Music legend revealed as the twelfth and final contestant for Dancing with the Stars 2026

Singer-songwriter Brian Kennedy has been announced as the final celebrity dancer to take a twirl onto the dancefloor for the ninth series of Dancing with the Stars, airing from Sunday, 4 January 2026.

Discovered by Simon Fuller, Brian’s early career soared when he became a featured vocalist with Van Morrison, sharing global stages with legends like Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell.

His vocals on Morrison’s A Night in San Francisco and Days Like This signalled a burgeoning star. As a solo artist, Brian’s 1996 album A Better Man went quadruple platinum, with chart hits in both Ireland and the UK.

In 2006, Brian represented Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest with the heartfelt original Every Song is a Cry for Love finishing in the top ten.

That same year, his moving rendition of You Raise Me Up at George Best’s funeral became a top-five hit in the UK.

Speaking about joining DWTS Brian said: “I’m so excited to join the cast of Dancing with the Stars. I’m really looking forward to getting fit and to learn how to dance properly and the challenge of that. What a way to start what will be my 60th year on the planet!”

Dancing with the Stars will be hosted by Jennifer Zamparelli and Laura Fox when it returns on January 4th.

Filling our Sunday evenings with glitz and glamour from January, the RTÉ series will see 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: Oti Mabuse, Brian Redmond, Arthur Gourounlian and Karen Byrne, and as well as the viewing public at home, with the winning couple claiming the much-coveted glitter ball trophy at the end of the series.

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