# Karen Byrne

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. She has been dancing since the age of six.

## 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. 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.
In 2018, Byrne was partnered with singer-songwriter, Jake Carter. On 25 March 2018, Carter and Byrne were named the winners.
In 2019, Byrne was partnered with TV presenter and style entrepreneur, Darren Kennedy. They reached the fifth week of the competition, finishing in ninth place.
In 2020, Byrne partnered with Olympic gold medal-winning boxer, Michael Carruth. The couple reached the fifth week of the competition, meaning Byrne finished in ninth place for the second year in a row.
In 2022, Byrne partnered former professional cyclist, Nicolas Roche. They were eliminated in the quarterfinals, after a dance-off against Ellen Keane and Ervinas Merfeldas.
In 2023, Byrne partnered former rugby player, Shane Byrne. 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'Shea$^1$ | 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.

### Series 1
#### Celebrity partner

    Des Cahill; Average: 16.7; Place: 5th
| Week No. | Dance/Song | Judges' score | Judges' score | Judges' score | Total | Result |
| Week No. | Dance/Song | Redmond | Barry | Benson | Total | Result |
| 1 | Foxtrot / "Moondance" | 5 | 5 | 6 | 16 | No elimination |
| 2 | No dance performed | - | - | - | - | No elimination |
| 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 |

### Series 2
#### Celebrity partner

    Jake Carter; Average: 26.3; Place: 1st
| Week No. | Dance/Song | Judges' score | Judges' score | Judges' score | Total | Result |
| Week No. | Dance/Song | Redmond | Barry | Benson | Total | Result |
| 1 | Salsa / "Reggaetón Lento (Remix)" | 6 | 6 | 7 | 19 | No elimination |
| 2 | No dance performed | - | - | - | - | No elimination |
| 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 |

### Series 3
#### Celebrity partner

    Darren Kennedy; Average: 16.5; Place: 9th
| Week No. | Dance/Song | Judges' score | Judges' score | Judges' score | Total | Result |
| Week No. | Dance/Song | Redmond | Barry | Benson | Total | Result |
| 1 | Tango / "Sharp Dressed Man" | 5 | 5 | 6 | 16 | No elimination |
| 2 | No dance performed | - | - | - | - | No elimination |
| 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 |

### Series 4
#### Celebrity partner

    Michael Carruth; Average: 12.5; Place: 9th
| Week No. | Dance/Song | Judges' score | Judges' score | Judges' score | Total | Result |
| Week No. | Dance/Song | Redmond | Barry | Benson | Total | Result |
| 1 | American Smooth / "I'm Shipping Up to Boston" | 3 | 4 | 5 | 12 | No elimination |
| 2 | No dance performed | - | - | - | - | No elimination |
| 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 |

### Series 5
#### Celebrity partner

    Nicolas Roche; Average: 17.4; Place: 6th
| Week No. | Dance/Song | Judges' score | Judges' score | Judges' score | Total | Result |
| Week No. | Dance/Song | Redmond | Barry | Gourounlian | Total | Result |
| 1 | Jive / "Blinding Lights" | 3 | 4 | 4 | 11 | No elimination |
| 2 | No dance performed | - | - | - | - | No elimination |
| 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 |

### Series 6
#### Celebrity partner

    Shane Byrne; Average: 18.5; Place: 7th
| Week No. | Dance/Song | Judges' score | Judges' score | Judges' score | Total | Result |
| Week No. | Dance/Song | Redmond | Barry | Gourounlian | Total | Result |
| 1 | Quickstep / "Help!" | 6 | 5 | 6 | 17 | No elimination |
| 2 | Cha-cha-cha / "Hey Baby" | 3 | 4 | 5 | 12 | No elimination |
| 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 |

### Series 7
#### Celebrity partner

    Jason Smyth; Average: 22.2; Place: 1st
| Week No. | Dance/Song | Judges' score | Judges' score | Judges' score | Total | Result |
| Week No. | Dance/Song | Redmond | Barry | Gourounlian | Total | Result |
| 1 | Foxtrot / "They Can't Take That Away from Me" | 5 | 6 | 6 | 17 | No elimination |
| 2$^1$ | Paso Doble / "Run to You" | 5 | 6 | 6 | 17 | No elimination |
| 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 |
$^1$Byrne 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. Since their time on the show together, Byrne has been dating her Series 2 partner, Jake Carter. The couple announced their engagement on 9 March 2025.