Wesley Dening

Wesley Dening
Born (1983-07-14) 14 July 1983
EducationSt. Joseph's Nudgee College (2000)
OccupationsTelevision producer, television host
Known for
Children3

Wesley Dening (born 14 July 1983) is an Australian television producer based in Los Angeles.

Early life

Dening grew up in the Queensland capital of Brisbane, in Australia.[1] He attended high school at St. Joseph's Nudgee College, graduating in 2000.[2] During his teen years, Dening was a national-level swimmer and also worked as an actor and model, even winning Young Model of the Year. Dening was founder of 'Seriously Pink', a fashion franchise in central Brisbane.

At the age of 18, Dening lived in London, and on his return to Australia, he decided to audition for reality TV series Big Brother, hoping it would help him break into television.[1]

Career

Dening originally appeared as a contestant on Big Brother Australia 2004, at the age of 20.[1] Following this, he had a chance meeting with the executive producer of Network 10 travel adventure show Totally Wild, leading to an unpaid job on the series, where he contributed to stories and writing scripts. He was then offered a six month presenting contract, after which time he became a producer, at the age of 21.[1]

He also appeared in radio advertisements for local Brisbane stations 4BC, B105 and Triple M. and narrated the 2005 documentary Ghosts of the Gulf.[3] In 2005, he also became an ambassador for Tourism Queensland[4]

In 2006, Dening's work as a reporter earned him a Logie Award nomination for Best New Talent on Television.[4] That same year, together with a team from Totally Wild he travelled to Antarctica, where he filmed six special half hour episodes for Totally Wild: Antarctica Special (2007) as well as an episode of Network 10 children’s science series Scope and a documentary.[5] The special was distributed to numerous other countries[1] and was the recipient of the Australian Antarctic Arts Fellowship.[4] It was also nominated for a Logie Award in 2008.

Dening became a sports reporter for 10 News First Queensland and reported for children's Auskick series Kick2Kick for Network 10,[6] and the documentary Spirit of the Outback. He was also guest co-host for Toasted TV and the 2008 Australian New Year's Eve telecast.[7]

Dening met with the BBC in London, with hopes of furthering his career overseas, but in 2008, relocated to New York instead, at the age of 25.[1] The following year, he made his U.S. television debut, on cable network truTV's The Smoking Gun Presents: World's Dumbest as one of the co-hosts, alongside Daniel Baldwin and Danny Bonaduce.[8][9]

In 2010, Dening founded the production company WD Entertainment, which has since been responsible for series that have aired in more than 55 countries.[10][1] The company's first TV series, the 2011 six-part The Stafford Brothers, following the rise of the titular DJ's, premiered on Fox8 in Australia. A huge success, a 2012 second season was aired and the show was broadcast internationally.[1] That same year, Dening hosted and starred in a hidden camera prank series for Disney Channel called Code: 9.[1]

Dening created and executive-produced wine and travel series The Flying Winemaker on Discovery Channel in 2014,[1] followed by Big Crazy Family Adventure on the Travel Channel in 2015.[1]

Dening joined Eureka Productions in 2016 as senior vice president of programming and development, before being promoted to the role of executive vice president in 2018. Then in July 2022, he was appointed as head of global formats.[10]

In 2018, Dening waa executive producer on classic car restoration and resale reality series Pick, Flip & Drive, for Facebook Watch, winning multiple Telly Awards and landing a nomination for a Cannes Content Innovation Award.[11] From 2018, he was also executive producer for the multi-season Animal Planet series Crikey! It's the Irwins (2018–2022), including the specials Crikey! It's The Irwin's Life in Lockdown[12] and Crikey! It's the Irwins: Bindi's Wedding.[13][14]

Beginning in 2019, Dening was also executive producer of ABC's Holey Moley,[10] an extreme miniature golf competition series produced by Eureka Productions and Stephen Curry’s company Unanimous Media.[15] A breakout success,[16] the series won the Realscreen 2020 Award for Best New Format[17] and was nominated for both a Rose d'Or Award for Entertainment Program of the Year,[18] and a Content Innovation Award in Cannes.[11] As executive producer of 2019 American reality dating series Dating Around on Netflix,[1] Dening won the Critic's Choice Award for Best Relationship Series, and was nominated for another Content Innovation Award.[11]

Further executive producer credits have included celebrity talent series The Real Dirty Dancing (2019) for Fox,[10] floristry competition series Full Bloom (2020–2021) for HBO Max,[19] and dating series Twentysomethings: Austin (2021) for Netflix.[10]

Together with Channing Tatum and Steven Soderbergh, Dening was an executive producer on 2021 reality competition series Finding Magic Mike for HBO Max,[20] which was created during Covid lockdown.[1] He continues to be at the helm of numerous series in both the U.S. and Australia, including CBS reality dating series The Real Love Boat (2022)[1] Netflix competition series The Mole (2022),[21] The Parent Test (2022–2023), dating series The Farmer Wants a Wife (2023), Fox celebrity space series Stars on Mars (2023) featuring William Shatner,[22] singing competition series Australian Idol (2023–2024),[21] game show The Floor (2024) hosted by Rob Lowe,[23] game show The Quiz with Balls (2024–2026)[24] and Apple TV music competition series KPopped (2025).[25]

Personal life

Denying is married to wife Michala, with whom he has three kids. She moved with him to New York in 2008, when she was his girlfriend.[1]

Filmography

As presenter

Year Title Role Notes Ref
2004Big Brother Australia 2004Contestant[1]
2004Totally WildPresenter[1]
2005Ghosts of the GulfNarratorDocumentary[3]
2007Totally Wild: Antarctica SpecialPresenter6 episodes[1][5]
2007ScopeGuest co-host1 episode
Kick2KickSports reporter[6]
AFL Grand FinalSports reporter[6]
10 News First QueenslandSports reporter[6]
Spirit of the OutbackHostDocumentary
Toasted TVGuest co-host
2008New Year's Eve telecastCo-hostTV special[7]
2009–2012The Smoking Gun Presents: World's DumbestCo-host70 episodes[8]
2010In the QubeSelf13 episodes
2012Code: 9Host6 episodes[1]

As executive producer

Year Title Role Notes Ref
2006Totally WildProducer[1]
2011–2012The Stafford BrothersCreator / Writer / Director / Executive producer16 episodes[1]
2014The Flying WinemakerCreator / Director / Executive-producer[1]
2015Big Crazy Family AdventureExecutive producer9 episodes[1]
2018Pick, Flip & DriveExecutive producer8 episodes[11]
2018–2022Crikey! It's the IrwinsExecutive producer39 episodes[12][10]
2019The Real Dirty DancingExecutive producer3 episodes[10]
2019–2020Dating AroundExecutive producer / Consulting producer12 episodes[1][10]
2019–2022Holey MoleyExecutive producer45 episodes[10]
2020–2021Full BloomExecutive producer14 episodes[19][10]
2021Crikey! It's Shark WeekExecutive producerTV special
Finding Magic MikeExecutive producer7 episodes[20]
Twentysomethings: AustinExecutive producer12 episodes[10]
2022The Real Love BoatExecutive producer / Producer14 episodes[1]
The MoleExecutive producer10 episodes[21]
2022–2023The Parent TestExecutive producer10 episodes
2023The Farmer Wants a WifeExecutive producer11 episodes
Stars on MarsExecutive producer8 episodes[22]
2023–2024Australian IdolExecutive producer46 episodes[21]
2024The FloorExecutive producer9 episodes[23]
2024–2026The Quiz with BallsExecutive producer9 episodes[24]
2025KPoppedExecutive producer1 episode[25]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Whittaker, James (12 July 2022). "Thinking Big with Wes Dening". jameswhitt.com. Retrieved 30 June 2026.
  2. ↑ "Unscripted – The Nudgee College Podcast". nudgee.com. Retrieved 2 July 2026.
  3. 1 2 Morgan, Clare (17 December 2005). "Totally Australia: Ghosts of the Gulf". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 30 June 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 "Wesley Dening – Antarctic Arts Fellow 2006–07". antarctica.gov.au. 13 March 2019. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  5. 1 2 Davies, Marie (2007), "Australian Antarctic Magazine | Totally Wild in Antarctica", antarctica.gov.au, no. 12, retrieved 30 May 2020
  6. 1 2 3 4 Knox, David (11 December 2007). "Totally Wild Sport for Wes". TV Tonight. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
  7. 1 2 Price, Lucinda; Mason, Melissa (28 March 2018). "We Tracked Down All Your Big Brother Australia Faves, From Drew To Sara-Marie". pedestrian.tv. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
  8. 1 2 Shearer, Geoff (23 January 2011). "Success comes with perspiration". The Courier-Mail. Retrieved 25 January 2013.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  9. ↑ Knox, David (20 November 2009). "Totally wild for US role". TV Tonight. Retrieved 30 June 2026.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Eureka Productions appoints key executive to new Head of Global Formats role". mediaweek.com.au. 16 May 2022. Retrieved 30 June 2026.
  11. 1 2 3 4 "ABC Renews HOLEY MOLEY for a Second Season". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  12. 1 2 Nordyke, Kimberly (28 May 2020). "Animal Planet to Spotlight Irwin Family's "Life in Lockdown" (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  13. ↑ "Ratings – Animal Planet's "Crikey! It's the Irwins: Bindi's Wedding" Delivers Record Series Ratings on April 18". www.thefutoncritic.com. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  14. ↑ "Animal Planet to Premiers "Crikey! It's The Irwins: Bindo's Wedding" Saturday April 18 at 8 PM ET/PT". press.discovery.com. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  15. ↑ Guthrie, Marisa (22 April 2018). "NBA Star Stephen Curry Scores Film and TV Pact With Sony (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 30 June 2026.
  16. ↑ Thorne, Will (21 June 2019). "TV Ratings: 'Holey Moley' Wins Thursday Night for ABC". variety.com. Retrieved 30 June 2026.
  17. ↑ Knox, David (29 January 2020). "Holey Moley wins format award in USA". TV Tonight. Retrieved 30 June 2026.
  18. ↑ "Rose d'Or 2019 Finalists Announced – Rose d'Or Awards". rosedor.com. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  19. 1 2 White, Peter (25 October 2019). "Competitive Floristry Format 'Full Bloom' Planted at HBO Max From 'Holey Moley' Producer Eureka". deadline.com. Retrieved 30 June 2026.
  20. 1 2 "Max Original Unscripted Competition Series FINDING MAGIC MIKE Debuts December 16". Warner Bros. Discovery. Retrieved 30 June 2026.
  21. 1 2 3 4 Ferguson, Hayley (16 August 2024). "Beyond Reality Podcast: Series 4". beyondrealityau.com. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
  22. 1 2 Jacobs, Meredith (1 May 2023). "Stars on Mars': First Look at William Shatner as Mission Control (VIDEO)". tvinsider.com. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
  23. 1 2 "Fox press releases | Rob Lowe crushes the floor as host and producer of Fox's all-new Ultimate Trivia Conquest quiz show premiering mid-season". foxflash.com. 13 September 2023. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
  24. 1 2 Knox, David (8 February 2024). "FOX network picks up The Quiz with Balls". TV Tonight. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
  25. 1 2 Knox, David (24 August 2025). "Gallery: KPopped". TV Tonight. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
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