Irish Olympian Jack Woolley is the fourth celebrity to join Dancing with the Stars

Taekwondo titan Jack is ready to try his hand at the tango!

Irish Olympian Jack Woolley has been revealed as the fourth celebrity to join the cast of Dancing with the Stars, which returns to RT One and RT Player next month.

Jack is the first ever athlete to have represented Ireland in taekwondo at the Olympic Games. He made his debut with Team Ireland at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and most recently, he competed at the Paris 2024 Olympics earlier this year. Alongside his Olympic achievements, Jack was awarded silver medals at the European Championships in 2022 and the European Games in 2023, along with bronze medals at the Taekwondo Grand Prix in 2018 and 2022.

Jack commented, I'm excited. This is something completely new for me. I think taekwondo is going to help because I'm flexible and I know my body, but remembering the steps is completely different. With taekwondo, I'm standing in front of somebody who's moving and I'm responding to what they're doing. I'm fighting them, and it's so unpredictable. But with this, you've got the set steps that you have to do in time. That's going to be completely new to me. Luckily, I have a nice start because I've got the athleticism, but I can't just take that for granted!

On what he feels most nervous about, he joked: I was most nervous about getting a spray tan, to be honest! I was afraid it was going be a bit splotchy and I'd look ridiculous. But the first one worked out well, so who knows? I might be a bit of a diva after this, getting a spray tan and my hair and makeup done every week after the show! I'm just embracing it at the moment.

In August 2021, just five days after the 2020 Tokyo Olympics ended, Jack was hospitalised after being attacked in Dublin. He experienced an outpouring of support when he shared a post and some photos detailing the incident on social media and subsequently spoke openly about the attack on The Late Late Show. Jack has also given an incredibly honest account of the mental health challenges he has battled with while competing at a high level.

Jack is the fourth celebrity to be announced following yesterday's reveal of comedian Gear id Farrelly, Mrs. Brown's Boys actor Danny O'Carroll was announced on Tuesday and former Miss Universe Ireland, Aishah Akorede was revealed on Monday. The remaining celebrity contestants joining the new series of Dancing with the Stars will be announced throughout the rest of this week.

The glitz, glamour, and nail-biting competition will all unfold when the new season returns to RT One and RT Player next month.

Dancing with the Stars will be hosted by Jennifer Zamparelli and Doireann Garrihy again this season. The two-time Dancing with the Stars winner and professional dancer Karen Byrne will join the judging panel in 2025 alongside longstanding judges Loraine Barry, Brian Redmond and Arthur Gourounlian.

-ENDS-

Date: Wednesday December 11 2024

RT Communications: Rayna Connery and adaoin Nic Giolla Chomhaill

eadaoin.nicgiolla@rte.ie

Photography credit: Barry McCall

ABOUT DANCING WITH THE STARS 2025

Filling our Sunday evenings with glitz and glamour from January, the RT One series sees 11 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 hip hop, and they'll have just seven days to perfect their routine before performing live to the nation.

Each celebrity couple will be scored by an 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.

Dancing with the Stars is produced by ShinAwiL for RT .

Dancing with the Stars is proudly sponsored by Hyundai.

For all the latest news and backstage gossip on Dancing with the Stars, keep an eye on our social channels:

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LINK:	https://about.rte.ie/2024/12/13/rish-olympian-jack-woolley-is-the-four...
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