Channel Seven has sparked speculation that Dancing With The Stars Australia will not be returning in 2026.
The dancing competition was noticeably absent from the network’s 2026 Upfronts presentation, in which it confirmed all the programs on its 2026 slate.
While there has been no official announcement yet, its absence has fuelled rumours that the show has been put on hold.
However, New Idea understands that a decision has yet to be made, after the 2025 season was a landslide success, bringing in huge viewership numbers.
Host Dr Chris Brown added to the speculation when he took to Instagram to share his excitement over his 2026 projects, but made no mention of DWTS.
He took to his Instagram Stories to promote his two shows, Dr Chris Brown’s Once In A Lifetime and My Reno Rules, but didn’t tag DWTS.
Sources told TV Blackbox that the uncertainty around the show’s renewal is due to the high costs of producing the ballroom series, which usually airs on Sunday nights.
Chris, who co-hosts the show with Sonia Kruger, has signed up for a new renovation show to rival Nine’s The Block, My Reno Rules, in 2026, potentially to fill any gap left by DWTS.
New Idea has contacted Channel Seven for comment.
It is not the first time that DWTS has been at risk of cancellation, with rumours swirling about the show’s future before the 2025 series aired in June, though it then became a huge viewership success.
Speaking with news.com.au at the time, a source revealed that each episode of the show sets the network back approximately $1 million, making it too costly to run.
Over the years, the show’s seasons have shortened in length, from 10 weeks in the early 2000s to just five weeks in recent years.
The reality TV juggernaut made its debut in 2004 on Channel Seven and was then canceled in 2015, before it was picked up by Channel 10 in 2019 and 2020.
It was then picked up by Channel Seven again in 2021, with Sonia Kruger as the host. Before Dr Chris Brown joined her as a co-host in 2024, she presented the show alongside Daryl Somers.
Sonia has been a hosting fixture for the network after she made the shock move from Channel Nine in 2019.
Although it may not sound promising, according to the network, DWTS remains a beloved show nationwide, with its viewership numbers certainly proving that.
Figures from the Seven Network reveal that 6.9 million Australians watched it in 2024, which the network said was a 35% jump in comparison to 2023.
The 2025 season saw another 5% increase, with 7.6 million viewers tuning in across Australia across the entire series.
The grand finale alone drew in an average of 937,000 national viewers, but the steep production costs have affected its future despite its popularity.
The 2025 series saw a fresh round of celebrities take to the dance floor, including Shaun Micallef, Harry Garside, Brittany Hockley and Osher Günsberg.
Michael Usher, Trent Cotchin, Karina Carvalho, Susie O’Neill, Rebecca Gibney, Mia Fevola, and Felicity Ward also took part.
But it was Home and Away star Kyle Shilling and his professional partner Lily Cornish who were crowned the 2025 winners.
