Dancing With The Stars could return to our TV screens next year, the Irish Mirror can reveal.
RTE will make a decision in the next few weeks on whether to bring back the hit show.
Producers ShinAwiL had to re-pitch the series to station bosses a few weeks ago, even though it had record ratings and was a massive success story.
A source said: ”ShinAwiL had to do a similar thing with the Voice Of Ireland and re-pitch it to RTE after three years, a couple of years ago.
“RTE bosses liked it and it then got another two years on air.”
DWTS had been the rock of RTE One's Sunday night schedule, with between 500,000 to 600,000 a week tuning in to the live two-hour dance-off, kicking off after the news at 6.30pm since it first started in 2017.
The audience stayed with the station after DWTS and right through the night bringing in a big advertising spin-off.
In some weeks the show, which was broadcast live from the Ardmore Studios, in Co Wicklow was bigger than the Late Late Show.
It was stopped in March last year when the Covid-19 pandemic spread to Ireland.
It finished a week earlier and the semi-final was turned into a final, with the late Gerry Ryan’s daughter, 2FM star Lottie, winning with her dance partner Pasquale Le Rocca.
It didn’t get back on air this season - although the producers did propose a format for a Covid-friendly show.
However with no live audience allowed, RTE decided it was better for public health reasons to give it a miss and to try and fill the 12-week hole in the schedule with something else.
The ShinAwiL team have a good working relationship with RTE and many of the highly-skilled production crew are keeping their fingers crossed the 2022 series will get the go-ahead and run from next January to March next.
An insider said: “A decision will be made in the coming weeks and the producers are really hoping they get the green light so they can hire the studio and get the dancers and celebs organised.
“It normally takes a summer to get things sorted.”
It is understood If DWTS returns it will continue to be presented by Nicky Byrne and Jennifer Zamparelli.
The existing judges are also likely to remain the same with Julian Benson, Brian Redmond and Lorraine Barry all set for a comeback.
Viewers love the rows and banter between the celeb dancers and the judges panel.
An RTE insider said: “Hopefully DWTS will be back because the public love it and by next January all of the Irish people will have had their Covid-19 vaccination and the virus won’t be a problem anymore.”
ShinAwiL refused to comment.
