The first series of Dancing with the Stars premiered on 1 May 2005. The viewership hit around 730,000 and almost a million tuned into the final episode. It was won by Norm Hewitt and his partner Carol-Ann Hickmore, with 62.42% of the public vote. Shane Cortese placed second with 37.58%. In the semi-finals it was even closer with Hewitt winning 42.81% and Cortese winning 36.71% of the public vote. According to a TVNZ spokeswoman, 317,698 votes were cast for the final, of which 83,000 were 0900 calls, and the rest text messages. The series earned charities a combined total of more than $444,000, according to TVNZ.