Todd McKenney

Todd McKenney knows showbiz from every angle. An inspiring, provocative, compelling radio host, film actor, musical theatre performer and television personality, Todd has been in the entertainment industry for years, working on stage, screen, television and radio.

Since 2004, Todd has enjoyed his continuing role as a judge on Channel 7’s immensely popular Dancing with the Stars. He has also been guest presenter on Channel 7’s Sydney Weekender and host of Celebrity Spelling Bee.

As well as being a star performer, Todd McKenny is an accomplished MC and corporate host who is always in high demand.

He has represented Australia in ballroom and Latin American dancing, winning many international dancing titles – perfect training for his role as Nathan Starkey in Baz Luhrmann’s internationally acclaimed film Strictly Ballroom.

Since being cast in his first professional musical, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Song and Dance in 1983, Todd’s career has grown from chorus roles in shows like Born Yesterday, Pirates of Penzance and Camelot, moving on to small roles like Phaedra in La Cage Aux Folles and Tumblebrutus and Rum Tum Tugger in Cats. Following minor leads in 42nd Street and West Side Story, he proved in Crazy for You that he had what it takes to become a star.

After landing the prized role of Peter Allen in the critically acclaimed Australian hit The Boy from Oz, Todd played the role for 766 performances. It was for his portrayal as Peter that Todd received two Mo Awards, the Variety Club Heart Award, the Glugg Award, the Green Room Award, the Australian Dance Award and the Helpmann Award. Todd also won the 2005 Mo Award in the Versatile Variety Performer of the Year category. In 2011, Todd reprised his acclaimed role as Peter Allen in a new production of The Boy from Oz.

Singin’ In The Rain was a huge opportunity to see Todd at his dancing best as he recreated Gene Kelly’s original choreography on stage. Todd received a further Australian Dance Award for his performance. His co-starring role with Nancye Hayes in The Ensemble Theatre’s production of Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks toured Australia in 2007 to huge critical acclaim.

Balancing his roles on radio and television, Todd  has also been studying ‘Auslan’ sign language and works within the deaf community all around Australia. He joined ‘The Diamond Ball Committee’ for the Children’s Cancer Institute Australia and hopes to help the CCIA to raise much-needed funds to help research and fight childhood cancer.