Meteorologist Joanna Donnelly said she hopes to make her mother proud of her dancing as she was unveiled as the 11th and final contestant for the new season of Dancing With The Stars.
The RTÉ weather presenter will swap the forecast for the foxtrot in pursuit of the coveted glitterball in the new year.
A longtime fan of DWTS, the meteorologist and author said she has 'watched the show all these years and all I want to do is learn how to dance'.
She revealed: 'I had an Irish dancing lesson back in 1979 and my mother spent a year's savings on an Irish dancing costume, but I did one Feis and then quit. She never let me live it down.'
Donnelly added her mother Marie Kelly - who died aged 77 in 2021 after a routine eye operation - 'was a huge fan of Dancing With The Stars, so she's definitely got my back on this'.
Used to standing in one place in her day job, the forecaster said she is 'ready to get my feet moving' ahead of the series beginning in three weeks.
Donnelly and her Dutch husband Harm, a fellow meteorologist, recently celebrated 20 years of marriage and have three children together.
She becomes the first weather forecaster to appear on Dancing With The Stars.
Donnelly is the last contestant to be revealed, after five more were unveiled on Friday night's Late Late Show.
These were broadcaster and Ireland AM presenter Elaine Crowley, celebrity chef Kevin Dundon, Olympic gold medallist Rhys McClenaghan, actress Yasmin Seky and social media star Kayleigh Trappe.
Crowley told RTÉ her sister had encouraged her to get out of her 'comfort zone' for the first time in decades by participating.
Dundon said he is 'co-ordinated' as a chef - 'but not with my feet'. And McClenaghan said he hopes to 'bring some of my pommel horse flair to the dance floor'.
Kin actress Seky said she doesn't know whether she's nervous or excited as they 'manifest in the body the same way'.
Lip-syncer extraordinaire Trappe said it feels 'so surreal' to be on the show, 'especially because I'm so used to just being behind the camera in my own home, and now I'm going full glitz and glam'.
The first five contestants were named during the week as Eurovision 2003 entrant Mickey Joe Harte, taekwondo Olympian Jack Woolley, comedian Gearóid Farrelly, Mrs Brown's Boys actor Danny O'Carroll and former Miss Universe Ireland, Aishah Akorede.
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