The fifth season of the Australian Dancing with the Stars TV series premiered on Tuesday 26 September 2006 and concluded on Tuesday 28 November 2006. A controversy occurred in the semi-final when judge Todd McKenney said that he believed Arianne Caoili had received professional dance lessons prior to the competition. Caoili denied this. Channel 7's Today Tonight supported McKenney's claims, producing video footage of Caoili attending salsa classes, but Caoili said she just started taking salsa lessons when the producers called to offer her a place on the show.