Breakdancer Rachael Gunn knocks back Dancing With The Stars offer

Breakdancer Rachael Gunn has pushed back on a lucrative TV deal claiming it’s not “aligned to her”.

Olympic breakdancer Raygun has confounded TV executives by knocking back an invitation to appear on the forthcoming series of Dancing With The Stars.

A rep for the breakdancer confirmed the knock-back saying the Olympian doesn’t feel the dance program is aligned with her brand.

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“Rachael felt the program was not aligned to her,” management company Born Bred Talent told this column on Thursday. “She has a lot of exciting projects in the works.”

Macquarie University lecturer Rachael Gunn, aka Raygun, was, we hear, approached by Seven via production studios ITV, Seven’s Dancing with the Stars partner, last year after her viral appearance at the Paris Olympics.

Television insiders have informed this reporter ITV was eager to recruit the self-described “breaking researcher”, while Seven, who missed out on the 2024 Paris Olympics coverage to rival Nine, was less so, perhaps fearing it would have copyright issues accessing Nine’s Olympic footage.

Rachael ‘Raygun’ Gunn has knocked back an offer to join Dancing With The Stars. Picture: Richard Dobson

Gunn made world headlines for her routine at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Picture: Odd Andersen / AFP

On Thursday, Seven denied it considered or approached Raygun to appear on its latest series of Dancing With The Stars, which seems odd given everything Raygun touched post Olympics has generated media coverage.

Regardless of conflicting views – and public statements – about her appeal, approaches, we hear, were made to the Olympian’s management and the Seven/ITV chequebook brandished.

Raygun remained unmoved by the advances however despite breakdancing being her passion.

Such a shame some of Seven’s previous hires for the dance program – Derryn Hinch, Molly Meldrum and Schapelle Corby among them – didn’t have similar reservations.

This reporter hears Raygun dislikes reality television, making the decision to decline approaches easy despite the financial inducement.

She also declined an offer to appear on Ten’s latest series of I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here.

Convicted drug smuggler Schapelle Corby (third from left) with fellow 2021 contestants Renee Bargh, Matty J and Jessica Gomes. Picture Nicholas Wilson

She has previously admitted being bruised by the criticism that arrived in the wake of her Olympic Games’ campaign.

In November she retired from professional competition saying criticism of her Olympic performance had been “really upsetting”.

“I just didn’t have any control over how people saw me or who I was,” she told one media outlet.

The following month her lawyers shut down a parody musical, Raygun the Musical, saying: “We must take necessary steps to safeguard Rachael’s creative rights and the integrity of her work.”

Seven last week unveiled the cast of its latest Dancing with the Stars series.

The Dancing With The Stars 2025 line-up

Signing on this season is actor Rebecca Gibney, Olympic boxer Harry Garside, comedian Shaun Micallef, Olympic swimmer Susie O’Neill, TV presenter Osher Gunsberg, ex-AFL player Trent Cotchin, comedian Felicity Ward, radio personality Brittany Hockley, model Mia Fevola and Home and Away actor Kyle Shilling.

Rounding out the group of competitors are two members of the Seven news team, Sydney’s Michael Usher and new Melbourne recruit (and ex-ABC staffer) Karina Carvalho.

Seven sources claim the reporters’ appearance follows vigorous lobbying from Seven News boss Anthony DeCeglie, who is apparently of the view both Usher and Carvalho’s appearance might bolster news ratings.

Can’t do any worse than Mark Humphries’ axed comedy spot and the wacky astrology segment we figure.

Originally published as Breakdancer Rachael Gunn knocks back Dancing With The Stars offer