Ireland AM's Katja Mia announced for Dancing with the Stars and she feels very nervous

The Six O’Clock Show presenter has been getting some expert advice from her co-presenter Brian Dowling, and she is really looking forward to embracing the sense of community

Presenter Katja Mia is set to appear on the 2024 series of Dancing with the Stars.

The African-Irish model, social media influencer and television presenter will swap the TV studios of The Six O’Clock Show and Ireland AM for the dancefloor in January.

Ahead of her dancing debut, Katja has been getting some expert advice from her Virgin Media co-star Brian Dowling and her pals Erica Cody and Suzanne Jackson.

Read more: Ireland AM's Katja Mia denies engagement to influencer boyfriend Daragh Curran after exotic holiday

Katja said: “Brian is basically family with Dancing with the Stars at this point isn't he? He's been great for calming the nerves.

"I'm also good friends with Erica Cody and she was there to give me advice. Suzanne Jackson gave me her number and said to call her anytime. They've been so supportive.

"So you can really see there's like a Dancing with the Stars family – a sort of sense of community here with every class."

Katja is used to the bright lights of TV and she was a stage school kid growing up, but learning Latin and ballroom will be a completely different experience for her.

She said: "I'm feeling extremely excited. I feel a bit giddy as well, and I've met everyone and everyone's kind of feeling the same.

"We're nervous. We're like, why did we agree to this? But we're also ready to just have fun.

"I was a stage school kid growing up but I haven't done anything like Latin dancing, ballroom dancing, anything that's quite technical like that.

"So that's the daunting part but between that and just going out with friends and dancing in clubs - I think I've got a bit of rhythm, so I should be OK!”

Katja was raised in Blanchardstown, Dublin. Her parents fled war-torn Burundi to Germany before eventually settling in Ireland. In 2018, she graduated from Maynooth University, where she studied international finance, economics and German.

She was discovered by a modelling agency in the summer of 2020 after she posted pictures online. In October 2022, Katja guest hosted Virgin Media Ireland AM morning show for a week and a month later it was announced that Katja would take up full-time hosting duties of the weekend edition of the programme.

In the past month Katja has been announced as the new presenter of The Six O’Clock Show alongside Brian Dowling. Brian previously appeared on the 2020 series of Dancing with the Stars.

Katja is the ninth celebrity dancer to be announced as part of this year’s line up. On Friday night’s Late Late Show, former Miss World Rosanna Davison, newsreader Eileen Dunne, Wild Youth singer David Whelan, drag queen superstar Blu Hydrangea, and TikTok sensation Miriam Mullins were revealed as five of the 11 hopefuls vying for the glitterball trophy in early 2024.

2FM and Ireland's Fittest Family presenter Laura Fox was announced on Sunday and Fair City actor Shane Quigley Murphy was announced on Monday and appeared on RTE's Today show. Jockey Davy Russell was unveiled yesterday.

Two more names will be revealed this week to complete the line up for the DWTS Class of 2024.

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