and Tangos, sequinned jives tracksuits ...no wonder we’re thrilled DWTS is back
Bright return for Dancing With Stars
DANCING With The Stars made a bright, boogieing perfect-ten return to our screens last night, promising sequins and stilettos to add sparkle to the winter nights ahead.
And the star of the show from the off was new cohost Jennifer Zamparelli, who opened with a sassy routine to Murder On The Dancefloor.
The 2fm DJ and comedian opened series three with a jaw-dropping display.
The brunette stood tall and flanked by a cohort of last year’s contestants, she stole the show to the Sophie Ellis Bextor hit.
Any fears that Jennifer would fall short of former host Amanda Byram’s high standards immediately evaporated in a haze of glitz and hairspray, as she looked at ease foxtrotting alongside the professional dancers.
The Bridget And Eamon funnywoman also brought wit, humour and a dash of mischief that gave the show a lift above the rigid scripts of previous years.
She immediately seemed like the perfect match for fellow 2fm DJ Nicky Byrne, who was full of praise for his cohost. ‘I don’t know her that well but she was a real pro tonight,’ he said. ‘She knocked it out of the park.’
Of her debut, Jennifer said: ‘I have never had nerves like it. I had a bad stomach in the run-up to the show. As soon as I got up and running, the nerves all left. Nicky was great and really great to work with. I think he was shocked at how good I looked.’
She added of her routine: ‘It felt really good and everyone was on their A-game and we just wanted to get out there and get it done.’
Even though it was the boys up first, the female contestants were nervous backstage ahead of their group routine, a punchy homage to the film Ocean’s Eight.
‘I was terrified,’ Mrs Brown’s Boys star Eilish O’Carroll said. ‘I was OK until I got out there and then, oh my God.’
Whether it was pure competitiveness or a surge in testosterone, the boys were chomping at the bit to get going. With no eliminations for the first two weeks and all 11 celebrities performing, this first episode saw the five male celebrities showcase their skills.
Fashion stylist and TV presenter Darren Kennedy opened the contest with a tango to Sharped Dressed Man with his pairing, Karen Byrne, who won last year’s show with Jake Carter.
Next up was All-Irelandwinning Dublin footballer Denis Bastick and his partner Valeria Milova. They performed an American smooth to U2’s Beautiful Day. Bastick said: ‘The butterflies are the same as on the pitch.’
‘She knocked it out of the park’
Probably the surprise performance on the night came from comedian Fred Cooke who laid to rest his assumed title of resident dad dancer. Wearing a glittery purple tracksuit, Cooke and his partner Giulia Dotta proved he was not here to be the annual novelty act, as they enjoyed an energetic routine to Sexy And I Know It. He received the lowest score of the night but the Kells native was by far the biggest hit with the studio audience. The most competent performance came from Love/ Hate actor Johnny Ward who received rave reviews for his jive to Johnny B Goode, and a total of 22 points.
Bookies’ favourite, retired Ireland rugby legend Peter Stringer, meanwhile, wore a green sequined body top with the number nine on the back as he performed a passionate salsa with partner Ksenia Zsikhotska to Ricky Martin’s Come With Me. Comment – Page 12
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