Watch: Eric Roberts puts in some last-minute practice before Dancing with the Stars

Eric Roberts will be flying the Donegal flag as the family favourite Dancing with the Stars kicks off later today for its ninth season, with brand-new Head Judge Oti Mabuse bringing the glitter and glam.

Donegal native Eric, from Glen village, outside of Carrigart, first gained widespread attention through his social media presence, particularly on TikTok and Instagram, where he has over 1 million followers. He joined Ireland AM on weekends, where he shared some of his last-minute practising, alongside former DWTS contestant Elaine Crowley.

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Speaking about joining Dancing with the Stars this season, Eric said: “I’m so excited to get stuck into training and equally terrified at what lies ahead! I’ve been a fan of the show for years and some of my friends have taken part and told me how amazing the experience is and also how difficult it can be! So, I’m trying to mentally prepare myself for it all. I’ve had a couple of fittings and let’s just say it’s stuff I wouldn’t normally wear, but I’m leaving it up to the professionals and stylist every week – I'm up for anything (within reason)!

"My family were so excited when I told them the news! It’s a huge time commitment and I have a young son so it wasn’t something we jumped into. My wife is extremely supportive and told me to go for it! I’m excited to learn all the dances. I grew up loving hip hop and robotics.

"I taught myself how to do hip hop in my bedroom after watching Step Up – just in case anyone challenged me to a dance battle – and I loved it so much. I haven’t broken out those moves now in a while so it might be time to bring them back. I’m so happy to be taking part this year! It’s so surreal to me and I don’t think it will actually hit home until the show is kicking off, but hopefully I’ll be up for the challenge.”

This season features familiar faces, also including Niamh Kavanagh, Paudie Moloney, Katelyn Cummins, Michael Fry, Stephanie Kelly, Philip Doyle, Tolü Makay, Amber Wilson, Anne Cassin, Jordan Dargan, and Brian Kennedy.

They will all be taking to the dancefloor in the hopes of winning the coveted glitterball trophy. Presented by Jennifer Zamparelli and new addition Laura Fox, who is filling in for Doireann Garrihy while she is on leave, this year sees some big changes and surprises for audiences.

The departure of the beloved Loraine Barry sees the fabulous Oti join Brian Redmond, Karen Byrne, and Arthur Gourounlian on the judging panel. This season, there are 12 contestants instead of 11, and brand-new pro dancers Arianna Favaro, Leonardo Lini, and James Cutler joining the team (alongside Laura Nolan, Ervinas Merfeldas, Robert Rowiński, Stephen Vincent, Maciej Zięba, Alex Vladimirov, Rebecca Scott and Daniela Roze).

Kylee Vincent returns following the birth of her first child last year with fellow dancer Stephen. Week eight will see a celebration of the 100th Episode with a very special evening, and there are lots of new themes and twists along the way. The new series of Dancing with the Stars starts on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player at 6:30pm on Sunday 4 January, and runs until mid-March.