“Jay-Jay Harvey and Enrique Johns please take to the floor!!”
These are words that Jay-Jay is still coming to grips with after being talked into taking part in Dancing with the Stars NZ 2015.
“At first I said no as I thought it wouldn’t be cool. I didn’t think I would have the time and I had no interest at that time. Then I got talked into it by Dom and my best friend and my boss. So I decided – oh fine I’ll do it – and now I love it!!
Jay-Jay and Enrique have spent many hours together rehearsing with Enrique talking leave from his job to ensure his full focus is on the show.
“It’s been SO tough. It is completely out of any realm of anything I have ever done before. I’m uncomfortable …..
Enrique jumps in and adds “You are out of your comfort zone! She likes to be the boss!!”
Jay-Jay bursts into laughter and admits “yea I like to be the boss.”
“In dancing you let the man be the boss and it’s really something I am trying to get used to. It’s just like each dance is so different and you learn a completely all new set of steps and skills. Oh gosh – It’s hard work!!
“It is just SO HARD. Sometimes I just can’t get what Enrique is trying to teach me. I just don’t get it and then he makes me go over and over and over and over it until I am blue in the face or red in the face as the case may be.
“Sometimes I just get over it as I am so tired. I get up at 4 in the morning and do my radio show. I get home about 11:30, get changed and go straight to dancing then get home about 7:30 at night. My life is the Edge and dancing and nothing else right now.”
Week one showcased Enrique’s clever choreography and music choice as viewer’s saw Jay-Jay’s sexy, naughty, cheeky personality along with her talented dancing skills as she stepped onto the stage in her gorgeous “army” costume.
“Enrique did a great job, the choreography was awesome. He is very patient waiting for me to learn all these steps which are completely outside of my comfort zone.
“I was quite lucky because my costume was made for me. So it was fitted to my size and everything so that was quite cool.”
Enrique adds “It was designed by Candy Lane.”
“I swear I was seconds from bursting into tears at the end. I felt so much relief that it was over. (She nervously giggles.) Seriously most of that was just nerves. I was like wow everyone is going crazy. I couldn’t believe it. I don’t know it was a little bit of a blur. It’s all a little bit surreal actually.”
Even though she appears as the ever confident, mischievous radio announcer there is a fragile side to her too.
“I’ve watched it a couple of times and it makes me cringe a little bit as I did stuff up a couple of bits of the dance. I think it is a little bit obvious when you watch it back.”
Enrique adds “You owned it though!”
“I really don’t like looking at myself. I’ve got to get over that. I thought I did look fat but that’s fine I will get over it. It’s just my usual insecurities.”
She quickly says “Enrique – you don’t need to respond!” as she bursts into giggles.
Jay-Jay struggled to believe what she was hearing from the Judges as they gave their comments.
Candy Lane scored 7 and said “Usually I can’t take my eyes off a man in uniform but Jay-Jay I could not take my eyes off you honey! You sold that sucker all the way.”
Stefano Olivieri scored 6 and said “I loved it from the start to the finish. You just might turn me Jay-Jay. You have gone from the comic queen to the dance queen and I salute you.”
Hayley Holt scored 7 and said “I knew you would have the charisma for this Jay-Jay but boy you have the moves as well. That was fun and sassey! You blew it out of the park. You were born for this!”
“I couldn’t believe it I was actually waiting for some sort of criticism and there wasn’t any. I was like WHAT this is a joke right? Some sort of joke?? I just couldn’t believe it. I was so overwhelmed by everything. It was such a surreal moment.
“You have to realize that all 10 of us contestants were terrified as we had no idea what it was going to be like. None of us have danced before and all so new at it. It was scary. It was so nerve racking it was unbelievable.
“But after you just finished the dance you are stuffed. Your mind is like all over the place. I don’t know but I just expected them to give us some criticism or whatever. It was all good – so it was pretty awesome.”
With only a term of hiphop one night a week Jay-Jay’s dance card is pretty empty but with Enrique’s help and support they certainly showed they are capable dancers.
“My Mum and my Nana were dancers so maybe I just have some sort of natural rhythm. I have no idea – does that go genetic or what? She says as she laughs.
Enrique is very modest and says it was hard teaching her at certain points.
“Learning the steps was probably the hardest bit but that is just down to repetition. All I really do is teach her the steps and she does the rest. You can’t really say it is all hard if you know what I mean? It’s had its challenges.”
Jay-Jay cuts him off and asks “Challenges? What challenges? Do you hear that rubbish he is saying about me?” As they both start laughing.
“I love it. It’s hard though. I am tired all the time and sore but I really love it. It’s just such a cool feeling when you do it. Being with Enrique is awesome fun. He is like my new best friend, my brown sugar! (She bursts into giggles)
The sparring between the two is contagious and is further fuel for more colourful costumes and spectacular dances still to come.
“The first costume was really, really cute. I don’t know what my second one is yet. Someone else is making it and I haven’t even been for a fitting so I have no idea but everyone else’s costumes just look so cool.
“There are just racks of really amazing dresses half of which I probably won’t wear because they are a little bit revealing.”
Dancing with the Stars NZ airs on TV3 Sunday at 7pm and Monday at 8pm.
You can vote for Jay-Jay at Enrique and support Fertility NZ by texting Jay-Jay to 3999.