Courtney Act is an Australian Drag Queen, singer and reality TV personality. She rose to fame in 2003 after featuring as a contestant on the first season of ‘Australian Idol’ as the first openly gay contestant on a reality talent show.
As of 2024, Courtney Act's net worth is estimated to be $5 million.
| Net Worth | $5 million |
| Given Name | Shane Gilberto Jenek |
| Famous Name | Courtney Act |
| Source(s) of Fame | Drag Queen, Singer, TV Personality |
| Age | 42 |
| Date of Birth | February 18, 1982 |
| Place of Birth | Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
| Height | 5'9" |
| Relationships | Single, , |
| Social Links |     |
Shane Gilberto Jenek was born on 18th February 1982 to parents Gill and Annette Jeanette in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Jenek was raised in Brisbane alongside his sister Kim. From a young age, Jenek enjoyed playing dress-up, singing and dancing. In 1987, Jenek entered his first pageant show for children that was hosted as a charity event. Soon after this experience, Jenek was enrolled at The Fame Talent School where he became fast friends with Lisa Origliasso and Jessica Origliasso. The trio formed ‘The Veronicas’ and performed together for 12 years. Although Jenek was a top student, he had a tough time at school as he was bullied for his sexuality. He had the hopes of joining medical school but traded them in for a career in entertainment adapting the stage name Courtney Act. At the age of 18,Jenek moved to Sydney to advance his career in entertainment.
Jenek began his career in 2002 after meeting with the Drag Queen Vanity Faire who inspired him to express himself in a more feminine way. He launched his Drag career when he entered the ‘Diva Rising Star’ competition that year and finished first. In 2003, he auditioned for the first season of ‘Australian Idol.’ Although the judges initially turned him down when he appeared as Jenek, they were thrilled the following day when Courtney Act showed up for auditions. Courtney made it to the live finals and finished at number 13 on the show. Her appearance on the show made her wildly popular as she was the first member of the LGBTQ to openly feature on a reality TV talent show.
After the show,Courtney joined fellow Drag Queen Vanity Faire and founded the company ‘Wigs by Vanity’ to cater to the production of wigs for Drag Queens. Courtney also jumped on the opportunity to tour amongst Australian Idol finalists. She received immense visibility and was invited to sign a record deal with
BMG Australia. She followed this career changing height with the release of her debut single ‘Rub Me Wrong’ which peaked at number 29 on the ARIA Charts and was certified gold. Despite the initial buzz around the song, the chat figures remained considerably low and BMG withheld Courtney’s debut album. In 2013 Courtney featured on the sixth season of the hit reality show ‘Ru Paul’s Drag Race’ finishing as joint runner-up. She followed this up with an ad campaign for American Apparel with two other Drag Queens who came together to form ‘ The AAA Girls.’ The trio proceeded to release music together including a Christmas song and a tour to support their releases.
In 2015, Courtney returned to a solo recording career and launched the EP ‘Kaleidoscope.’ The project was well received by critics with her title track being featured as the official track for the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras in 2016. She eventually returned to reality TV in 2017 with her appearance on MTVs ‘Single AF.’ Courtney later joined ‘Big Brother’ giving airtime to both Jenek and Courtney. She finished first on the show and her growing popularity landed her her very own show. The following year, Courtney competed on the Australian version of ‘Dancing With the Stars’ alongside Joshua Keefa. She continued to make numerous appearances on TV and reality TV until 2021 when she was brought in as a host for ‘Courtney Act’s One Plus One.’
Jenek practices are strictly vegan lifestyle and identifies as pansexual and gender-fluid.
Courtney Act is active on social media with 1.2M Instagram followers and 15.4K monthly listeners on Spotify.
Courtney Act is an Australian drag queen and entertainer who has inspired others within the Drag and LGBTQ community to openly be themselves. She has a net worth of $5 million.
Courtney Act has sometimes been associated with other Personalities such as Rick Mercer, Cachupoy, Scott Bailey, Bonnie Rotten, Francesca James, Park Ji Hoo, Doris Younane, Bailey Patrick, and Kirsty Lee Allan.