‘We think Kayleigh Trappe is peaking at the right time’
Jennifer Zamparelli believes social media star Kayleigh Trappe is one to watch as the dark horse in tonight’s grand final of Dancing With The Stars.
Monaghan lass Kayleigh will compete with Olympians Rhys McClenaghan and Jack Woolley and comedian Danny O’Carroll.
“I had a conversation with Carl Mullan the other day because I met him in the gym,” explains Jennifer, who co-presents the show with Doireann Garrihy.
“We were like ‘we think Kayleigh Trappe is peaking at the right time’, so it could be her year. Who knows. It’s so hard to call. It really depends on the day.”
She recalls visually impaired athlete Jason Smyth winning last year’s show.
“When Jason won last year, we knew he would get to the final because he was such a lovely guy and a good dancer and had to contend with a lot as we know. But the dance won it for him.
“When Karen [Byrne] was blindfolded on the floor, that kind of won it for him on the night.
“I think when it gets to the final, all bets are off. Sure, Lottie Ryan was in the dance-off every week before she won the thing, so I think when you get to the final it’s kind of a clean slate and then what happens on the night will decide it.”
Doireann highlights her favourite dance of the series.
“I really loved when Jack and Alex danced to Grace,” she says.
“I thought that was absolutely gorgeous. It goes without saying Jack has morphed into like an actual amazing dancer. They all have, actually.
“The final is so hard to predict. They are doing that again [Grace], as their show dance. That would probably be my favourite, I thought it was gorgeous.”
Jennifer singles out celebrity chef and Sunday World columnist Kevin Dundon for one of his routines as her standout dance.
“I just can’t stop thinking about Shrek,” she smiles. “That’s the thing about this show, you have all these amazing dancers and then when I think when I look back I just will not forget Kevin Dundon in those prosthetics and dancing around that song from Shrek. It’s just quite memorable in quite a weird way.”
Both women admit they were somewhat starstruck that Tess Daly — who has co-presented Strictly Come Dancing since 2004 — was in last week’s audience at their show.
“We went over and chatted to her and got a photo. She is perfectly lovely, a lovely woman and very complimentary,” says Doireann.
Jennifer admits: “I was nervous, I was like ‘she is the queen’, she’s been doing it for a billion years.”
