Dancing with the Stars (New Zealand TV series)

Did You Know?

• In the sixth series, the Argentine Tango and Salsa were also performed.
• In the seventh series, the Charleston and Reggaeton were also performed.
• The Hip hop and Contemporary made their debut in the eighth series.

History

Dancing with the Stars was a hit with audiences across New Zealand. Its debut season in 2005 became the top-rated show in its timeslot, drawing an average of 730,000 viewers per episode. The second season did even better, averaging 804,000 viewers, and both season finales attracted up to a million people. The third season launched in 2007 with 735,000 viewers, followed by the fourth in 2008 with 720,000. The fifth season then premiered with over 800,000 viewers, marking the strongest debut of any season up to that point.

From 2005 through 2009, television personality Jason Gunn served as host, with professional dancer Candy Lane as co-host. The show’s band, led by musical director Carl Doy, performed all music live. When the series returned in 2015, Dominic Bowden took over as host, joined by radio personality Sharyn Casey as co-host.

TVNZ announced in November 2009 that the show would not continue into 2010, citing the economic climate. In November 2013, production company Great Southern Television secured the New Zealand rights and began pitching a new season to broadcasters. By March 2015, TV3 had picked up the show for a sixth season, which started airing that May. A seventh season was announced in December 2017 and premiered in April 2018. The following November, an eighth season was confirmed, beginning in April 2019.

In December 2019, a ninth season was announced for Three in 2020. On 11 February 2020, former contestant Laura Daniel replaced Rachel White on the judging panel. Twelve days later, The New Zealand Herald reported that Destiny Church Pastor and Vision NZ leader Hannah Tamaki was expected to join the series. Following widespread online backlash, MediaWorks confirmed Tamaki would not appear. The same statement noted the cast announcement was planned for late March 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced an indefinite postponement. In March 2022, the show’s return was confirmed for later that year. The following April, judges Julz Tocker and Rachel White were replaced by James Luck and Lance Savali.