Dancing with the Stars (DWTS) viewers were treated to a nail-biting finale on Sunday night as the winner of the coveted Glitterball trophy was announced.
Rhys McCleneghan and pro dancer Laura Nolan were crowned the winners following 12 weeks of the popular celebrity competition.
TikTok star Kayleigh Trappe; Mrs Browns Boys actor Danny O’Carroll; Olympic gold medalist Rhys McCleneghan and fellow Olympian Jack Woolley were all vying to win the coveted Glitterball on Sunday night.
The celebrity finalists hit the dance floor with hopes they would impress both judges and viewers one last time.
PERFORMANCES
Danny O’Carroll and Salome Chachua kicked off the finale and performed the Charleston to Michael Bublé’s Don’t Blame it On Me ten weeks after their first performance in week two.
For their show dance, the couple performed Rock This Party by Bob Sinclar.
The Mrs Brown’s Boys star, who plays Buster Brown in the hit show, was emotional following his final dance and thanked his partner Tina and his eldest son Jamie who attended every show.
Jack Woolley and pro partner Alex Vladimirov performed their Dedicated Dance Week dance of Grace to the American Smooth.
The couple later dance to an upbeat remix of Lady Gaga’s I’m on the Edge of Glory – a performance so ‘epic’ that the Olympian even ripped his trousers!
Following their performance, Arthur said: This wasn’t just a great dance, this will go down in Dancing With The Stars history as the best ever!’
Kayleigh and Ervinas Merfeldas re-danced their Love Week Salsa to Christina Aguilera’s Let There Be Love.
For their show dance, the pair performed to the R3hab remix of Taylor Swift’s Wildest Dreams. They scored a 38 for their stunning routine.
Rhys and Laura Nolan recreated their Movie Week performance of the Charleston to the Spider-Man theme tune.
They performed their show dance to Benson Boone’s ‘Beautiful Things’ which had both judges and the live studio audience on their feet.
While host Jennifer Zamparelli issued a public apology for Karen Byrne’s language, explaining it was due to ‘excitement’ following the performance, judge Loraine called it the ‘most outstanding show dance of the night.
Wrapping up the final, all seven eliminated celebrities – Mickey Joe Harte, Elaine Crowley, Joanna Donnelly, Yasmin Seky, Gearóid Farrelly, Kevin Dundon and Aishah Akorede and their pro partners – return to the ballroom dancefloor with a high-energy performance to Kylie Minogue’s Wow.
WINNER
It was a special night for the pro dancers this year, as none of them have lifted the Glitterball as of yet.
Last year saw Paralympian Jason Smyth win alongside Karen Byrne who is now a judge on the show, while Salome was a runner-up alongside Wild Youth singer David Whelan.
The winner was chosen solely on a public vote — with the judges’ scores baring no weight on Sunday evening.
Speaking after he was crowned champion, Rhys said: ‘I don’t have any words’.
With DWTS finished for another season, just how are we meant to spend our Sunday nights? Time will tell if we get to do it all over again come January 2026…
