Why we keep seeing the same faces on Australian reality TV shows
Aussie TV is full of the same famous faces, jumping from one reality show to the next. For some, it’s a side hustle, but others have another motivation.
Reality
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If you are having a sense of deja vu as you tune into the latest celeb reality TV, you’re not wrong.
Famous Australians are jumping from celebrity reality TV show to celebrity reality TV show as judges or contestants — some racking up as many as 10 appearances.
David Knox, from online blog TV Tonight believes celebrity shows are casting more and more with a view to stars spilling the tea.
“I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here has drawn upon the likes of Tottie Goldsmith or Rhonda Burchmore who can wow us with great showbiz tales,” Knox says, adding while local celebrities usually deliver the goods, international stars imported at quite the cost don’t always deliver bang for buck.
“Conversely, Tom Arnold was hopefully going to reveal all about Donald Trump – but he snoozed his way through the jungle, wasn’t funny and was sent packing.
“Big Brother VIP also cast for clickbait with names like Omarosa, Thomas Markle Jr., Caitlyn Jenner and a foiled Katie Hopkins attempt. In hindsight it cost a pretty penny for gossip that the average viewer really didn’t give two hoots about.”
Sometimes it’s more than stars wanting to boost their profile or promote an album. In the case of Sam Burgess or Wayne Carey – who will be seen on SAS Australia from Monday night – it’s about seeking redemption for their past transgressions.
“SAS Australia has increasingly cast well-known Australians who are looking for a mea culpa moment – grilled by Ant Middleton,” Knox says.
“They are expected to look remorseful or tearful for the cameras but they then emerge as ‘rebuilt’ by the instructors.
“It’s a highly produced exercise with more control afforded than by an actual current affairs interview.”
Knox adds with a laugh: “There’s an even easier path for redemption … just turn up on The Masked Singer. Everyone will have loved your performance, no questions asked.”
Here are our most decorated TV reality stars:
ANGIE KENT 5 reality shows.
We first met her on her sofa with great friend Yvie Jones on Gogglebox from 2015, then left to appear on I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here in 2019, and then searched for love as The Bachelorette franchise that same year. She joined the cast of Dancing With the Stars in 2020. She’s back on the dancing franchise in the All Stars reboot about to air next week.
PAULINI 5 reality shows.
The singer won the reboot of Starstruck in 2001, appeared on Australian Idol in 2003, makeover show Celeb Overhaul in 2005 then It Takes Two for two seasons from 2006 as well as The Masked Singer in 2019.
KATE CEBERANO 5 reality shows
The singer was on the original 2005 version of The X Factor on Channel 10, then won Dancing With the Stars in 2007. Later that year she joined the cast of It Takes Two for two seasons and then hosted celeb weight loss show Excess Baggage in 2012. Returned to reality TV for The Masked Singer in 2019.
ANTHONY CALLEA 5 reality shows
Launched on Australian Idol in 2004, he has been in four reality shows since, often using the national profile to promote new music or tours. He was one of the professional singers on Seven’s It Takes Two in 2007 and 2008, was a vocal coach on Foxtel’s one-off Ultimate School Musical in 2010, hit the jungle for I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here in 2016 and Celebrity Apprentice in 2021.
COURTNEY ACT 10 reality shows.
Courtney leveraged her success so well – she’s made it across the globe on reality TV. The singer and drag queen was on the first season of Australian Idol in 2003, then appeared on drag reality show I Will Survive in 2012 and went international on Ru Paul’s Drag Race in 2014 and MTV UK’s celeb reality dating show Single AF in 2017. Courtney won British Celebrity Big Brother in 2018 and hosted British reality dating show The Bi Life. In 2019 Courtney became part of the first same sex couple on Dancing With the Stars, in 2020 she filmed Celebrity Karaoke in the UK. She’s back on DWTS to win the mirror ball in this second All Star season.
MANU FEILDEL 8 reality shows.
The chef made his TV debut on Ready Steady Cook in 2006, then appeared on MasterChef in 2009 before his breakthrough, hosting MKR from 2010 until it was rested in 2021. Since then he’s been on a heap of Channel 7 reality shows, winning Dancing With the Stars in 2011 (returned for an all-star version in 2021), hosting the ill-fated Dinner Date in 2011 and on the judging panel of Australia’s Got Talent in 2017. Feildel was also one of the judges on flop Plate of Origin in 2020, and was on SAS Australia last year. People are keen to see who will join as his co-judge on MKR, with Pete Evans given marching orders. Rumours include the domestic goddess herself Nigella Lawson, UK celeb chef Rachel Khoo and our very own LA based-restaurateur Curtis Stone.
SOPHIE MONK 7 reality shows.
Remember when she won Popstars as one-fifth of girl band Bardot? Next up was winning Celebrity Apprentice in 2015, judging on Australia’s Got Talent in 2016, and then she went looking for love on The Bachelorette in 2017. She has hosted Love Island since 2018 and in 2020 came eighth on The Masked Singer. She started hosting Beauty and The Geek last year and it has been commissioned for another season.
RICKI-LEE 7 reality shows.
Launched her career on Idol in 2004 then starred on the one-hot wonder Celebrity Circus in 2005. She was a mentor on It Takes Two in 2008 and returned to Australian Idol as a co-host in 2008 and 2009. Then she switched singing shows to The Voice in 2012 as a mentor, launched a hit album off the back of appearing in Dancing With the Stars in 2014, hosted Life Changing Adventures in 2017 and is expected to return as host of Australia’s Got Talent after the pandemic put it on hold last year.
ROB MILLS 7 reality shows.
His career launched on Australian Idol in 2003, leading to consistent music, theatre, acting and TV work. He joined the cast of The Singing Bee in 2007 and Dancing With the Stars in 2009, hosted the rebooted Young Talent Time in 2011, was on Celebrity Apprentice in 2013 and went undercover on The Masked Singer in 2019. He’s back on DWTS: All Stars next week.
DANNII MINOGUE 12 reality shows.
She is hired across the globe as a judge or mentor – which has to be the best way to do reality TV as there is no danger of being voted off. The younger Minogue joined the British X Factor in 2007 then the Australia’s Got Talent panel from 2008, was a guest judge on It Takes Two in 2008, Project Runway Australia in 2013 and Dancing With the Stars in 2011 and had her own reality show, Style Queen, to launch a British fashion range in 2010. In 2013 she was a judge on Britain and Ireland’s Next Top Model as well as X Factor here, then in 2017 returned to the UK for Let It Shine with Gary Barlow. A rare misstep was Dance Boss in 2018, the same year she co-hosted Ultimate Beastmaster for Netflix. Since 2019 she has been guessing on The Masked Singer.
JULIA MORRIS 7 reality shows.
Morris has really shown how to make reality work for you, winning singing comp It Takes Two in 2008, co-hosting The Singing Office and winning Celebrity Apprentice in 2011. She hosted Australia’s Got Talent in 2013, has hosted I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here since 2015 and sang on The Masked Singer in 2020.
LOCKLAN “LOCKY” GILBERT 4 reality shows
He first attracted attention in 2017 as he strode on to the Samoan island of Upolu in season 4 of Australian Survivor where he was the 20th castaway voted out. He then joined the cast of Australian Survivor All Stars in 2020 and competed against 24 returning contestants. Later than year he was the charming Bachelor who gave his final rose to Irena Srbinovska. It seems we will get to see a very different side of Gilbert on SAS Australia. In an explosive sneak peek for season three, Locky’s seen being called “cocky” by DS Ant Middleton, and was on the verge of a physical altercation with Housos star and comedian Pauly Fenech. “I’ve survived an island and a pack of girls,” the 33-year-old says. “This is my fourth TV show, how hard can this be? I’m an egotistical, fame junkie. That selfishness has gotten me here.”
SONIA KRUGER 13 reality shows
In 2004, she co-hosted Dancing with the Stars with Daryl Somers and Daniel MacPherson 11 seasons. In 2008 she hosted 10 Years Younger in 10 Days. She switched networks, but did not ditch her love of reality TV, helming Nine’s Big Brother Australia and then joined Darren McMullen on The Voice Australia. But then it was a network switcheroo again, back to her original home at Seven for Holey Moley, Big Brother and Australia’s Got Talent and its spin-off Champions v Contenders. It was also back to The Voice in 2021 after Seven stole the singing show from Nine. And she wrapped up the year with Big Brother VIP. She’s already hosted The Voice Generations this year, and will follow that with the traditional version of The Voice, and will kick her heels up with Somers again on Dancing With The Stars: All Stars.
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