Magnif icent weight loss, Marty! It must be in the jeans
ALANNAH Beirne and Kai Widdrington may have impressed the judges last night... but it was the RTÉ bosses who were beaming.
The BBC had flown in producers from Finland and Belgium to show off how RTÉ does Dancing With The Stars, so all the contestants were under pressure.
And according to a top producer: ‘The fact that the BBC see fit to use our version as a showcase for other countries gives us a real confidence boost.
‘There were seven from Belgium and four from Finland and they were looking at the Irish version as a blueprint.’
Martin Bal, from the Belgian national broadcaster, told the Irish Daily Mail: ‘The way they put the show together and the look and feel of it is very impressive.
‘We are here to get inspiration and take pointers and maybe tips. It is also impressive the way they marry traditional content with social media and it is a very slick production.’
Three Leinster and Ireland rugby players were also present. Fergus McFadden, Adam Byrne and Josh van der Flier were on hand to support model Alannah Beirne, whose rugby player brother Tadhg is due to join Munster later this year. Sports commentator Marty Morrissey was the first to get his dancing shoes on, hitting the floor with a jive to Elton John’s Crocodile Rock, with new partner Emily Barker. While he was praised for improving, one judge described his dance as ‘crocodile shocking’. However, he was praised for his weight loss, which saw his trousers fall down during dress rehearsals.
While there were no eliminations, due to the contestants switching partners for the night, the judges’ scores will be carried over to next week.