DWTS’s wicked switch... but some Cliona up!
A CHANGE is as good as a rest... and while the Dancing With The Stars celebrities were given a respite from elimination, getting new dance partners was both hit and miss.
Among the contestants who struggled for ‘switch-up week’ last night were actor Johnny Ward, rugby legend Peter Stringer and Young Offenders star Demi Isaac Oviawe.
However, it appeared to be a welcome step change for country music singer Cliona Hagan who, with Vitali Kozmin, closed the show with a stunning salsa that earned the first ten points from a judge this season.
The ever-colourful Julian Benson was the man to reward her extravagant display.
However, fellow judge Brian Redmond was on typically exacting form as he said of Stringer’s cha-cha with Valeria Milova: ‘I thought the free arm was a little bit limp... steps were good... some of the footwork good – some of it not so good, a work in progress.’
He then savaged Demi for her Charleston with temporary dance partner Robert Rowinski. ‘I thought it was more caterpillar than butterfly,’ he mused. ‘There was not any Charleston in this. There was no swivel in the feet.’
And a normally cool-headed Johnny Ward narrowly avoided a TV meltdown when he almost dropped Ksenia Zsikhotska during the group routine to Rainbow’s Since You’ve Been Gone.
None outshone Cliona but the switch-up did appear to benefit others too.
Comedian Fred Cooke performed an entertaining paso doble with dancer Emily Barker to Y Viva España by Black Lace.
Retired Dublin footballer Denis Bastick appeared to relish a jive to Great Balls Of Fire with his new partner Giulia Dotta, actress Clelia Murphy and part-time partner John Nolan did an energetic quickstep to Kylie Minogue’s Stop Me From Falling and Mairéad Ronan and Kai Witherington wowed with a showstopping salsa.
Moral support on the night came from Marty Morrissey as the RTÉ broadcaster joined fellow former contestants Maia Dunphy, Jake Carter, Deirdre O’Kane and Anna Geary in the audience.
‘There was no swivel in the feet’