Dancers sign up for two years
THE professionals on Dancing with the Stars have been lined up contractually for a second season, making it all but certain that the show will return.
And according to a wellplaced source, the 12 championship-winning dancers are in high global demand as franchises are set up worldwide.
As a result, Irish pros Shauna Finn, Karen Byrne, Seán Smullen and Ryan McShane are in danger of being poached by other countries.
The source said: ‘Already we have had a team from a Brazilian TV network over scouting the show. They have just bought the DWTS format and have been looking at the Irish version as a template.
‘But they have also had a look at our professional dancers and there is no doubt that were they not booked up for a second year they could easily be targeted and poached. As it stands now they have been signed up for two years and while officially the show hasn’t been commissioned yet for a second series, the dancers are already on board. ‘RTÉ won’t actually commission a second series until the current series has run, but the ratings and the national interest certainly makes it look like a forgone conclusion.’
The show has been securing consistently high ratings.
A spokesman for the show confirmed that the dancers did indeed have a first-refusal clause in their contracts, which would tie them to the show for at least two years.
Tonight’s show’s is a Valentine’s special during which eight remaining celebrities focus on some of the raunchier routines.
Dancing With The Stars is on RTÉ One tonight at 6.30pm.
‘They could easily be poached’