Tom Williams on DWTS All Stars: ‘Should I leave my shirt on?’

Appearing shirtless on DWTS launched Tom Williams’ TV career. Now he’s back for the All Stars season at the age of 50 — and says he will do whatever he needs to for a win.

He set the country on fire 15 years ago when he first peeled off his shirt to create a true Aussie TV “moment” on Dancing With The Stars.

Now Tom Williams, who turned 50 last year, is ready for his second act.

Tom Williams has signed on for Dancing With the Stars All Stars. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

The chippie from Sydney’s northern beaches is prepping for his return to the show which, in his own words, “jettisoned” him into a TV career and made him a household name-slash-sex symbol back in 2005.

Sixteen years on Williams has confirmed he will return for something of a career curtain call on the upcoming DWTS All Stars, which is set to air in late March, with all obvious attention on whether or not the former builder still has what it takes to get shirtless.

“Look it sounds like a bit of a football cliche but if it comes down to what is going to get me the win then I will say that I am very determined,” laughs Williams, who has embarked on a serious workout regimen since committing to his All Stars return in November last year.

Williams and Kym Johnson get raunchy to You Can Leave Your Hat On.

“I am now officially ­middle aged. I cracked 50 last October and there were a couple of days there where I was like, ‘I’m really not into this. I’m really not into this idea of getting older’.

“But then I thought that I seriously needed to get over myself. I’m lucky to even be celebrating a birthday at all.

“And I don’t have the body I had when I was 35 but I’ve always been into exercise so I’ve just decided to go with it and see what happens.”

Williams famously soared to victory in 2005 when he and dance partner (and then girlfriend) Kym Johnson stunned viewers with a raunchy routine to Joe Cocker’s You Can Leave Your Hat On.

The performance was something of a launch pad for him to build a successful media career.

He also married — and started a family with — fashion designer Rachel Gilbert.

Williams with wife Rachel Gilbert and their daughters Storm and Sloane. Picture: Supplied

It was Gilbert and, he says, his two daughters — Storm, 7, and Sloane, 5 — who essentially clinched his ­decision to dust off his dancing shoes for the DWTS reboot, which has also recruited past contestants Ada Nicodemou and Fifi Box.

“The girls are at that age now where they are old enough to kind of understand that daddy is a guy that used to be on TV. So that was definitely part of my consideration, for sure,” Williams said.

“Rachel said to me, when I got the approach (to ­appear on DWTS) again, ‘The girls will love it’.”