Olympian Philip Doyle Eliminated from ‘Dancing with the Stars,’ Jokes About ‘Jinxed’ Exit

Olympic rower Philip Doyle and his professional partner Daniela Roze were eliminated from RTÉ’s Dancing with the Stars on Sunday, March 1st, 2026, missing out on a coveted spot in the upcoming semi-final round. Doyle attributed his departure, in fine humor, to a wardrobe malfunction – his shoelaces coming undone during the live performance.

A Strong Night of Competition

Doyle and Roze performed a Jive to Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now” and received a score of 31 from the judges. However, they landed in the bottom two alongside singer-songwriter Tolü Makay and Maciej Zięba after the judges’ scores were combined with the public vote, ultimately facing Makay in the dance-off. Makay and Zięba had previously topped the leaderboard with a perfect 40 for their Charleston.

Shoelaces and a Recent Haircut

Speaking to RTÉ Entertainment after the show, Doyle joked about being “jinxed,” noting that his shoelaces had never come undone before. “Someone said to me before you go, make sure your shoelaces are done. And I said, sure, they’ve never come undone. And then sure, afterwards, they were undone – the first time ever!” he said. He also playfully suggested that a recent haircut might have contributed to his performance, laughing, “I cut my curls off yesterday and think that also didn’t help!”

Mental Challenge and Rowing Background

Doyle reflected on the mental challenges of learning a new skill, stating that it was more demanding than training for the Olympics. “Honest answer. This was mentally very challenging,” he explained. “Mentally very challenging to learn a new skill is so hard. And like I’m not 15 anymore, so learning a new skill is tough.”

His dance partner, Daniela Roze, highlighted the challenges posed by Doyle’s athletic background, noting he had “so many years of rowing to undo in a very short amount of time.” Doyle agreed, explaining the difficulty of adapting to new body patterns after years of a highly specialized sport like rowing.

Looking Back on the Experience

Despite his elimination, Doyle expressed enjoyment throughout the competition. “I’ve had a blast, way more fun than I thought I’d ever have. It was fantastic,” he said. He also joked about accumulating “about 17 pairs of shoes” during his time on the show.

Next Steps

The semi-final of Dancing with the Stars will be a “Dancing Through the Decades” special, airing on Sunday, March 9th, 2026, at 6:30 pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.