IRISH Olympian Rhys McClenaghan has broken his silence for the first time after his “amazing” victory on Dancing With The Stars.
The gold medallist and his professional dance partner Laura Nolan nabbed the coveted Glitterball trophy last night after delivering a breathtaking final dance that left all four judges speechless.
The pair performed the favourite dance from the season, which was selected by the judges, before returning on stage for their show dance.
Rhys and Laura delivered two show-stopping performances that captivated both the judges and viewers at home.
They earned perfect scores for both routines and secured the highest public votes, leading to them being crowned the Dancing With The Stars 2025 champions.
When it was revealed they had won, Laura and Rhys looked thrilled as they hugged each other.
Shortly after their win, the pair shared their excitement with James Patrice, reflecting on the “amazing” journey that led them to the trophy.
The Co Down man said: “I’m so proud that I took on this challenge, it was an amazing journey.”
The 25-year-old admitted, “I had never danced before,” but said, “It has been amazing to learn that art and to fall in love with it”.
Professional dancer Laura Nolan also shared what winning the Glitterball trophy means to her.
She said: “It’s just all the hard work and choreography, everything single week.
“Putting my whole years of dance into this moment, and it’s really just everything I have done for the past five seasons put into one trophy.”
Rhys then expressed his gratitude to everyone who voted as he added: “Thank you for voting. Thank you for supporting me throughout this whole journey, I’ve certainly felt it.
“I hope you enjoyed the performances that we put out each and every week, as much as I enjoyed performing them.”
The gymnast later took to his Instagram to break his silence online for the first time after the huge win, sharing a photo of himself and Laura proudly holding the trophy.
‘CHERRY ON TOP’
He wrote: “We won Dancing With The Stars!!!”
Speaking after the show, Rhys told The Irish Sun: “To be named Dancing With The Stars champions 2025 is just amazing.”
Asked if he had commiserated with rival Jack, who he had been neck and neck with throughout the show, Rhys said: “Just like all the contestants, I said they were incredible throughout the show.
“It was so admirable everybody stepping outside their normal career path and doing something completely new.
“Myself and Laura had a quick chat even before the results were called out and we just said, we could both be so proud of ourselves. We will be happy no matter what happens — but the win was the cherry on the top.”
