Broadcaster Carl Mullan with pro-dance partner Emily Barker (both in blue) during last night's Dancing With The Stars after they were announced as winners. On the right is influencer Suzanne Jackson with pro-partner Michael Danilczuk
Broadcaster Carl Mullan with pro-dance partner Emily Barker during last night's Dancing With The Stars after they were announced winners
Broadcaster Carl Mullan celebrates with his dance partner Emily Barker after they were announced as winners of Dancing With The Stars by presenters Doireann Garrihy, far left, and Jennifer Zamparelli. Photo: Kyran O’Brien/kobpix
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Broadcaster Carl Mullan with pro-dance partner Emily Barker (both in blue) during last night's Dancing With The Stars after they were announced as winners. On the right is influencer Suzanne Jackson with pro-partner Michael Danilczuk
The glittery curtain came down on RTÉ’s hit show Dancing with the Stars last night as 2FM’s Carl Mullan walked away with the coveted disco-ball trophy.
But the question on everyone’s lips is, is the big-budget shiny-floor TV show coming back in 2024 or has it performed its final swan-song?
The answer is, nobody knows yet. One RTÉ insider said that the sixth series of the celebrity show has “performed so much better this year than was expected” but the entire team is still in the dark.
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Offering them a glimmer of hope is how well the two female presenters have resonated with audiences and the viewership has been a lot stronger than expected.
“Bringing in Doireann Garrihy as a co-presenter with Jennifer Zamparelli was the perfect way of breathing fresh life into the show,” she said.
“The viewership was also a lot higher throughout the series than even RTÉ could have predicted. RTÉ has to put the slot out to tender to other production companies this year.
“But it’s very hard to find a similar show which will get the whole family sitting down together to watch it. And that’s TV gold for advertisers.
“On the flip side, it’s hugely expensive to make at a time when RTÉ has to look at cutting its finances and every single expense has to be justified.”
Broadcaster Carl Mullan with pro-dance partner Emily Barker during last night's Dancing With The Stars after they were announced winners
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Broadcaster Carl Mullan with pro-dance partner Emily Barker during last night's Dancing With The Stars after they were announced winners
According to figures from RTÉ, last week’s show had an audience of 471,000 which was the equivalent of a 40pc audience share.
The series has also had 386,000 streams to date on the RTÉ Player so it’s also hitting its online targets.
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A canny move by producers was picking influencers with a huge following like Suzanne Jackson and Carl Mullan to perform as it opened up the programme to a younger audience.
The show also won plaudits for including contestants such as Panti Bliss, who became the first celebrity in a same-sex couple to perform, a huge step for diversity on a mainstream TV show.
The two presenters have resonated with audiences and the viewership has been a lot stronger than expected
As the future of the show hangs in the balance, RTÉ director general Dee Forbes came out to watch last night’s finale in-person as she was sitting in the audience.
Ms Forbes is due to leave the role when her seven-year term comes to an end this July – which is also when those working on the show will find out if it will return or not next year.
Judge Loraine Barry, who has been with the show since 2017, said she will be “devastated” if it is not renewed for 2024 – but she is not alone.
The show has a staple crew of about 150 production people who have come to rely on the work generated by the show during a traditionally quiet time of the year.
Broadcaster Carl Mullan celebrates with his dance partner Emily Barker after they were announced as winners of Dancing With The Stars by presenters Doireann Garrihy, far left, and Jennifer Zamparelli. Photo: Kyran O’Brien/kobpix
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Broadcaster Carl Mullan celebrates with his dance partner Emily Barker after they were announced as winners of Dancing With The Stars by presenters Doireann Garrihy, far left, and Jennifer Zamparelli. Photo: Kyran O’Brien/kobpix
Producer Larry Bass has told the Irish Independent that his company would love to make the show again but the final call is with the RTÉ chiefs.
“It’s not up to us, that is entirely up to RTÉ. As long as they want to make the show then so will we,” he said.
“I’m an eternal optimist – in this business you have to be. Either way, we just want to keep on being a busy production company, bringing great entertainment to the Irish public.”
When asked about the future of the show, a spokesperson for RTÉ said that “no decision has been made yet”.
After 11 weeks, Carl and his professional dance partner Emily Barker were last night named the 2023 winners, beating off stiff competition from influencer Suzanne Jackson, singer Brooke Scullion and entertainer Damian McGinty.
The radio host thanked his wife Aisling Brennan and his family. “Ais has been such a rock. My whole family. Thank you so much. Emily, I’m so buzzing we won this for you. You deserve this.”
