Eurovision legend Niamh Kavanagh revealed as first contestant for Dancing with the Stars 2026

Eurovision winner Niamh Kavanagh is the first celebrity to be revealed for the sparkling line-up for Dancing with the Stars 2026. The series returns to brighten our Sundays this January on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.

Niamh is best known for winning the Eurovision Song Contest for Ireland with the ballad “In Your Eyes” in 1993. The song became the best-selling single in Ireland that year and remains one of Eurovision’s most iconic ballads. She returned to the contest in 2010 with “It’s for You”, qualifying for the final in Oslo and further solidifying her status as a Eurovision legend.

Niamh co-hosts the podcast Agony Rants with comedian Gearóid Farrelly who was a contestant on last year’s Dancing with the Stars. Gearóid was the main cheerleader who encouraged Niamh to take part for 2026. Will it be douze points from the judges for Niamh this season?

On joining the cast of Dancing with the Stars, Niamh said: 

“I am beside myself but trying to act all cool – like it’s no bother! It would be a lie to say I’m not nervous, stepping into the unknown publicly brings its own nerves. However, what I mostly am is excited, I don’t have to be good at this but I’ll work hard to get as good as I can! 

The glitz and glam side of things is probably the most difficult part for me as I usually don’t think too much about sequins and certainly not fake tan – I haven’t even had my ears pierced! I have very little experience in formal choreography. When I did school shows I was mainly cast as a singer and mostly I was told to stay out of the way of other people until it was time for me to sing. I did briefly do ballet for about six months – I was twelve years of age, everyone else in the class was about six and it didn’t go as well as I would’ve wanted. However, I do love a dance, and I do obviously move on stage but I’m very economical these days. I have performed in pantomimes, but usually I’m evil and wear a big dress so you don’t see that the legs aren’t doing what they should be – I walk with attitude beautifully! 

I love watching Strictly and Dancing with the Stars. I watch them every year. I have opinions on all of the dance moves … that I can’t do myself. I’ve watched people grow while they do the whole process, so I’m excited from that point of view, but for years I felt it wasn’t for me because it involves so much of what I’m not good at. I’m not going to lie, I probably will fan-girl a little bit over Oti and I already love Brian, Karen and Arthur. Truthfully, I can’t wait to work with the whole team and I’m very excited to see how the other celebs do. I want to see them do well so I’m just going to point myself at it and have the whole experience – sparkles, spray tan and all!”

Dancing with the Stars is hosted by Jennifer Zamparelli and Laura Fox, who is standing in for Doireann Garrihy this season while she is on leave. Filling our Sunday evenings with glitz and glamour from January, the RTÉ series will see 12 well-known figures team up with a professional dancer to perform a live routine every week. Each pairing will have a different dancing genre to master every week, from the Charleston to Salsa, and they’ll have just seven days to perfect their routine before performing live to the nation.

Each celebrity couple will be scored by an expert panel of four judges: Oti Mabuse, Brian Redmond, Arthur Gourounlian and Karen Byrne, and as well as the viewing public at home, with the winning couple claiming the much-coveted glitterball trophy at the end of the series.

Tune in for all the glitz and glam from Sunday 4 January 2026 on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.