Salaries for this year's cast of The Amazing Race Australia: Celebrity Edition were publicly leaked, with the Daily Mail reporting the celebrity teams shared a combined purse of about $1.5 million — a rise from roughly $1 million the previous year.
According to the report, former MasterChef judge Melissa Leong and presenter Gretel Killeen were the highest-paid contestants, each reportedly earning about $150,000. Ex-SAS star Ant Middleton and his brother Dan were said to have secured about $140,000 between them before Middleton's abrupt exit from the competition. Comedian Ed Kavalee and fitness personality Tiffiny Hall were reported to have taken about $120,000 between them, while lesser-known participants Luke and "Sassy" Scott were believed to have earned roughly $90,000.
The Daily Mail said several other teams received smaller payments. Parkour athlete Dom "Tomato" Di Tommaso and teammate Marx Marsters, along with comedy siblings Steph and Ben Tisdell, were reportedly among those paid at lower rates. The outlet described the higher overall budget as a deliberate move by broadcaster Channel 10 to attract marquee names to the series.
Host Beau Ryan has previously commented on remuneration for the franchise. In an earlier interview, Ryan said he was paid "more than $500,000" for a second run as host and discussed negotiations that led to a lower-fee appearance on the programme's eighth season, which aired in 2022. He also said he had turned down an initial larger offer while under contract to another network.
The reported increase in the celebrity salary pot follows broader programming changes across commercial television. The Daily Mail quoted an unnamed insider saying Channel 10 was investing more in big-name talent as part of a strategy to shore up audiences amid cuts to other reality formats.
Channel 10 has not publicly confirmed the figures reported by the Daily Mail. The network has previously declined to disclose individual contestant payments and typically does not comment on contract terms.
Last season's contestants reportedly shared about $1 million in total, with top-tier names said to have earned around $100,000 each. The newly reported total would represent a significant uplift in per-contestant pay and overall casting investment.
Contestant payouts for reality formats are commonly negotiated on a per-project basis and can vary depending on profile, negotiating power and the production's budget. The Amazing Race Australia, originally launched as a non-celebrity format, has periodically featured celebrity editions and celebrity pairs as a ratings and publicity strategy.
The programme's run, casting choices and reported fees come as Australian broadcasters reassess lineups to respond to changing viewer habits and commercial pressures. Media analysts have said networks often recalibrate spending on talent to create headline-making television that can draw advertisers and audiences, but individual contract details are rarely confirmed publicly.
The Daily Mail article presenting the leaked figures was published on Sept. 9, 2025. Channel 10 and the production company did not respond to requests for comment through the Daily Mail report.