each dance twice in Sunday's Grand Finale, with a judges’ choice routine and a showdance before the public vote decides the winner.
It is down to the final four on Dancing with the Stars, with Katelyn Cummins, Eric Roberts, Tolü Makay and Paudie Moloney returning to the floor after Jordan Dargan became the last celebrity to leave the competition at the semi-final stage.
Sunday’s live final will see the remaining couples perform one routine chosen by the judges and then a showdance, before one pair is crowned champion.
Katelyn goes into the final with the strongest scoring record of the four. The reigning Rose of Tralee topped the leaderboard on the opening night of the series and has stayed among the standout performers ever since.
Her run has included the first score of 50 under this season’s format, and she and Leonardo Lini will return to the floor on Sunday hoping to finish the job.
Eric has gathered momentum at exactly the right time. His Fright Night Charleston was one of his breakthrough performances, and by the semi-final he had climbed to the top of the leaderboard on a combined score of 79.
Eric and Arianna Favaro now head into the final as one of the strongest couples left in the competition.
Tolü has delivered some of the most memorable routines of the season. She made an early mark on the competition with a strong start and has remained one of the most polished performers in the line-up, combining technical control with real presence on the dancefloor.
Her place in the final means she and Simone Arena will have one last chance to turn those performances into the Glitterball Trophy.
Paudie's journey to the final has been one of the stories of the series. At 68, he became the oldest contestant ever to take part in Dancing with the Stars, and he now goes into Sunday’s show as its oldest finalist.
While others may have posted bigger numbers on the scoreboard, Paudieand Laura Nolan have built a strong connection with viewers across the run.
For Sunday’s Grand Finale, Katelyn and Leonardo will reprise their Movie Week American Smooth to Whistle While You Work, while Paudie and Laura return to their Country Week Quickstep to Stop the World and Let Me Off.
Eric and Arianna will revisit their Fright Night Charleston to Happy, and Tolü and Simone will dance their contemporary ballroom routine to Proud once again before all four couples take on their showdances later in the night.
Once the public votes have been counted, one celebrity and their pro partner will lift the Glitterball Trophy.
Tune in to the Dancing with the Stars Grand Finale from 6:30pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.
