Unwell Julian steps out of spotlight
Flamboyant judge will miss two shows
DANCING With The Stars judge Julian Benson will miss the next two shows due to illness.
RTE confirmed his absence from the hit series yesterday and said he would be replaced by guest judge and creative director Darren Bennett.
The choreographer, 46, has cystic fibrosis (CF), a genetic disorder that primarily affects the lungs but also the pancreas, liver, kidneys and intestine.
Julian revealed he lives with the condition last year to raise awareness about it. However, it’s not known if it’s the reason he is bowing out of the show.
The flamboyant judge previously missed a number of episodes when a case of the flu turned into full-blown pneumonia and he had to be hospitalised.
Speaking about having CF last year on the Late Late Show, Julian revealed how his mother instilled a positive attitude in him from a young age which has helped him manage the condition.
He said at the time: “I was like any other child. My mum worked this fantastic scenario where I went to school like everybody else.
“I knew – Julian gets up, Julian takes his medication, he goes to school, he does everything else – and I was encouraged to do everything that I really wanted to do. So for me I felt like everybody else.
“At the end of the day, I have CF but CF doesn’t have me. It doesn’t define who I am.
“I really mean that. I put that down to my mum because I was encouraged to do everything I wanted to do. My mum always said to me, ‘Nothing is impossible’. Anything is possible if you truly believed, so she encouraged me to be active, stay active – sure I wanted to do everything.
“I had to take my medication and then we had to do our physiotherapy treatments, twice a day, but you had your life.”
Meanwhile, Demi Isaac Oviawe is hanging over the Dancing With The Stars elimination line as the celebrities prepare for another week of performances and exits after last week’s respite with the partner switch-up.
Even a new professional partner couldn’t get Demi off the bottom of the board, a place The Young Offenders star has become accustomed to throughout her time on the show. This week it appears her luck has run out as she sees her shortest odds yet of 6/5 to get the boot.
Johnny Ward is currently the frontrunner to win the show and Glitterball trophy at 13/8, with Cliona Hagan his main threat at 5/2.
Spokesperson for Boylesports Aoife Heffron said: “Demi is all punters want for elimination this week, after she failed to impress again during switch-up week.
“The odds of 6/5 are the shortest Demi has seen for elimination.”
The dreaded dance-off returns on tonight’s show with the bottom two couples taking to the dance floor for a second time.
It will be up to the judges who will decide whether they stay or go.
Dancing With The Stars airs tonight at 6.30pm on RTE One.
I have cystic fibrosis but it doesn’t have me... It doesn’t define who I am
JULIAN BENSON ABOUT HIS GENETIC CONDITION