Dancing with the Stars week 6: ‘Such a powerful performance, such a powerful message’

There are no eliminations but plenty of tears as Dancing with the Stars (RTÉ One, Sunday, 6.30pm) arrives at its annual weepathon in the form of dedications week. The idea is that each of the remaining eight contestants offers up their dance in tribute to a special person in their lives. It’s all about taking part – and nobody is sent home.

That said, there is still an element of competition, as this evening’s top-ranking dancer will be immune from expulsion next weekend, when DWTS hosts its first dance-off of the season. That honour goes to Panti Bliss. He dances as plain old Rory O’Neill and dedicates his paso doble to Prof Fiona Mulcahy, the doctor who treated O’Neill when he was diagnosed with HIV, at the age of 27, and given five to 10 years to live.

Since then this country has changed enormously, O’Neill says after the performance, which is soundtracked by the Pet Shop Boys track It’s a Sin. “Twenty-seven years ago I didn’t expect to be here today,” he says. “And I certainly wouldn’t have been able to be on RTÉ One, on a family show.”

The judges struggle to keep it together and award O’Neill a leader-board-topping 29.

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“I don’t ever recall seeing two men dancing paso doble side by side,” says Brian Redmond. “You did a really, really good job. The bravery that you showed gives an honesty to the performance that we all appreciated totally. I think it’s so apt that tonight it’s Rory who performed because it’s Rory who had to go through this fight.”

[ Patrick Freyne: Just look at your da’s happy little face as he gets to say ‘Well I’ve never heard of him!’ ]

“Such a powerful performance,” agrees Arthur Gourounlian. “Such a powerful message. Never underestimate the amount of people you are helping right now with being so honest and open.”

O’Neill brings down the curtains on the broadcast. Which is just as well, as the other contestants might have struggled to match the ferocity and candour of his dance.

Second place on the night goes to Damian McGinty of Glee. He dedicates his performance to his fellow cast from the hit song-and-dance show, particularly to members who have died, including Cory Monteith and Naya Rivera. He receives a video-call pep talk from Heather Morris, another Glee alumni. Then, dancing with Kylee Vincent, he pulls off an emotive contemporary ballroom to Becky Hill’s cover of Alphaville’s Forever Young.

“I am struggling to talk – that was so emotional, so beautiful,” says Gourounlian. “The lifts were outstanding. It was stunning.”

“Your performance tonight has truly paid homage to your friendship,” agrees Loraine Barry.

O’Neill and McGinty are the clear front-runners, with the other six dancers scoring in the mid to low 20s. Incredibly, four celebs tie for last place. The cha-cha of the former front-runner Suzanne Jackson – dedicated to her parents – scores 23, as does Carl Mullan and Emily Barker’s jive to Coldplay’s Higher Power, which goes out to Mullan’s 18-month-old son, Daibhí.

Also in the basement are the athletes Shane Byrne, dancing for the late rugby coach Anthony Foley, and Stephanie Roche, who devotes her dance to her Ireland team-mates and their threatened strike of 2017. Both have struggled to find form throughout the contest. The judges try to be kind – and each receives a conciliatory 23.

But it’s starting to look inevitable that next week’s inaugural dance-off will see these stars of rugby and soccer go head to head under the Dancing with the Stars spotlight.