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
Byrne was born in Ballyfermot in Dublin.[1] She has been dancing since the age of six.[2]
Dancing with the Stars
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
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
- ^ "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.