Carl Mullan and Emily Barker win RTÉ’s Dancing With The Stars final

Carl and Emily were voted the top couple after 11 weeks of competition and were crowned the 2023 champions.

The four finalists; Brooke Scullion, Carl Mullan, Suzanne Jackson and Damian McGinty battled it out on Sunday evening to claim the top spot but it was Carl who emerged as the winner.

"Thank you everybody that voted for us,” an emotional Carl said through a burst of disbelieving laughter.

The radio presenter paid tribute to his family and his wife Aisling whom he said was his “rock through it all”.

"I want to thank everyone who has supported us on the street and online.

“I’m so buzzing. I’m so happy we have won it for you, Emily Barker. You deserve this so much,” he said.

Emily said: "I’m in total shock – I can’t tell you how long I have waited for this moment. Thank you to Carl who has been like an amazing best friend throughout this and thank you to my boyfriend, Olly.”

Carl and Emily were the first couple to dance and they performed their Paso Doble from week two again.

They danced to U2’s A Beautiful Dayand received high praise from the judges and landed 29 points out of a possible 30.

"I was so delighted when we got asked to do that one again," Carl said afterwards. "That dance felt like a real moment for me...I'd a bit of a point to prove that week."

Hosts Jennifer Zamparelli and Doireann Garrihy oversaw proceedings. Meanwhile judges Loraine Barry, Brian Redmond and Arthur Gourounlian watched on as everything unfolded on the dancefloor tonight. However, in the grand final, their votes don’t count so it was all down to the public vote for a sensational end to the series.

The grand final of series six opened in a very special way as all the pro dancers, judges and hosts were on the dance floor together to kick off the evening dancing to Lionheart (Fearless) by Joel Corry and Tom Grennan.

Each of the four finalist couples braved those stairs for one last time as they joined the dancefloor.

Carl and Emily Barker, Suzanne Jackson and Michael Danilczuk, Brooke Scullion and Robert Rowiński and Damian McGinty and Kylee Vincent were the four couples to reach the final after an outstanding season.