New Dancing With The Stars Head Judge and Presenter revealed ahead of ninth series

RTÉ has today revealed a new Head Judge and presenter line-up for the ninth series of the hit show Dancing with the Stars.  

The new Head Judge on the dancefloor this coming season is Oti Mabuse, who joins judges Brian Redmond, Arthur Gourounlian and Karen Byrne. Oti will bring her expert opinions and professional analysis and viewers can look forward to seeing her fierce fashion and individual style week after week.

New Dancing with the Stars Head Judge, Oti Mabuse said, “I’m so excited to be joining Dancing with the Stars Ireland 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. 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.”

Oti Mabuse is well-known for being a professional dancer on Strictly Come Dancing in the UK which she won in 2019 and 2020, and its German equivalent Let’s Dance. Between 2021 and 2022, Oti was a panelist on The Masked Dancer and has served as a judge on Dancing on Ice from 2022 until 2025.

Oti won the South African Latin American Championship eight times, after which she moved to Germany to broaden her dancing horizons. She has earned 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.

Laura Fox will stand in for Doireann Garrihy this season and join Jennifer Zamparelli to present the hugely popular Sunday night entertainment series when it returns to our screens on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player in January 2026.  

Laura Fox is well known for her presenting role on 2FM radio where she’s live on air with her own show on weekdays from 9am to 12 noon 2FM Morning with Laura Fox. Proud Galway girl Laura also presents firm family favourite Ireland’s Fittest Family.

Laura knows the dancing drill, having competed in the seventh series of Dancing with the Stars in 2024 and sashayed into the Grand Final with her pro dance partner Denys Samson.
Returning to present her seventh series of Dancing with the Stars, Jennifer Zamparelli welcomed her new co-presenter.

Laura Fox said, “I’m beyond thrilled to be stepping into the ballroom as co-host of Dancing with the Stars this year! 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!"

Alan Tyler, RTÉ Group Head of Entertainment and Music said,  “Oti is a true star of the ballroom and beyond, and we are delighted to welcome her as the new head judge on Dancing with the Stars. 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 'Dancing with the stars'.”

Filling our Sunday evenings with glitz and glamour from January, the RTÉ series sees 12 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 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 RTÉ.