Infamous Olympian Rachel ‘Raygun’ Gunn has turned down two lucrative reality TV contracts, New Idea can exclusively reveal.
The Sydney-based academic was the most talked about woman in the world following the 2024 Paris Olympics, thanks to her polarizing breaking routine.
Since then, casting agents have been working non-stop to sign Raygun to their respective shows. New Idea hears she was offered a “small fortune” to appear on both the Australian and UK versions of I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here – but could possibly be rejecting the deals.
“She just doesn’t get it,” an international casting producer tells New Idea.
An insider at Network Ten, who airs the local version of I’m A Celebrity, adds: “There is no better show than I’m A Celebrity to see the ‘real you’. It would have been a really fun safe space for Rachel to tell her story. It is disappointing she has turned down the show as it could have been quite cathartic for her.”
Word is that UK producers offered Raygun $200,000 pounds to enter the jungle, while Australian executives had $250,000 on the table.
However, another insider wonders if Raygun might be holding out to be cast on Dancing with the Stars instead, given her experience on the dancefloor. Channel Seven has already started recruiting celebrities for next year’s competition, with comedian Shaun Micallef the first star confirmed.
“If Raygun wants to move away from the backstory of her Olympics travesty, or doesn’t feel she needs to ‘redeem herself’ anymore, then Dancing with the Stars might be a better fit,” says the TV source.
“There is less importance on having a narrative on that show, than there is in the jungle.”
The news comes three weeks after Yahoo Lifestyle reported that Rachel was “very close” to signing on to star on I’m A Celeb.
“Raygun is one name at the top of the list who bosses have been working on since she went viral,” the insider shared with the publication at the time.
“Initially Raygun’s team declined, but now she’s realising her window to make big money is quickly closing – and it’s unlikely she’ll ever get a six-figure sum to do a show ever again.”
Prior to that New Idea was informed by another source close to production that Network 10 was “very interested” in getting the Olympian onto the next season.
“Raygun would be the ideal campmate,” says our insider.
“The public will want to hear her story in the jungle. Love her or loathe her, she has everyone talking.”
“It’s these viral moments and water-cooler conversations that I’m A Celebrity will want to capitalise on, and they won’t want to miss out on a casting moment like this,” they added.
Rachael herself was quizzed on her rumoured appearance on the reality series on Fitzy & Wippa with Kate Ritchie in early November.
“I’d be fascinated to know how many invitations and how many people have put their hand up and proposals that have come your way. I mean, there’d be a massive list. Can you think of one which really surprised you, a request that’s come in?” a curious Wippa asked the viral sensation.
Rachael responded that there “was a lot” of reality TV offers that had come her way since rising to fame after competing at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
“Yeah, going into the jungle, right? No, you wouldn’t do it? None of that, none of that interests you at all,” Wippa pressed.
“As someone that went viral from their performance at the Olympics, I think I’ve got a very memeable face! It’s very expressive, and I just feel like going on reality television is just not the right move…the last couple of months, I’ve been really focusing on just kind of managing this whole situation...focusing on my mental health.”
Rachael made global headlines when her rather unusual breaking moves – which included a ‘kangaroo hop’ – earned her zero points.
Comparisons were made to comedic fictional characters like Kath & Kim’s Kath Day-Knight and Elaine from Seinfeld. But not every reaction was negative.
Rachael received resounding support from her fellow Aussie athletes at the Closing Ceremony, and even caught the attention of Adele!
During a concert in Munich, Adele told the crowd “the breakdancing lady” was “the best thing that has happened at the Olympics”.
In an interview with Rachael before her Olympic debut, she told New Idea she couldn’t wait to “make Australians proud.”
“When I started breaking in my mid-twenties, I never thought I’d be an elite athlete representing my country at the biggest games in the world,” Rachael said.
The Macquarie University lecturer said she first became intrigued with breaking when she accompanied Samuel Free, who is now her husband and coach, to his breaking training session in 2008.
Rachael, who learned ballet, tap, and jazz as a child, says she didn’t take it seriously until she saw a woman in the centre of a breaking circle surrounded by men in 2011.
“That moment stood out for me, and I thought ‘I can do this too’,” Rachael says.
“Having men and women participate and dance together equally at the Games is such a positive outcome for everyone.”
