Amanda Byram looks set to be the new presenter of the Irish version of Dancing with the Stars, which is due to air on 8th January. Shinawil is the indie company producing the show for RTÉ.
Although not officially confirmed by RTÉ or Shinawil, a number of sources say Amanda looks set to be the one... but with some of Ireland's leading female talents in consideration for the role, there's no doubt the producers have had a difficult choice to make.
IFTN understands that information from RTÉ will be announced over the coming weeks, ahead of the show’s TX on 8th January. The professional dancers, judging panel and most of the contestants have already been cast and are currently rehearsing. The show will be broadcast over 12 weeks on Sunday evenings, with a ‘behind the scenes’ on Friday evenings.
Amanda most recently hosted the Irish Academy’s IFTA Gala Television Awards last month, at which Pat Kenny received the Lifetime Achievement Award.
At the time, IFTA's official statement said that "Amanda Byram is undoubtedly one of Ireland and the UK’s most experienced and popular TV Presenters with an international repertoire of work credits that have seen her hosting major TV shows across the UK and the US for the past 15 years. Amanda started out her TV career on TV3 in Ireland in 1999 and she soon spread her wings internationally with her Irish style, fun and witty presenting skills making her a very popular choice for international channels including SKY, BBC, Channel 4, ABC Network and ITV".
The Academy went on to state that Amanda’s skill in front of the TV camera (live or as live) has seen her hosting some of the world’s most entertaining and complex TV Shows over the years such as hosting the ‘Miss World Pageant Live from China’, the hugely popular Los Angeles based reality TV shows ‘Paradise Hotel’, ‘The Swan’ and ‘Entertainment Tonight’. UK audiences have also enjoyed Amanda’s presenting charms on popular TV shows such as ABC’s ‘Total Wipeout’ on BBC and Channel 4’s ‘Big Breakfast’, ‘Sunday Brunch’, BBC’s ‘Liquid News’. and also hosting Sky One’s ‘The Angel’ and ‘Don't Stop Me Now’. Amanda also regularly guest-appears on shows such as the ‘The Xtra Factor’, ‘I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here’ and the hugely popular ‘Celebrity Juice’.
Amanda also presented Sky’s Oscars coverage in 2015 with Alex Zane and she launched her adventure show ‘RV Rampage’ on The Travel Channel to great UK reviews.
So far only one celebrity contestant has confirmed that he is to dance on the show and that is Big Brother runner-up Hughie Maughan. No further details have been issued by RTÉ.
