Dancing with the Stars: Paralympian Jason Smyth completes celebrity line-up

The six-time Paralympic gold medal-winning sprinter is the 11th and final contestant to be revealed for the RTÉ show

Jason Smyth. Picture: Barry McCall 

Paralympian Jason Smyth is the final celebrity to be added to the line-up for the upcoming season of Dancing with the Stars.

Smyth is legally blind, with his central vision affected by Stargardt's disease.

Completing the class of 2024, the six-time Paralympic gold medal-winning 100m and 200m sprinter is the eleventh and final contestant to be revealed for the RTÉ show.

At the 2008 Summer Paralympics, he achieved two gold medals for Ireland, setting records at the Men's 100 metres T13 and the Men's 200 metres T1.

While he says the dance floor is quite the change from the athletics tacks, he is feeling excited about the new venture — and a little nervous.

“I think there are elements I'm excited about and elements that I'm just a little bit nervous about as well. I wouldn't even say I was someone who dances loads, I have two girls, eight and five, and they both love to dance so, I've had to learn to bop around more and more, but it's usually to princess songs or something slightly different,” he says.

He announced his retirement from competing in 2023 to take up a full-time role within Paralympics Ireland.

On last week’s Late Late Show, former Miss World Rosanna Davison, newsreader Eileen Dunne, Wild Youth singer David Whelan, drag queen superstar Blu Hydrangea, and TikTok sensation Miriam Mullins were revealed as the first five hopefuls vying for the iconic glitterball trophy.

2FM and Ireland's Fittest Family presenter Laura Fox was named as a contestant on Sunday and Fair City actor Shane Quigley Murphy was announced on Monday followed by jockey Davy Russell on Tuesday and presenter Katja Mia on Wednesday. On Thursday morning actor Rory Cowan was named as the tenth celebrity dancer before Smyth completed the line-up.

Dancing with the Stars returns to RTÉ One and RTÉ Player in January 2024.