Daniel MacPherson

Daniel Donald MacPherson (born 25 April 1980) is an Australian actor and television presenter, best known for his roles as; Joel Samuels on Neighbours, PC Cameron Tait on British police drama The Bill, and Detective Senior Constable Simon Joyner in City Homicide. He is currently the co-host of Dancing with the Stars alongside Edwina Bartholomew and starred as Jack Keenan in Wild Boys (2011). Early life MacPherson grew up in Sydney's beachside suburb of Cronulla where he lists swimming, fishing, golf and watching the Cronulla Sharks, a rugby league football team, as his favorite pastimes. MacPherson went on to live in Melbourne for many years before relocating to Sunshine Beach, Queensland before returning to Sydney for work in 2010. He was accepted into MENSA at the age of 10 and went on to attend the academically selective school Sydney Boys High School. An avid fitness advocate, MacPherson regularly competes in triathlons and marathons. Career MacPherson was discovered while competing in the Kurnell triathlon in southern Sydney when he was 17. He soon landed the role of Joel Samuels in the soap opera Neighbours, starting in 1998. Bearing a similarity to his real life, the blond-haired actor's character was also a budding athlete. After leaving the soap in 2002, MacPherson travelled to the United Kingdom to star in a British production of the musical Godspell in which he alternated the lead roles of Jesus and Judas with English entertainer Jonathan Wilkes. During this time MacPherson resided in Notting Hill with close friend Robbie Williams. After completing the show, MacPherson was offered the role of PC Cameron Tait in the British drama The Bill, which he played from 2003 until late 2004. Upon leaving The Bill, he took a role playing Jesus opposite Edward Woodward as God in The Mysteries. This was a drama based on a medieval mystery play cycle in which every scene moved to a different part of Canterbury Cathedral. In 2005, MacPherson returned to Australia to present the Australian version of The X Factor.[6] MacPherson received positive feedback, despite the series attracting low ratings. After the season had finished, reports stated that before one of the live shows MacPherson was accidentally knocked unconscious by a plank of wood. After regaining consciousness several minutes later, MacPherson went on to do the show despite being heavily concussed. He says he "remembers nothing at all" from that night's broadcast. This was undetected by the public. The following year, MacPherson hosted a three-part series called Killer Sharks on Australia's Network Ten in February 2006. In late 2006, he appeared in a British/Australian production entitled Tripping Over. The show appeared on Channel 5 in the United Kingdom and Network Ten in Australia. Tripping Over featured MacPherson's ex-Neighbours co-star Brooke Satchwell. Tripping Over received numerous positive reviews and the show was a hit with Australian critics; however due to funding issues it was not picked up for a second season. In October 2007, MacPherson left Network Ten after taking a role on the Seven Network's City Homicide. The show became the number one Australian Drama between 2007 and 2008. MacPherson left City Homicide during the fourth season. On 3 August 2008, the Seven Network announced that MacPherson would be taking over the hosting role on Dancing with the Stars, after former host Daryl Somers resigned at the end of 2007. This was his first live hosting gig since The X Factor in 2005. On 17 May 2010, MacPherson guest co-hosted The Morning Show alongside Kylie Gillies, while regular male presenter Larry Emdur was on holidays. Macpherson hosted the Seven Network series, Beat the Star, a local version of the British and German television series for one season before the show was cancelled. Personal life MacPherson began dating his Wild Boys co-star Zoe Ventoura in 2011. They became engaged in December 2014.