Break out the sequins and brace for the paso doble – Dancing With The Stars is back for its 22nd season on Sunday June 15, and while the celebrity cast is polishing their foxtrots and fake tans, the real drama has already begun… in their bank accounts.
Twelve familiar Aussie faces will take to the floor in a blur of feathers, fringe and footwork, all in the name of charity (and, let’s be honest, a shot at the gloriously glittery Mirror Ball Trophy). But thanks to a cheeky little leak by Woman’s Day, we now know what else they’re dancing for: a surprisingly tiered pay system that splits the cast into three star-powered salary brackets.
According to an “insider” who clearly missed the memo about NDAs, Woman’s Day has revealed that the 2025 cast is being paid based on a heady mix of legacy status, Logie nominations and possibly how many times Sonia Kruger has said their name on TV.
Sitting pretty at the top of the pyramid (and we imagine, in the nicest rehearsal rooms) are national treasures Rebecca Gibney, Osher Günsberg and Shaun Micallef, each reportedly waltzing away with a cool $100,000. Between them, they’ve got decades of TV experience, Gold Logie nods and more charm than a Bunnings sausage sizzle.
In the mid-range tier – the cha-cha-ching, if you will – are Olympic gold medallist Susie O’Neill, AFL great Trent Cotchin and 7NEWS stalwart Michael Usher, each allegedly earning $47,000. Not quite six figures, but still a pretty decent reward for risking public humiliation in Lycra.
And finally, rounding out the glitterati is the budget-conscious brigade, earning a still-respectable $27,000: radio personality Brittany Hockley, influencer Mia Fevola, boxer Harry Garside, comic Felicity Ward, Home and Away heartthrob Kyle Shilling and 7NEWS’ Karina Carvalho. If enthusiasm and willingness to wear rhinestones were currencies, they’d all be millionaires.
This tiered approach marks a departure from the great equal-pay kumbaya of 2023, when every one of the 14 celebrity contestants – including Matt Preston and Paulini – reportedly took home “just under $50,000”. Democracy in action… or perhaps just a simpler year for Channel 7’s payroll department.
Dancing With The Stars premieres Sunday, June 15, with sparkly stalwart Sonia Kruger and fresh-faced co-host Dr Chris Brown returning to oversee the glittery chaos. Expect tears, twirls and at least one dramatic tumble — hopefully not from the top earners.
Image: Channel 7
