Laura Nolan (born 31 May 1994) is an Irish ballroom dancer and choreographer. She is best known as a professional dancer on the Irish version of Dancing with the Stars, having danced on the show since 2020.
Early life Nolan was born in Lucan in Dublin. She is trained in ballroom, latin, and ballet dancing. Professional career Nolan first began dancing competitively at the age of five. She competed in the All Ireland Championships in June 2006 with her first partner, Luca Mastropietro. The couple reached the quarterfinals of their first championship.
From 2009 to 2013, Nolan danced with English dancer, Stanislav Wakeham.
From 2015 to 2019, Nolan danced with Italian dancer, Alessandro Bosco. In 2018 they finished in first place in the World Open Adult Standard at the Bacau Dance Open tournament.
Nolan was a finalist in the Under 21 World Championship, placing amongst the top ten in the world. In 2018, she and Bosco ranked fifth in the World Open. Nolan has won numerous International Open championships and was a finalist in the German Open. Making her the first Irish dancer to compete in the World Championships.
In 2019, the couple announced their retirement from ballroom dancing.
Media career In 2020, Nolan was crowned Miss Universe Leinster. She went on to take part in the Miss Universe Ireland competition where she reached the top three.
In 2021, Nolan appeared as a contestant in the celebrity version of the RTÉ programme, Hell Week.
Dancing with the Stars In November 2019, it was confirmed that Nolan would be joining the cast of the Irish series of Dancing with the Stars as a professional dancer. She was paired with television presenter and Big Brother winner, Brian Dowling. They were eliminated in the seventh week of the competition.
In 2022, Nolan partnered former Love Island contestant, Matthew MacNabb. Despite receiving some of the lowest scores from the judges throughout their time on the show, Nolan and MacNabb reached the semi-final of the competition, finishing in fifth place.
In 2023, Nolan partnered comedian, Kevin McGahern. Nolan once again reached the semi-final of the competition with McGahern and finished in fifth place, following their dance-off against Suzanne Jackson and Michael Danilczuk.
In 2024, Nolan partnered Fair City actor, Shane Quigley Murphy. They were the third couple to be eliminated from the competition. Nolan also partnered former jockey Davy Russell in week two when Russell's usual partner, Kylee Vincent, was ill, meaning she performed two dances on that particular edition of the show.
In 2025, Nolan partnered Olympic artistic gymnast, Rhys McClenaghan and they won the competition on 16th March 2025.
In 2026, Nolan partnered The Traitors star, Paudie Moloney.
SeriesPartnerPlace4Brian Dowling8th5Matthew MacNabb5th6Kevin McGahern5th7Shane Quigley Murphy9th8Rhys McClenaghan1st9Paudie Moloney2nd
Highest and Lowest Scoring Per Dance
DancePartnerHighestPartnerLowestAmerican Smooth Rhys McClenaghan 29 Brian Dowling 20Cha-cha-cha Rhys McClenaghan 22 Matthew MacNabb 12Charleston Rhys McClenaghan 30 Brian Dowling 18Contemporary Ballroom Rhys McClenaghan 29 Matthew MacNabb26Foxtrot Kevin McGahern 24 Matthew MacNabb 17Jive Rhys McClenaghan 25 Matthew MacNabb 11Paso Doble Rhys McClenaghan 30 Matthew MacNabb 22Quickstep Rhys McClenaghan 29 Shane Quigley Murphy 21Rumba Rhys McClenaghan 23 Shane Quigley Murphy 19Salsa Kevin McGahernRhys McClenaghan 23 Matthew MacNabb 14Samba Matthew MacNabb 21 Showdance Rhys McClenaghan 30 Tango Rhys McClenaghan 24 Brian Dowling 15Viennese Waltz Kevin McGahern 19 Matthew MacNabb 13WaltzRyan Andrews1 25Shane Quigley Murphy 20 1 This score was awarded during Switch-Up Week.
Performances with Brian Dowling
Week No.Dance/SongJudges' scoreTotalResultRedmondBarryBenson1Salsa / "Juice"55616No elimination2No dance performed - - - -3American Smooth / "Dance Monkey"67720Safe4Charleston / "Fat Sam's Grand Slam"66618Safe5Cha-Cha-Cha / "We Are Family"56617Safe6Waltz / "Open Arms"88925No eliminationSwitch-Up Week with Ryan Andrews7Tango / "When Doves Cry"555Eliminated
Performances with Matthew MacNabb
Week No.Dance/SongJudges' scoreTotalResultRedmondBarryGourounlian1No dance performed - - - -No elimination2Viennese Waltz / "Dangerously"3553Jive / "Overpass Graffiti"344Safe4Foxtrot / "You've Got a Friend in Me"56617Safe5Salsa / "X"455Safe6Contemporary Ballroom / "See You Again"89926No eliminationGranted immunity7Cha-cha-cha / "Dynamite"444Immune8Paso Doble / "Live and Let Die"77822Safe9American Smooth / "Anyone for You"77822Safe10Tango / "Rio"Team Dance / "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)"7981081023Safe11Samba / "One Dance"Bust-a-Move Marathon / "I'm So Excited"7Awarded717pointEliminated
Performances with Kevin McGahern
Week No.Dance/SongJudges' scoreTotalResultRedmondBarryGourounlian1Viennese Waltz / "You Know Me"66719No elimination2Jive / "Reet Petite"777213Tango / "I Don't Like Mondays"56617Safe4American Smooth / "Pure Imagination"77721Safe5Cha-cha-cha / "Canned Heat"67720Safe6Paso Doble / "Smells Like Teen Spirit"88824No elimination7Quickstep / "Lust for Life"89926Safe8Foxtrot / "Rocket Man"88824Safe9Salsa / "Stay with Me"Team Freestyle / "Crying at the Discoteque"78810810Safe10Charleston / "Cotton-Eyed Joe"Marathon / "I Want Candy"9Awarded919Point27Eliminated
Performances with Shane Quigley Murphy
Week No.Dance/SongJudges' scoreTotalResultRedmondBarryGourounlian1Salsa / "Where Did You Go?"66719No elimination2Waltz / "At This Moment"677203Jive / "All These Nights"888Safe4Quickstep / "Mr. Blue Sky"77721Safe5Rumba / "How Will I Know?"66719Eliminated
Performances with Rhys McClenaghan
Week No.Dance/SongJudges' scoreTotalResultRedmondByrneBarryGourounlian1Salsa / "Head & Heart"7888No elimination2Tango / "Tanguera"8888323Cha-cha-cha / "Treasure"787830Safe4Charleston / "Spider-Man"910 -10Safe5Jive / "Gold Dust"888933Safe6Quickstep / "Fairytale"9101010Safe7Rumba / "Love Me like You Do"788831Safe8Contemporary Ballroom / "Bittersweet Symphony"9101010Safe9American Smooth / "Wagon Wheel"Team Dance / "Timber"99101010101010Safe10Paso Doble / "O Fortuna"Scare-a-thon / "Time Warp"10Couple10awarded10510pointsSafe11Charleston / "Spider-Man"Showdance / "Beautiful Things"1010101010101010Winners
Performances with Paudie Moloney
Personal life In March 2022, Nolan confirmed that she was in a relationship with her Series 5 celebrity partner, Matthew MacNabb, following their elimination from the show. The couple got engaged on 9 November 2024.
References
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