Rose of Tralee Katelyn Cummins wins Dancing with the Stars 2026
After a nail-biting Grand Finale, Rose of Tralee Katelyn Cummins has been announced as the winner of Dancing with the Stars 2026.
The four finalists each danced two routines on the night, including an epic ‘Showdance’ routine combining different dance styles. The judges offered their scores as guidance, but it was the public vote that decided the fate of the winner. Having received the most public votes, Katelyn takes home the coveted Glitterball Trophy alongside pro partner Leonardo Lini.
Katelyn said: ‘Life is not real, every day it surprises me. What a year. Two massive wins in one year. I would have never imagined that this would be my life.’
The Grand Finale opened with a group dance to ‘Absolutely Everybody’ by Vanessa Amorosi, featuring the finalists, pro-dancers and judges.
Towards the end of the show, after the four finalists performed, all eliminated contestants from this season of Dancing with the Stars returned to the dancefloor for a massive group dance to ‘Stay (If You Wanna Dance)’ by Myles Smith.
Below are the scores from the night:
Couple 1:
Ireland AM presenter Eric Roberts and his partner Arianna Favarro danced their Fright Night Charleston to ‘Happy’ by C2C featuring Derek Martin. Their Showdance was ‘Can’t Hold Us’ by Macklemore x Ryan Lewis.
Dance 1: 40
Dance 2: 40
In total, they received 80 points.
Couple 2:
Singer-songwriter Tolü Makay and her partner Maciej Zieba danced their routine from Week 2, an American Smooth to Olivia Dean’s smash hit ‘Man I Need’. Their Showdance was to the ‘Kill the Lights’ by Alex Newell, Jess Glynne, DJ Cassidy and Nile Rodgers.
Dance 1: 40
Dance 2: 37
In total, they received 77 points.
Couple 3:
The Traitors Ireland star Paudie Moloney and his pro partner Laura Nolan performed their Country Week Quickstep to ‘Stop the World and Let Me Off’ by Declan Nerney. Their Showdance was to the Andy Williams’ classic ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off You’.
Dance 1: 28
Dance 2: 29
In total, they received 57 points.
Couple 4:
Rose of Tralee Katelyn Cummins reprised her Movie Week role of Snow White, as she and pro partner Leonardo Lini danced an American Smooth to ‘Whistle While You Work’ by Rachel Zegler. Their Showdance was to ‘Ordinary’ by Alex Warren.
Dance 1: 40
Dance 2: 40
In total, they received 80 points.
-ENDS-
Date: Sunday 15 March 2026
For further information:
Rayna Connery, RTÉ Senior Communications Lead
Kate Smyth, RTÉ Communications Lead
Notes to Editor:
Link to studio performance photos: https://we.tl/t-oVjORvUyMF
Photography credit: Kyran O’Brien
Dancing with the Stars is hosted by Jennifer Zamparelli and Laura Fox. Each celebrity couple is 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.
Dancing with the Stars is produced by ShinAwiL for RTÉ.
Dancing with the Stars is proudly sponsored by Hyundai.
For all the latest news and backstage gossip on Dancing with the Stars, keep an eye on our social channels:
Instagram: @RTEOne & @DWTSIrl
TikTok: @RTEOne
Facebook: @RTEOne
Twitter: @RTEOne @DWTSIrl
#DWTSIrl