Derry singer Brooke Scullion who missed out on winning Ireland’s Dancing with the Stars on Sunday evening
Eurovision singer Scullion and Glee star McGinty had been the number one and two respectively on the bookies’ list of favourites to win the RTE series.
Mullan, who also beat fellow finalist influencer Suzanne Jackson, had been the 7/1 out shot.
“I am just so shocked,” said an emotional Carl after being handed the glittering trophy to become the sixth winner of the Irish dancing contest.
Speaking just before she stepped onto the dance floor for the last time, 23-year-old Brooke had said she didn’t want to be a “cliche” but “all the hard work” she put in was “already an achievement.”
“I’ve had a ball.I’ve loved every single second, everyone and every part of this show,” she said.
“Everyone in this country, from Derry to everyone, I have just felt them support me.”
On the previous episode of the series, the singer had scored a perfect ’30’ for her paso doble to ‘The Greatest Show’ from The Greatest Showman film, a performance judge Loraine Barry called her “favourite of the entire season”.
She received a score of ’29’ for Sunday night’s show dance to Hallucinate by Dua Lipa.
The song was a fitting choice for her final dance, with Brooke recalling a special connection to the popstar she gained during Eurovision.
“All the Eurovision stand (fans) call me Derry Lipa,” she told host Jennifer Zamparelli during the final.
Judge Arthur Gourounlian said her dance was “sensational” calling her the definition of a “born dancer.”
“No disrespect to Robert, but I couldn’t tell who was the professional dancer, I loved every single minute of it. You smashed it.”
Brian Redmond said he found it difficult to “find the words” for the Bellaghy woman’s fantastic moves.
“Is there nothing you cannot do, Brooke? It was fantastic, the one thing you’ve done is have fun every single night,” the judge said.
Carl’s shock win meant he also beat actor Damian McGinty, who rose to fame on American reality TV show The Glee Project, which led to him joining the famous musical series.
Gourounlian called him the “most improved performer” of the entire series, while Redmond said he was merely a “spectator” and not a “judge” to his last dance in the ballroom, calling the actor’s dance moves “perfection”.
However his contemporary ballroom to Becky Hill’s Forever Young and show dance to Take a Look at Us Now by Shawn Mendes just weren’t enough to land him the trophy.
The final on Sunday opened with a rousing performance of all four finalists to Tom Brennan’s Lionheart.
Former contestants – including rugby player Shane Byrne, Derry Girls star Leah O’Rourke and drag queen Panti Bliss – also came together for a group dance to Never Gonna Not Dance Again by Pink.
Meanwhile, Carl’s win could also mark the last time Dancing with the Stars Ireland crowns a champion.
Judge Loraine Barry recently said she was being kept in the dark about the show’s future following reports the seventh series has yet to be confirmed.
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