Courtney Act is an iconic drag queen at home in Australia, and an even bigger star the world over, with incredible popularity in the United States and United Kingdom.
From making it to the semi-finals in the first season of Australian Idol, to being named runner-up in Season Six of Ru Paul’s Drag Race, to winning Celebrity Big Brother just last year, Shane Jenek has successfully taken on many reality TV competitions under the stage name Courtney Act.
Not to mention, Courtney recently sang her heart out on Eurovision: Australia Decides.
Now, Courtney will be competing on the new series of Dancing With The Stars on Network 10, as one half of the first ever all-male team with dance partner Joshua Keefe.
Courtney and Joshua are the first all-male team to compete on Dancing With The Stars (Image: Network 10).
In a recent interview on The Project, the ever-glamorous Courtney revealed that though she will be in drag while dancing during the live shows, she obviously won’t be rehearsing in drag. Meaning viewers will get to meet Shane and Courtney on DWTS.
Longtime fans have already met both Shane and Courtney, of course, as the famous star has appeared both in and out of drag on several TV shows.
“It was funny because when I walked in to the room Josh was like why is this small boy coming in? Where’s my gorgeous woman?” Courtney told The Project hosts. “Rehearsals I am out of drag as a boy, and then in rehearsals I’ll be Courtney.”
Some fans have been wondering why Shane will be rehearsing out of drag, and the answer seems quite simple. The process of applying drag makeup – not to mention Courtney’s iconic wigs – takes several hours. Plus, rehearsing dance routines over and over will lead to blood, sweat and tears for many of the contestants, none of whom tend to practice in a full face of make-up.
Shane previously spoke about the experience of being out of drag in everyday life on the ABC’s You Can’t Ask That.
“I think the interesting thing about being in drag and out of drag is less about how I feel, and more about how other people relate to me,” Shane said.
Get to know more about Courtney Act and her Dancing With The Stars journey below!
How did Courtney Act become famous?
Courtney found fame auditioning on the first ever season of Australian Idol in 2003, making it to the semi-finals and making history as the first queer contestant to openly appear on a reality TV talent show.
After Australian Idol, Courtney released music and found further fame on Ru Paul’s Drag Race in 2013, where she placed as joint runner-up. In 2018 she won Celebrity Big Brother and hosted her own reality dating series The Bi Life.
Earlier this month Courtney competed in the first ever Eurovision: Australia Decides song contest, with her own original anthem Fight For Love.
In case you haven’t realised by now, Courtney is a major triple threat.
Who is Courtney Act’s dance partner?
Courtney has been paired with Joshua Keefe, a professional dancer and Dancing With The Stars alum. He was paired with model Samantha Harris in 2015, where the pair progressed to week three of the competition.
Does Courtney Act have dance experience?
By now you’ve realised the answer is obviously yes, as Courtney has performed choreography in her music videos and live stage shows. But, that doesn’t mean she has an unfair advantage.
Waleed Aly joked it “wasn’t fair” for Courtney to compete because she’s already so talented as a dancer, but she had a great answer for The Project host.
“Think about this, we might hark back to former Dancing With The Stars, when Nikki Webster won and she’s got a dance school with her name on it! If it’s good enough for Nikki Webster, it’s good enough for me. And that’s the first and last time I’ll ever say that.”
We can’t WAIT to see Courtney on the new series!
Dancing With The Stars airs Monday 18th of February, 7:30pm, on Network 10.
