Dancing with the Stars recap: End of the road for jiving news reader Aengus Mac Grianna
Presenter Aengus Mac Grianna and Emily Barker. Pictures: KOBPIX.
Two dancers earned almost perfect scores from the judges during Sunday night’s Dancing with the Stars while Aengus Mac Grianna will jive no more.
Paralympic swimmer Ellen Keane used her ballroom routine to inspire: “I am that representation, I have to be visible.” The judges were impressed. Arthur Gourounlian described it as “ an emotional performance,” adding: “You are a dancer, you are strong and you are beautiful.” Brian Redmond agreed: “The whole thing was just beautiful.”
Keane tied with Jordan Conroy for the highest score of the night, with the judges awarding them each 27 points. Conroy danced a “bold and powerful” paso doble in Loraine Barry’s eyes. “It’s fierce, it’s dark, it’s powerful,” she said. Redmond said Conroy, who was clad in black leather, did a great job but joked it was “as butch as a builder’s breakfast”.
Newsreader Aengus Mac Grianna received 17 points and was sent home following a public vote. He came out kicking with a jive this week to impress the judges. “You were in your element,” Barry said, commending his “twinkletoes”. Gourounlian said he “danced your socks off”. Despite his “athletic and agile” moves, he will not return to the show.
Blazing her way across the dancefloor to open the show, Erica Cody amazed the judges with her rumba. “You set the dancefloor on fire,” gushed Gourounlian. Cody received 26 points from the judges and says she has been delighted with the support she has been getting “from Baldoyle and beyond.”
Cyclist Nicolas Roche’s samba fell flat for the judges, with Redmond saying he had “a bit of a puncture”. Barry said he was “technically way off the mark but emotionally you were absolutely on the mark.” Roche got 15 points from the judging panel.
Last week Aslan’s Billy Mc Guinness promised the return of ‘Fun Billy’ and he delivered that with an energetic quickstep. Barry was stunned, remarking “for a man of 61, you are so agile.” McGuinness earned 18 points and was delighted. “That’s two up on last week,” he exclaimed.
Redmond thought Missy Keating’s tango was one of two halves. He described it as a “swan of a tango: fabulously elegant on top, just a little bit fluffy underneath”. Keating received 22 points from the judges.
Love Islander Matthew Mac Nabb’s lifts didn’t let him down, but his actual dancing did. “The dancing between the lifts isn’t great,” Redmond said and Barry agreed. “The saving grace for me were the two Ls: Laura and the lifts,” she said. MacNaab got 14 points, the lowest of the night.
Jockey Nina Carberry was told by Redmond to “start believing in yourself a little bit more” following her cha cha and Barry praised her upbeat mood. “It was a tremendous effort, but it was the smile that sold it,” she said. She earned 21 points from the judges.
After a poor response to her injury-struck routine last week, Gráinne Seoige returned with an American smooth, and the judges appreciated her efforts. Despite some technical mistakes, Redmond told her “it was your best dance yet.” Gourounlian praised her attitude too. “You never let yourself down,” he said. Seoige received a score of 19.
Next week’s Dancing with the Stars is Dedicated Dance week and there will be no elimination.
