Neighbours legend Stefan Dennis will be getting his dancing shoes on for Strictly Come Dancing, but fans may not know he also had another side-career in the past
Strictly Come Dancing is set to return next month for its 23rd series. And among the celebrities vying for the Glitterball Trophy this year is a face that Neighbours fans will instantly recognise. Stefan Dennis, who has played the notorious Paul Robinson since the soap’s debut in 1985, will be waltzing to the dance floor all the way from Ramsey Street.
He will have to leave his villainous character behind as he competes for the Strictly title against a packed line-up including ex-Geordie Shore star Vicky Pattison, Love Island winner Dani Dyer, and Team GB sprinter-turned-Gladiator Harry Aikines-Aryeetey. It’s a challenge he’s eagerly anticipating.
However, over on TikTok, fans are just discovering that Stefan once dabbled in a less well-known career and their reactions are priceless.
In May 1989, the Aussie actor briefly ventured into the music industry with his dance track Don’t It Make You Feel Good. The song enjoyed moderate success, peaking at number 16 in the UK singles chart.
At the time, Stefan was among many Neighbours actors who crossed over into pop music, joining the likes of Jason Donovan and pop icon Kylie Minogue. But unlike the other two, he ended up becoming a one-hit wonder as his next single, This Love Affair, tanked.
Don’t It Make You Feel Good has garnered mixed reviews over the years since its release and these contrasting opinions were clearly on show in a TikTok video posted by content creator Al Of Lancashire, who shares clips celebrating nostalgia from the 1980s and 1990s.
In his video, he shared a snippet of Stefan’s music video and the comments erupted with reactions from obsessive devotion to pure mortification and utter confusion.
One viewer questioned: “Is that George Michael?” while another said he delivered “Peter Dinklage vibes”, referencing the Game of Thrones star. A third observer joked: “He looks like he belongs in Buffy the Vampire Slayer in this video.”
Others proved more brutal regarding Stefan’s hit. One declared: “OMG this was SO bad! I remember it and used to love singing the chorus cos it was so c**p!”
But it wasn’t all bad news for the Aussie star, as one devoted supporter gushed: “One of my faves!!! Cheese upon cheese, and it’s epic! Have watched Neighbours since day one because of this man. Was rubbish when he left for a while.”
Another person commented: “He was a good singer. He should of [sic.] made more songs”, while a third went so far as to liken him to another 1980s pin-up: “Australian David Hasselhoff.”
Stefan enjoyed his brief music career alongside his first stint in Neighbours, which he left in 1992. He staged an impressive return 12 years later and has recently wrapped up filming the programme’s final episodes before it is axed on December.
But would he ever contemplate a pop comeback? In 2021, he told Bang Showbiz that he wouldn’t be opposed to belting out a tune once more.
He expressed at the time: “I’d love to dust off the vocal cords. We have a very multi-talented group on the show at the moment who have the musical chops… and my good mate Alan Fletcher [who plays Karl Kennedy].”
As for his forthcoming Strictly appearance, Stefan admitted to a mix of thrill and terror at the thought of performing the tango on the dance floor.
Speaking to ITV’s This Morning on August 14, he confessed: “I’m very excited to be doing something completely and utterly out of my comfort zone but because of that, I’m petrified.”
