‘I didn’t think anything would come close to gymnastics’ – Olympian Rhys McClenaghan on winning ‘Dancing with the Stars’

The 25-year-old from Co Down, who won an Olympic gold on the pommel horse in Paris last summer, lifted the glitterball trophy yesterday.

The finalists each performed two dances for judges Loraine Barry, Brian Redmond, Arthur Gourounlian and Karen Byrne, but it was the public vote that decided the winner of the competition.

Olympians McClenaghan and Jack Woolley both made it to the final alongside Mrs Brown’s Boys star Danny O’Carroll and social media star Kayleigh Trappe.

The gymnast was crowned the winner of the eighth series alongside his professional dance partner Laura Nolan.

Speaking after the final, he said: “We had a chat before the results were called out and we were just saying, ‘We’re so proud of ourselves, we’re happy no matter what happens’ but that, of course, was the cherry on top of something that we were already really happy with doing our performance tonight, doing all of our performances throughout the show.

“I think we were both super proud before even…