One contestant received a six-figure salary for only one day’s work.

The Amazing Race 2025 contestants’ salaries have leaked. Photos: Channel 10

The third consecutive celebrity season of The Amazing Race Australia premiered on Monday night with 13 star-studded teams beginning their journey around the world. This year’s cast includes actors, comedians, sports stars, reality TV personalities, social media sensations, and even a royal.

While the contestants are all battling it out to win the grand prize of $100,000 for their chosen charity, it’s no surprise that they also received an impressive pay packet for their involvement in the show. Channel 10 spared no expense in signing up the all-star cast for the series; however, not every celebrity was paid the same salary.

A production insider told PEDESTRIAN.TV that Melissa Leong, Gretel Killeen, Rob Mills, and Ed Kavalee each received $100,000 for their involvement on the show.

It’s safe to assume that footballer-turned-radio host Brendan ‘Fev’ Fevola was also one of the highest-paid contestants this year, as he previously revealed that Channel 10 paid him $500,000 for his stint on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! in 2016.

Meanwhile, YouTube stars Dom ‘Tomato’ Di Tommaso and Marx Marsters, comedian Steph Tisdell and her brother Ben, and Balinese princess Lindy Klim and her daughter Stella were reportedly paid less but “ended up bringing way more heart to the game”.

This year’s cast includes actors, comedians, sports stars, reality TV personalities, social media sensations, and even a royal. Photo: Channel 10

Leaked salaries expose odd contract detail

Ed Kavalee’s six-figure salary is arguably the most surprising, as he and his wife, Tiffani Hall, were the first team eliminated in Monday night’s episode. The power couple chose to take a time penalty after struggling with the Detour, which made them the last team to check in at the Pit Stop.

This suggests that, unlike other reality shows where contestants’ salaries are determined by how long they remain in the competition, Channel 10 paid each of this year’s cast members a one-off appearance fee.

 

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How much money were last year’s contestants paid?

An insider told Yahoo Lifestyle last year that Olympian Ian Thorpe was paid around $350,000 for his appearance on The Amazing Race Australia alongside his friend Christian Miranda. Channel 10 personality Peter Helliar was believed to be the second-highest-paid contestant on the show, with host Beau Ryan hinting that he was on “a few hundred [thousand]”.

Meanwhile, Natalie Bassingthwaighte, Matildas teammates Chloe Logarzo and Emily Gielnik, former AFL star Billy Brownless, and martial artist Tai ‘Bam Bam’ Tuivasa were believed to have been paid an estimated salary between $50,000 and $75,000.

Model Jett Kenny, comedian Luke McGregor, DJ Havana Brown, country singers Brooke McClymont and Adam Eckersley, and reality TV couple Cyrell Paule and Eden Dally were said to have been in the lower-paid bracket, taking home up to $50,000 each.

Beau Ryan’s surprising salary

Beau revealed on The Kyle & Jackie O Show in 2021 that he was paid a whopping $800,000 to host the reboot of The Amazing Race Australia.

TV experts later clarified that this was ‘part of a multi-year deal’ with Channel 10, with Beau later competing on the 2022 season of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! and hosting both Top Gear and the reboot of Gladiators Australia in 2024.