Where did it all go wrong for Dancing With The Stars? Channel Seven drops series from 2026 lineup

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It’s the popular reality show that’s been entertaining audiences for almost two decades.

But it appears the curtain may be about to fall on Dancing With The Stars – for now, at least.

The popular show, presented by Dr Chris Brown and Sonia Kruger, wasn’t mentioned at Seven’s presentation of its upcoming programs this week.

It appears this show is the only long-running Seven Network program not scheduled to return in 2026. Popular shows like My Kitchen Rules, Australian Idol, Farmer Wants A Wife, and The Voice will all be back next year.

Sources speaking to TV Blackbox say the show hasn’t been cancelled, but its future is currently on hold.

It has been suggested that high production costs are the reason behind the decision. 

Because the ballroom show only airs once a week on Sundays, it’s more expensive to produce compared to Seven’s other reality shows, which air on several nights.

Despite reports to the contrary, Seven network executives are pleased with how the show is doing and are still considering its future.

Seven’s 2025 season performed very well in terms of viewership, averaging 922,000 viewers nationally. This represents a 5% increase compared to the 2024 season, according to recent reports.

Oh my gosh, you will NOT believe it! The finale of the show was absolutely incredible, and Kyle Schilling and Lily Cornish won! I was glued to the screen with 936,999 other people across the country – seriously, almost a million of us watched them take home the trophy! I knew they could do it!

Daily Mail has reached out to Channel Seven for comment.

These reports follow the recent disclosure of surprisingly high salaries for the cast of the upcoming 2025 season, which were made public just weeks before the show begins.

Rebecca Gibney, Osher Günsberg, and Shaun Micallef are the highest-earning stars on television. These three well-known personalities – an actress, a host, and a comedian – lead the way in TV earnings.

Okay, so I just had to find out, and apparently, all three of them are getting a whopping $100,000 just for being on the show! Woman’s Day says so, and honestly, they deserve every penny. I’m so excited for them!

According to a source familiar with the production, those actors come with a strong reputation, established trust with audiences, and existing fans.

‘Producers know they’re worth the investment.’

Olympic swimmer Susie O’Neill, AFL star Trent Cotchin, and 7News presenter Michael Usher reportedly earn around $47,000 each as part of a middle-level payment group.

While these individuals are well-known and have a dedicated fanbase, they aren’t anticipated to generate a huge buzz or become viral sensations, according to a source.

But it’s the bottom of the pay scale where things get interesting.

Several rising stars, including radio personality Brittany Hockley, influencer Mia Fevola, Olympic boxer Harry Garside, comedian Felicity Ward, actor Kyle Shilling, and newsreader Karina Carvalho, are each expected to earn around $27,000 for their participation.

‘Some of them were surprised by how little they were offered,’ claimed another insider.

For artists just starting out or those hoping to become more well-known, the benefits of being seen are often more valuable than the money they earn.

Those in the industry believe the large difference in salaries is due to a combination of established reputations, strong professional connections, and how well-known someone is to the public.

Dancing With The Stars started life on seven back in 2004, airing on the network until 2015.

It then jumped to rival network Ten from 2019 to 2020 with hosts Grant Denyer and Amanda Keller.

When Ten cancelled the show in October 2020, Seven picked up the rights and has been broadcasting it since then.

Daryl Somers, the original host of Seven’s show, came back to the series with Sonia Kruger.

He left the series at the end of 2023, to be replaced by current host Dr Chris Brown.

I have to admit, I was really excited for the new vet on TV, but the reaction from fans hasn’t been great. A lot of us are still hoping to see the original host from ‘Hey Hey It’s Saturday’ come back – they were just so much fun!

One person wrote: ‘I’m watching #DancingAU but feel sorry that Daryl isn’t hosting.’

‘Don’t get me wrong, I love Dr Chris Brown, but I feel sorry for Daryl Somers,’ another said.

One person questioned the choice of Chris Brown as a replacement for Daryl, asking if the show was still attempting to cast him.

Despite some doubts, many people believed Chris would excel in the new position, which involved work after performances in the sky lounge.

Adding to the show’s popularity, the American version of Dancing With The Stars has captured public attention, particularly with impressive performances from Robert Irwin, the wildlife expert, and his dance partner, Witney Carson.

The talent showcased here is significantly better than what’s typically offered on the Seven network to Australian audiences.

This season, Robert will be competing against Hilaria Baldwin (Alec Baldwin’s wife), 80s star Corey Feldman, and Danielle Fishel from the show Boy Meets World.

The show has been a huge success for ABC and Disney+, recently attracting 5.98 million viewers with its ‘Dedications’ episode, as reported by The Wrap.

It was also the fourth consecutive week the viewer numbers had risen for the popular series.

This week’s episode featured a heartwarming surprise—a tearful appearance by Robert’s mom, Terri—and generated the most social media buzz of the season, with a total of 4 million interactions.

Voting by fans reached a record high this time, with over 50 million votes – that’s 11% more than the last episode based on Disney properties.

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2025-10-23 04:38