The forecast is bright for Dancing With The Stars
Weatherman and ex-Xposé host tipped for Dancing With The Stars
SHE waltzed out of her job as host of TV3’s Xposé. He’s hoofing it as the Winking Weatherman. Now Ruth O’Neill and Gerald Fleming are being tipped to dance up a storm on Dancing With The Stars.
The Irish Mail on Sunday has learned that the producers of the RTÉ show have approached Ruth and meteorologist Gerald with offers to take part.
‘They are keen to sign Ruth. She is obviously glamorous, and a little outspoken, and she is fun, so she would be a good addition to the show,’ said a source.
‘Gerald is also in the mix and he is such a national treasure that we hope people will really warm to him.’
Castleknock’s Ruth hung up her TV3 mic earlier this year and criticised her bosses for her being ‘overworked and underpaid’.
In June, she found herself in the middle of a not-so fashionable brouhaha after she said that the workload at Xposé is not equal to the pay.
She claimed working on the show was the ‘hardest job’ at the station, ‘crazy’, and not nearly as glamorous as it looked.
She also claimed that she and Cassie Stokes had to do the lion’s share of the travelling as they don’t have children.
On top of that, Ruth claimed she didn’t get a wardrobe allowance, and might have to change outfits three times a day.
‘It’s five days a week, sometimes six,’ she said. ‘It’s evenings, early mornings, flights, editing and voiceovers, but on top of that you are doing your own hair and make-up and clothes.
‘When it comes to the glam side, there isn’t really any support.’
But the MoS also revealed earlier this year that Ruth racked up 19 sick days during her short tenure at the entertainment show.
Her return to national television on Dancing With The Stars will require a huge amount of dedication and hard work as dance training, and doing the live shows, requires long hours and a gruelling workload.
Gerald is due to retire at the end of the year, but the MoS has learned that he has been shortlisted for the show.
‘The contracts are being signed off on at the moment. Gerald is in the mix. We also are talking to a retired Leinster rugby player,’ the source said.
As the Mos previously revealed, Dee Devlin, who is Conor McGregor’s partner, is also in talks with producers.
‘Ruth is glamorous, and a little outspoken’ ‘We are also talking to a retired rugby player’