Channel 7 is diving headfirst into the nostalgia pool with the latest cast reveal for Dancing With The Stars—and this one comes with serious hardware. Australian swimming great Susie O’Neill, best known as “Madame Butterfly,” is suiting up for the ballroom as part of the upcoming season, set to air soon on Seven and 7plus.
A two-time Olympic gold medalist with nine Commonwealth titles to her name, O’Neill remains one of the most decorated athletes in Australian sports history. Now, she’ll test her competitive edge in a very different arena, trading freestyle sprints for footwork and foxtrots.
The casting brings another high-profile name to a season already packed with familiar faces, including Rebecca Gibney, Shaun Micallef, Osher Günsberg, Brittany Hockley, Felicity Ward, and AFL premiership captain Trent Cotchin.
Produced by BBC Studios Australia and New Zealand, Dancing With The Stars remains one of the network’s key unscripted bets. The franchise continues to deliver strong cross-demo appeal thanks to its blend of nostalgia, star power, and family-friendly primetime real estate.
O’Neill’s appearance adds a new athletic angle to the mix—and potentially sets her up as a sleeper favourite, given her legendary discipline and focus. Whether those competitive instincts translate to the cha-cha remains to be seen, but expect the Mirror Ball buzz to build fast once the show hits air.
