Why DWTS is better than The Bachelor

While she walked away with the ultimate “prize” – the heart of Matty Johnson – it was rarely enjoyable competing against 21 other women for one man.

“I was always worrying ‘Oh how are they going to use this against me,” Byrne shares, ahead of her Dancing With The Stars debut.

“But (DWTS) was a really different experience, where everyone’s just looking out for each other on this family-friendly and beautiful, heartwarming dance-related TV show.

“And even though it’s a competition, at the end of the day, it was really just such a wonderful, supportive little show.”

Byrne, who’s never learnt dance apart from taking up salsa classes after a particularly bad break-up, said she’s immensely improved from her “terrible” start on day 1 of the intensive training with dance partner Danil Saveliev.

Leaving husband Matty in charge of running the household and wrangling daughters, Marlie Mae and Lola, meant she could solely focus on training six hours plus a day.

“I was completely broken for the first couple of weeks. My whole body was hurting in places I didn’t even know I had.”

Byrne joins the latest crop of celebrities including Charlie Albone, Emily Weir, Christie Whelan Browne, Gavin Wanganeen, James Magnussen, Mary Coustas, Matt Preston, Pia Miranda, Sally Pearson and Virginia Gay to strut their stuff in front of a refreshed judging panel – with Sharna Burgess and Craig Revel Horwood joining returning Todd McKenney and Mark Wilson in this 20th season of the feel-good reality show.

The show, which began in 2004 on Channel 7, was once a rite of passage for young up-and-coming Aussie celebrities to strut their stuff and boost their media profiles.

In celebration of the 20th season, let’s take a trip down memory lane to look at all of the past winners – and where they are now.

Bec Cartwright and Michael Miziner

Season 1 (2004)

Back when Bec Hewitt was Bec Cartwright, the former Home and Away star shimmied her way to the main gong, about year before she tied the knot with her then-boyfriend Lleyton Hewitt, which whom she now has three children – Ava, Cruz and Mia. Hewitt largely spent the ensuing 18 years as mum and travelling the world with Lleyton. She returned to her acting roots earlier this year, joining Home and Away’s Georgie Parker in the new Aussie thriller 13 Summers.

Tom Williams and Kym Johnson

Season 2 (2005)

Who can forget Williams swanning around with his shirt off? The former The Great Outdoors presenter and his dance partner Kym set our TV screens on fire with their barely-there costumes and sexy routines. While he became a regular fixture on Aussie TV screens for 15 years, the father of two girls, Storm and Sloane, with his wife, designer Rachel Gilbert, has now returned to his “first love” of selling real estate.

Ada Nicodemou and Aric Yegudkin

Season 3 (2005)

The Home and Away star was voted the best on ground by the judges throughout her season. So it was no surprise when she beat Chris Bath and Ian “Dicko” Dickson for the trophy. The 46-year-old has played Leah on Home and Away since 2000 and continues to hang out in Summer Bay, only taking time off in 2012 after the birth of her son Johnas.

Grant Denyer and Amanda Garner

Season 4 (2006)

Grant Denyer’s grand finale win came down to the wire against boxer Kostya Tszyu. And he credited that win with kickstarting his TV career. While the Gold Logie-winner has largely been off our screens apart from his stint on I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here, it’s just been announced Denyer and wife Chezzi Denyer are trading the country farm for a country lap around the world on Ten’s The Amazing Race Australia: Celebrity Edition.

Anthony Koutoufides and Natalie Lowe

Season 5 (2006)

Former AFL footballer Anthony Koutoufides proved he could also kick goals on the dancefloor. He later appeared as “Kouta the Greek God” in the Seven Network’s revival of Gladiators in 2008. Kouta now runs his own online workout program – KoutaFit – and will coach the Ballarat league side against Hampden, who will be led by former Brisbane Lions champion Jonathan Brown in the annual country competition in July.

Kate Ceberano and John-Paul Collins

Season 6 (2007)

After expecting to go home every week of the reality show, the popular Aussie singer managed to nab the title from the fan favourite at the time, radio and TV host Fifi Box. This year Ceberano celebrates four decades in the music business and has just released her 30th album – a collaboration with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, My Life is a Symphony, re-imagining the songs most meaningful to her, including her hits Pash and Brave, and is touring Australia.

Bridie Carter and Craig Monley

Season 7 (2007)

Aussie actress Bridie Carter, best known for playing Tess on McLeod’s Daughters, cruised to the end of the competition and took home the trophy over Anh Do. She lives with her designer husband Michael Wilson and their two sons, Otis and Tobias, on their Byron Bay farm and was last seen on our screens as the scammer Susie McAllister on Home and Away in 2021.

Luke Jacobz and Luda Kroitor

Season 8 (2008)

The former McLeod’s Daughters actor salsa-ed his way to the top with Luda – and walked away with more than the sparkly trophy. He and Luda dated until 2010. Jacobz came back from The States in 2020 to reprise his role as Angelo Rosetta on Home and Away, which meant six months of separation from his American fiancee Raychel Stuart. The pair were reunited when borders opened in 2021, and are now planning their wedding.

Adam Brand and Jade Hatcher

Season 9 (2009)

It was also more than a win for country singer Adam Brand and his dancing partner Jade Hatcher, who fell in love while competing together. At the time, Jade was 19, and 20 years his junior. The couple married and moved to Nashville in 2010, but they later divorced. He’s since become the father of two girls, Pepper and Connie, with partner Nui and released possibly the most defining album of his career last year, All Or Nothing.

Rob Palmer and Alana Patience

Season 10 (2010)

He became famous as the strapping young builder on Better Homes and Gardens, and Alana helped finesse Rob’s two left feet and took the pair to the grand finale. His larger-than-life personality and entertaining dance technique proved enough to trump the more favoured Tamara Jaber (Kyle Sandilands’ first wife). These days Palmer co-hosts the brekkie slot on 107.7 Triple M Central Coast.

Manu Feildel and Alana Patience

Season 11 (2011)

While Manu managed to win the 2011 season, his time on the show wasn’t without controversy. At one point, the TV chef was asked by then host Daniel McPherson if he was frustrated having his dance partner Alana pop into his restaurant to teach him some last-minute dance moves. Manu replied: “The problem was the staff around me, I usually tell them what to do. Suddenly a woman was telling me what to do in front of everyone.” His comments were met by boos from the crowd. Feildel is currently filming his 13th season of judging Seven’s My Kitchen Rules.

Johnny Ruffo and Luda Kroitor

Season 12 (2012)

The X Factor-finalist managed to nab a perfect score of 30 in his final performance, and earnt a thirsty reaction from judge Helen Richey – after he ripped his shirt off during the finale, she quipped “you should have taken your top off earlier darling”. His acting debut in 2013 as Chris Harrington on Home and Away was extended from 16 episodes until 2016. In 2017, he announced he was battling a brain tumour and last year shared his cancer had returned and was terminal.

Cosentino and Jessica Raffa

Season 13 (2013)

The Australian illusionist and escapologist was the underdog in his season, but managed to prove the naysayers wrong. The award-winning magician is currently celebrating 10 years of international success with his greatest hits tour Decennium, culminating in a TV special on Seven.

David Rodan and Melanie Hooper

Season 14 (2014)

Retired AFL player David Rodan embraced his inner dancer and shook his hips to Latin beats, taking out the top spot. The former Richmond Tigers, Port Adelaide Power and Melbourne Demons player went viral for his silky moves as a goal umpire in the 2016 EJ Whitten Legend’s Match, before he made his official debut as an AFL goal umpire in 2017.

Emma Freedman and Aric Yegudkin

Season 15 (2015)

Emma Freedman absolutely slayed it on her season of DWTS. She was the highest-scoring celebrity across all 15 seasons, with an average score of 27.8. “You are the best contestant we’ve ever had, without a doubt, on this show,” judge Todd McKenney told her at the time. In 2021, she joined Seven’s horse racing coverage.

Samuel Johnson and Jorja Freeman

Season 16 (2019)

The then 41-year-old actor put the $50,000 prizemoney towards his charity Love Your Sister, which he began with his late sister Connie in 2012. The Gold Logie winner retired from acting and continues to focus on the charity. The 45-year-old nearly died after a horror accident in 2021 that left him with a fractured skull and fractured vertebra.

Celia Pacquola and Jarryd Byrne

Season 17 (2020)

Pacquola just had the goal of not exiting the competition first in her season, and she very much overachieved, crediting social media for giving her the edge over her competition, Claudia Karvan. Pacquola is currently starring in the fifth season of ABC’s Utopia, second season of Love Me on Binge, and was recently announced as the host of the comeback of Working Dog’s Thank God You’re Here. She also welcomed her first child – Eleanor Jessica – with partner Dara Munnis in August last year.

Luke Jacobz and Jorja Freeman

Season 18/All Stars (2021)

Jacobz scored his second Dancing With The Stars mirror ball trophy when the show returned to its original home at Seven, over fellow Home and Away alum Bec Hewitt. The former X-Factor host had hoped his new turn around the dance floor would spark some new projects for him. “I’d love to say I’m working on a project – you know, that Marvel has come and asked me to work with them, or there’s a musical I’m a part of, a show they want me to host,” he joked at the time.

Grant Denyer and Lily Cornish

Season 19/All Stars (2022)

Denyer beat bookies favourite Courtney Act in his second time as king of the dancefloor. This go-round, he said at the time, was meant to be “a personal purge”. “I’ve spent a lot of time pretending to be the happy, smiley, TV game-show guy who gives away cars and cash. But that’s not real life. I thought, if I’m going to do this I’m going to wear my heart on my sleeve. I didn’t want to get back out there and be a fluffy goofball. I wanted my girls to see that it’s OK to fail.”

Dancing With The Stars, Sunday, June 18, 7pm, Seven