Revealed: New Dancing With The Stars judge confirmed following Loraine Barry's exit
Loraine Barry recently announced that it was "the right time" to leave Dancing with the Stars. Picture: Kyran O’Brien/kobpix.
The new judge and presenter line-up for the ninth series of the hit show has been revealed.
RTÉ has announced that South African dancer and talent show judge Oti Mabuse will be the new head judge joining Brian Redmond, Arthur Gourounlian and Karen Byrne on the judging panel.
It comes following the news that Loraine Barry will not return to our screens as a judge on this year.
The four-time world dance champion, who has been with the show for eight seasons, said in a statement that it was "the right time" for her to stand down as head judge.
Taking Barry’s place as head judge, Mabuse is well known for being a professional dancer on in the UK, which she won in 2019 and 2020, and its German equivalent, .
Between 2021 and 2022, she was a panelist on and served as a judge on from 2022 until 2025.
Mabuse won the South African Latin American Championship eight times, after which she moved to Germany to broaden her dancing horizons, earning a number of titles in her dancing career; including third place in World Cup Freestyle Latin in 2014, second place European Championship Latin in 2014 and first place in German Championship PD Freestyle Latin.
In 2024, she headed to the Australian jungle to take part in . She was the ninth campmate to be voted off the show, leaving behind just three finalists – Coleen Rooney, Reverend Richard Coles, and Danny Jones, who went on to win the show.
Mabuse is now set to bring her expert opinions, professional analysis and viewers can look forward to seeing her fierce fashion and individual style week after week.
“I’m so excited to be joining as head judge. Dance has been such a huge part of my life, and to now have the opportunity to celebrate the incredible talent and passion that Ireland has to offer is such a joy,” she said.
“As someone who has been on both sides of the judging table from performing as a professional dancer on Strictly to sitting on panels on different shows I know just how much heart, hard work and magic goes into every performance and how much this show means to everyone.
“Irish audiences have always been so warm, supportive and fun-loving, so I already know we’re going to have the most amazing time together.
“I’m looking forward to having the best time with my fellow judges and can’t wait to bring my love for performance and, of course, a whole lot of sparkle, to this fabulous show.”
Laura Fox will stand in for Doireann Garrihy this season and join Jennifer Zamparelli to present the new series when it returns to our screens on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player in January 2026.
Well known for her presenting role on 2FM radio and as the presenter of Fox is a proud Galway girl.
She is no stranger to the dancing drill, having competed in the seventh series of in 2024 and sashayed into the Grand Final with her pro dance partner Denys Samson.
“I’m beyond thrilled to be stepping into the ballroom as co-host of this year,” she said.
“Having been a contestant on the show, I know exactly how nerve-wracking and magical it all is the glitter, the graft, the laughs and I honestly can’t wait to be part of it from this side of the stage.
“I’m absolutely buzzing to join Jen for the craic, and I’ll just be keeping the seat warm for Doireann while she takes a well-deserved break to welcome her new arrival. It’s such an iconic show and a real full-circle moment for me bring on the sequins.”
RTÉ Group Head of Entertainment and Music, Alan Tyler, said: “Oti is a true star of the ballroom and beyond, and we are delighted to welcome her as the new head judge on
“The combination of her exceptional expertise, passion, and infectious enthusiasm will not only keep our competitors on their toes but will also ensure they have great fun in the process.
“Meanwhile, we will all miss Doireann this year, but having former contestant and hugely talented presenter Laura Fox stepping into her dancing shoes means that the show won't put a foot wrong. With more surprises to come, we are excited to bring viewers a whole news season of .”
The series will see 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 the expert panel of four judges and the viewing public at home, with the winning couple claiming the much-coveted glitter ball trophy at the end of the series.
