Karen Byrne
Karen Byrne | |
|---|---|
| Born | 30 May 1992 |
| Occupation(s) | Dancer Choreographer |
| Known for | Dancing with the Stars (Irish series) |
| Height | 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in) |
| Partner | Jake Carter (2018–present) |
Karen Byrne (born 30 May 1992) is an Irish dancer and choreographer. She is known as being a judge and, previously, a professional dancer on the Irish version of Dancing with the Stars.
Early life
[edit]Byrne was born in Ballyfermot in Dublin.[1] She has been dancing since the age of six.[2]
Dancing with the Stars
[edit]In 2017, Byrne was announced as one of the professional dancers for the first series of Dancing with the Stars. She was partnered with RTÉ broadcaster, Des Cahill.[3] Despite being in the bottom half of the leader board throughout the entire competition, they reached the quarterfinals of the competition eventually finishing in 5th place.[4]
In 2018, Byrne was partnered with singer-songwriter, Jake Carter.[5] On 25 March 2018, Carter and Byrne were named the winners.[6]
In 2019, Byrne was partnered with TV presenter and style entrepreneur, Darren Kennedy.[7] They reached the fifth week of the competition, finishing in ninth place.[8]
In 2020, Byrne partnered with Olympic gold medal-winning boxer, Michael Carruth.[9] The couple reached the fifth week of the competition, meaning Byrne finished in ninth place for the second year in a row.[10]
In 2022, Byrne partnered former professional cyclist, Nicolas Roche.[11] They were eliminated in the quarterfinals, after a dance-off against Ellen Keane and Ervinas Merfeldas.[12]
In 2023, Byrne partnered former rugby player, Shane Byrne.[13] They were eliminated in the eighth week of the competition, after a dance-off against Panti Bliss and Denys Samson.
In 2024, Byrne partnered former Paralympic sprint runner, Jason Smyth. On 17 March 2024, Smyth & Byrne were named the winners, despite receiving the lowest scores for several weeks and in the Final.
| Series | Partner | Place |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Des Cahill | 5th |
| 2 | Jake Carter | 1st |
| 3 | Darren Kennedy | 9th |
| 4 | Michael Carruth | 9th |
| 5 | Nicolas Roche | 6th |
| 6 | Shane Byrne | 7th |
| 7 | Jason Smyth | 1st |
Highest and Lowest Scoring Per Dance
| Dance | Partner | Highest | Partner | Lowest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Smooth | Jake Carter | 25 | Michael Carruth | 12 |
| Cha-cha-cha | Jake Carter | 24 | Des Cahill Shane Byrne |
12 |
| Charleston | Jake Carter | 30 | Bernard O'Shea1 | 13 |
| Contemporary Ballroom | Jake Carter | 30 | Jason Smyth | 24 |
| Foxtrot | Nicolas Roche | 21 | Des Cahill | 16 |
| Jive | Jake Carter | 28 | Nicolas Roche | 11 |
| Paso Doble | Des Cahill | 18 | Michael Carruth | 14 |
| Quickstep | Jake Carter | 21 | Shane Byrne | 17 |
| Rumba | Jake Carter | 26 | Jason Smyth | 18 |
| Salsa | Shane Byrne | 21 | Des Cahill | 14 |
| Samba | Jason Smyth | 28 | Michael Carruth | 11 |
| Showdance | Jake Carter Jason Smyth |
30 | ||
| Tango | Jason Smyth | 27 | Michael Carruth | 13 |
| Viennese Waltz | Jake Carter | 28 | Nicolas Roche | 16 |
| Waltz | Jason Smyth | 21 | Nicolas Roche | 17 |
1 These scores was awarded during Switch-Up Week.
- Celebrity partner
- Des Cahill; Average: 16.7; Place: 5th
| Week No. | Dance/Song | Judges' score | Total | Result | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redmond | Barry | Benson | ||||
| 1 | Foxtrot / "Moondance" | 5 | 5 | 6 | 16 | No elimination |
| 2 | No dance performed | - | - | - | - | |
| 3 | Paso Doble / "Malagueña" | 6 | 6 | 6 | 18 | Safe |
| 4 | Salsa / "Soul Bossa Nova" | 4 | 5 | 5 | 14 | Safe |
| 5 | Tango / "Jealousy" | 5 | 7 | 6 | 18 | Safe |
| 6 | Cha-cha-cha / "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" | 4 | 4 | 4 | 12 | Safe |
| 7 | Samba / "Mas que Nada" | 5 | 5 | 5 | 15 | No elimination Switch-Up Week with Aidan O'Mahony |
| 8 | Viennese Waltz / "The Marino Waltz" | 6 | 7 | 6 | 19 | Safe |
| 9 | American Smooth / "Uptown Girl" | 5 | 6 | 6 | 17 | Safe |
| 10 | Jive / "Do You Love Me" The Ballroom Blitz / "The Ballroom Blitz" |
6 Extra |
6 1 |
7 Point |
19 20 |
Eliminated |
- Celebrity partner
- Jake Carter; Average: 26.3; Place: 1st
| Week No. | Dance/Song | Judges' score | Total | Result | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redmond | Barry | Benson | ||||
| 1 | Salsa / "Reggaetón Lento (Remix)" | 6 | 6 | 7 | 19 | No elimination |
| 2 | No dance performed | - | - | - | - | |
| 3 | Quickstep / "Knee Deep in My Heart" | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 | Safe |
| 4 | Cha-cha-cha / "The Power of Love" | 8 | 8 | 8 | 24 | Safe |
| 5 | Contemporary Ballroom / "Sign of the Times" | 9 | 9 | 9 | 27 | Safe |
| 6 | Charleston / "Lollipop" | 3 | 5 | 5 | 13 | No elimination Switch-Up Week with Bernard O'Shea |
| 7 | Tango / "La cumparsita" | 8 | 9 | 9 | 26 | Safe |
| 8 | Viennese Waltz / "You'll Never Walk Alone" | 9 | 9 | 10 | 28 | Safe |
| 9 | Jive / "Rock Around the Clock (Swing Cats Remix)" Team Dance / "On the Floor" |
9 10 |
9 10 |
9 10 |
27 30 |
Safe |
| 10 | Charleston / "Friend Like Me" Swing-a-thon / "You Can't Stop the Beat" |
10 Extra |
10 5 |
10 Points |
30 35 |
Safe |
| 11 | Rumba / "Slow Hands" American Smooth / "Let's Face the Music and Dance" |
9 8 |
8 8 |
9 9 |
26 25 |
Bottom two |
| 12 | Contemporary Ballroom / "Sign of the Times" Jive / "Rock Around the Clock (Swing Cats Remix)" Showdance / "Mad World" |
10 9 10 |
10 9 10 |
10 10 10 |
30 28 30 |
Winners |
- Celebrity partner
- Darren Kennedy; Average: 16.5; Place: 9th
| Week No. | Dance/Song | Judges' score | Total | Result | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redmond | Barry | Benson | ||||
| 1 | Tango / "Sharp Dressed Man" | 5 | 5 | 6 | 16 | No elimination |
| 2 | No dance performed | - | - | - | - | |
| 3 | Jive / "Fun, Fun, Fun" | 4 | 5 | 5 | 14 | Safe |
| 4 | Charleston / "I Wanna Be Like You" | 6 | 6 | 6 | 18 | Safe |
| 5 | Salsa / "María" | 6 | 6 | 6 | 18 | Eliminated |
- Celebrity partner
- Michael Carruth; Average: 12.5; Place: 9th
| Week No. | Dance/Song | Judges' score | Total | Result | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redmond | Barry | Benson | ||||
| 1 | American Smooth / "I'm Shipping Up to Boston" | 3 | 4 | 5 | 12 | No elimination |
| 2 | No dance performed | - | - | - | - | |
| 3 | Samba / "It's Not Unusual" | 3 | 4 | 4 | 11 | Safe |
| 4 | Paso Doble / "Eye of the Tiger" | 4 | 5 | 5 | 14 | Safe |
| 5 | Tango / "Gold" | 4 | 4 | 5 | 13 | Eliminated |
- Celebrity partner
- Nicolas Roche; Average: 17.4; Place: 6th
| Week No. | Dance/Song | Judges' score | Total | Result | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redmond | Barry | Gourounlian | ||||
| 1 | Jive / "Blinding Lights" | 3 | 4 | 4 | 11 | No elimination |
| 2 | No dance performed | - | - | - | - | |
| 3 | Viennese Waltz / "Unplayed Piano" | 5 | 5 | 6 | 16 | Safe |
| 4 | American Smooth / "Singin' in the Rain" | 6 | 6 | 7 | 19 | Safe |
| 5 | Samba / "Fantasy" | 5 | 5 | 5 | 15 | Safe |
| 6 | Quickstep / "Hey Brother" | 6 | 6 | 7 | 19 | No elimination |
| 7 | Waltz / "Love Ain't Here Anymore" | 5 | 6 | 6 | 17 | Safe |
| 8 | Tango / No dance performed | - | - | - | - | Given bye |
| 9 | Tango / "Trumpet Tango" | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 | Safe |
| 10 | Foxtrot / "I Love Paris" Team Dance / "Cuba" |
7 9 |
7 9 |
7 9 |
21 27 |
Eliminated |
- Celebrity partner
- Shane Byrne; Average: 18.5; Place: 7th
| Week No. | Dance/Song | Judges' score | Total | Result | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redmond | Barry | Gourounlian | ||||
| 1 | Quickstep / "Help!" | 6 | 5 | 6 | 17 | No elimination |
| 2 | Cha-cha-cha / "Hey Baby" | 3 | 4 | 5 | 12 | |
| 3 | Paso Doble / "Born to Be Wild" | 5 | 5 | 5 | 15 | Safe |
| 4 | Tango / "Wreck-It, Wreck-It Ralph" | 6 | 6 | 6 | 18 | Safe |
| 5 | Salsa / "Cuban Pete" | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 | Safe |
| 6 | Viennese Waltz / "We Are the Champions" | 7 | 8 | 8 | 23 | No elimination |
| 7 | Jive / "Land Of 1,000 Dances" | 6 | 7 | 7 | 20 | Safe |
| 8 | American Smooth / "Luck Be a Lady Tonight" | 7 | 7 | 8 | 22 | Eliminated |
- Celebrity partner
- Jason Smyth; Average: 22.2; Place: 1st
| Week No. | Dance/Song | Judges' score | Total | Result | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redmond | Barry | Gourounlian | ||||
| 1 | Foxtrot / "They Can't Take That Away from Me" | 5 | 6 | 6 | 17 | No elimination |
| 21 | Paso Doble / "Run to You" | 5 | 6 | 6 | 17 | |
| 3 | Contemporary Ballroom / "Show Me What I'm Looking For" | 8 | 8 | 8 | 24 | Safe |
| 4 | Rumba / "With These Hands" | 6 | 6 | 6 | 18 | Safe |
| 5 | Salsa / "Don't Stop Dancing" | 6 | 6 | 6 | 18 | Safe |
| 6 | Viennese Waltz / "Daughters" | 6 | 7 | 7 | 20 | No elimination |
| 7 | Samba / "Rhythm Divine" | 8 | 8 | 7 | 23 | Safe |
| 8 | Waltz / "Watermark" | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 | Safe |
| 9 | Jive / "Runaway" Team Dance / "A Little Party Never Killed Nobody (All We Got)" |
7 9 |
8 10 |
8 10 |
23 29 |
Safe |
| 10 | Tango / "Disturbia" Scare-a-thon / "Dead Ringer for Love" |
9 Awarded |
9 2 |
9 Points |
27 29 |
Safe |
| 11 | Samba / "Rhythm Divine" Showdance / "Go the Distance" |
9 10 |
10 10 |
9 10 |
28 30 |
Winners |
1Byrne did not perform in week 2 due to illness. Smyth performed his dance with Juliia Vasylenko instead.
Personal life
[edit]Byrne was in a relationship with professional dancer, Wojtek Potaszkin for eight years.[14] Since their time on the show together, Byrne has been dating her Series 2 partner, Jake Carter.[15]
References
[edit]- ^ "Professional Dancers". RTÉ.ie. 2017-12-18.
- ^ "Dancing with the Stars pro dancers are unveiled". RTÉ.ie. 2016-12-16.
- ^ "People loved Des 'Dancing Dessie' Cahill on Dancing With The Stars Ireland". JOE.ie. Retrieved 2018-12-20.
- ^ "Everyone got emotional after Des Cahill was eliminated from Dancing With The Stars". www.irishexaminer.com. 2017-03-12. Retrieved 2018-12-20.
- ^ Moonan, Niall (2018-01-12). "No romancing, just Dancing with the Stars for contestant Jake". irishmirror. Retrieved 2018-12-20.
- ^ "'I'm lost for words!' - Jake Carter is the winner of Dancing with the Stars". Independent.ie. Retrieved 2018-12-20.
- ^ O'Loughlin, Mikie (2018-11-27). "Darren Kennedy and dance partner Karen Byrne pictured together before Dancing with the Stars". rsvp. Retrieved 2019-09-16.
- ^ "Darren and Karen eliminated on Dancing with the Stars". RTÉ.ie. 2019-02-03.
- ^ "'I'm having a dry January' - Michael Carruth limbering up for knock-out performance on Dancing with the Stars". independent. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
- ^ "It's A Knockout For Michael Carruth As Boxer Eliminated From DWTS". Retrieved 2022-01-05.
- ^ O’Donoghue, Denise (2022-01-05). "Revealed: First six dancers paired with celebrities for Dancing with the Stars". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
- ^ O’Donoghue, Denise (2022-03-14). "Dancing with the Stars recap: Quarter-final dance-off sees Nicolas Roche jetting home". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 2022-12-21.
- ^ Glennon, Nicole (2022-12-19). "Dancing with the Stars: Pairings revealed as Dr Marie Cassidy, Carl Mullan, prepare to dance". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 2022-12-21.
- ^ "'Strictly Curse' Hits Dancing With The Stars Ireland As Jake Carter And Karen Byrne Confirm Romance". Cork's RedFM. Retrieved 2018-12-20.
- ^ Roantree, Megan (2008-08-27). ""The age difference doesn't come into it," Jake Carter on his relationship with Karen Byrne". VIP Magazine. Retrieved 2018-12-21.