Derry native Damian McGinty already favourite to win Ireland's Dancing with the Stars

Derry native Damian McGinty has already been tipped favourite to win Dancing With The Stars.

The RTE One show returns this evening and the Glee star is the bookies favourite to lift the glitter ball trophy this season.

According to Ladbrokes, McGinty is currently the front-runner with the bookies at odds of 3/1. 

Damian said: “Dancing with the Stars is a major challenge for me, one I am really excited and also very nervous about. I have never felt fear like this, but I love a challenge and this, by a mile, is my biggest yet. See you on the dance floor!"

Derry Girls star, Leah O’Rourke who plays Jenny Joyce in the Channel 4 hit show, will also be putting on her dancing shoes this season and currently sits at odds of 7/1.

2022 Irish Eurovision hopeful and County Derry girl herself, Brooke Scullion will also be joining the line up and is also in the mix at odds of 8/1.

Nicola McGeady of Ladbrokes said: "Glitterball fever is in full swing with the show set to kick off in just a matter of days. 

"Damian McGinty remains our favourite to win, but it’s still early days and with stars from the world of music, GAA, soccer and TV all set to take to the dancefloor, the trophy is still very much there for the taking."

The hit Sunday night TV series Dancing with the Stars will return to screens this evening (January 8) for its sixth series with 11 new celebrity dancers hoping to make it all the way to the final.

The RTÉ 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 judges and the viewing public at home, with the winning couple claiming the much-coveted glitter ball trophy at the end of the series.

The 11 celebrities taking on the challenge this year are: Marie Cassidy, Panti Bliss (Rory O’Neill), Brooke Scullion, Suzanne Jackson, Paul Brogan, Damian McGinty, Shane Byrne, Stephanie Roche, Carl Mullan, Leah O’Rourke and Kevin McGahern.

Joining the 11 professional dancers this year is new dancer Michael Danilczuk, who joins returning dancers John Nolan, Karen Byrne, Emily Barker, Ervinas Merfeldas, Laura Nolan, Kylee Vincent, Stephen Vincent, Denys Samson, Salome Chachua, Maurizio Benenato and Hannah Kelly.

Host Jennifer Zamparelli will be joined this year by co-host Doireann Garrihy. All three judges – Loraine Barry, Brian Redmond and Arthur Gourounlian – return to give their informed, upfront and sometimes tough-talking reviews and scores from each of the live performances to the contestants.