Welcome to First things first, I'm Brookletting. My pronouns are she and her.
I'm Maddie meals. My pronouns are he and him. And before we get started, we'd like to acknowledge the custodians of the land on which we record and for both of us today it's the Gaddigel people of the urination. All right, let's get into it. So if you don't know who Denny is, get out. We don't want you to hear nah nah joking. But Denny has been an entertainer
since the age of seven, performing professionally ever since. She has global icon status and was honored in twenty twelve with the reveal of her very own wax figure at Madame Tusword Sydney. Now that is iconic.
Now it doesn't stop there. Get ready for a Hot Girl Summer as Denny Minogue plays Cupid to ten single ladies from the UK under the Italian sun, celebrating queer love. Oh my god, I love this already. Show is loud, proud, and starts with a kiss, oh my god, I feel like I lied to sign up with the newly matched couples putting their chemistry to the test as soon as they meet. Now, this premiered last Thursday on Binge and we're so excited to talk to Danny about it.
Oh, welcome.
Very much for that immense intro.
So hardly any of your listeners will know who I am, but yes, at the don't. I really hope everyone jumps on and watches I Kissed a Girl because it is epic.
You'll love it. It's really really wild.
The girls are matched, so we use psychologists to do the pre interviews with all of the girls. Who they're looking for, who they're not looking for. Try to have enough matches for the girls as soon as we arrive. At the Massaia in Italy, it's a sixteenth century sort of a farm chateau, kind of an Italian chateau that they would have used, you know, an epic building on a farm.
From the sixteenth century. So that's what it is.
Beautiful building made for romance and love, unshine. And these girls meet with a kiss, so they lock eyes.
There are no words to be spoken.
They walk from either side of this building they see each other.
It's so intense. It's a long walk.
I guess you've taken a lot about somebody's mannerisms, their confidence, how they stand. You can see their minds going, this is the right person?
Do I want to kiss?
Going? So that's so nervous.
You literally don't have to kiss. But the premise is that we feel like we're going to match them well enough that they would want to. So we've never not had a kiss. A lot of couples will go back for a second kiss, and then it's kind of like, I guess how we used to meet, like in a nightclub, So there's no apps, there's no pre anything. So you go to a club, see someone you fancy, and you you know, mosey on over on the dance floor and you end up kissing and then you're like, Hi, what's
your name? Where you're from? So it's kind of that that premise.
I feel like I'm a traditionalist in that way still for my dating life, I'm not a big app user. I'm someone who would like to be in the club block eyes with someone, feel that chemistry, have a kiss, and then go from there. I've always been that way. It's how I met my first partner and how I hurt my second partner. So I feel like if I'm ever single and you do I kiss a Boy Again, I'm there.
Do you think you've ever ever come to Australia, Dunny.
I think that the more eyeballs that are on this, like obviously every country would want to know, you know, is there an appetite for it. I think you will love these British girls. There's so many different accents from all over the UK, so so attractive.
Like I looked at the trailer and I was like obsessed because they're so different and they're like all extremely attractive in their own like unique way.
That's something that I actually recognized from watching I Kissed a Boy was the diversity and it wasn't about exterior superficiality. I really felt like the characters that have been chosen and the people that were a part of this group, they were there for love. It wasn't really a superficial love, you know, like one of those shows where it's all about the looks. I felt like people were genuinely there
for the love. And I feel like that's probably you know, the rigorous audition process if you figure that out right.
It's a big part of the casting is to not choose people that have gone to other auditions for reality shows full stop let alone dating reality, and we do a lot of researching through social platforms to find specific people and sometimes they'll be like, oh, I don't know, I don't know if this is for me. And they're beautiful people to see because they're not those people who are like yes, TV, give me this and then we're going to get these deals and get a manager and all that.
It's really about them out.
Yeah, I want to find love and I don't know how to cope with all the cameras and all of that. So and BBC three are very famous for having RuPaul's drag race, so it feels like it's a nice home and a good fit. And then they've got an amazing care team, like leading up for the show, full time on set and for a year afterwards. There are three people that can contact twenty four hours a day anything that might concern them or come up. We are so
fiercely protected them. Obviously, for the boys, it was the first time ever in the UK for a gay dating show, so there's a lot on their shoulders, not only their whole community looking at them, but a wider viewing audience. Then when the girls stepped forward, it felt so fresh again because you know, they were saying to me, they they're not that visible on TV as just real people.
Like sure, they might have seen a couple of characters on some TV shows growing up, but everyone we're coming in contact with at the moment is like, oh, I really wish I had a show like this growing up. So they're not your typical reality show people. They are looking for love. They bring themselves and we offer just this really safe open space. So for the boys we crewed up, it'd be over ninety percent gay guys in
their crew. There were some lesbians and then a couple of straight people, which I say that is they feel so.
Secure and safe.
And then same we did with girls, So it was ninety percent a queer lesbian crew. And they that the crew at the best time because they were like, we've had this experience. We will probably never get this again unless we can get booked, you know, so in case this series comes back and you know, all of those girls are fighting to get a position on the crew
because it's just so unusual. So we're resetting the standards for what it should be, what it should look like, how it should feel, and it's wold because you've got that safe, open space then the stories evolve. I learned so much and there wasn't one person on the crew on both the boys and the girls. And I'm walking up to all the queer crew members and asking them genuinely, is there anything like saying that I learned a lot? Is there anything that you didn't know? What was this?
Like?
You knew all of this.
There wasn't one person that said that they didn't learn anything. It's very fresh and very new and I think very needed because people need to see themselves on TV, in film, in television to feel, you know, comfort and accepted and proud.
What a beautiful thing like that is really authentic representation, right and creating a safe space like we even know about that when it comes to First Nations communities and how much safer and inclusive it is when you have mob around you know, it's that same connection. But I do want to ask you you've had such an affiliation and such and a really strong connection with the queen
community during your career. There is something that us gays latch onto about incredibly talented, amazing you know women, and you're one of them. I suppose that you know the community has just uplifted do you feel that love and do you do you know why there is that connection.
It's always a question I get asked. It's always one that I'm not sure how to answer it because it's such an energy, it's such a feel. I feel it and I love it, and it's the space that I want to be in. So I've always been drawn to that space. But to them be embraced by the community is incredible. And then over this long relationship that we've had, working out ways that we can hold and uplift each
other and give back and celebrate together. It's been really incredible and one that I didn't know would lead to this, but it felt so right when this came across my path and they're like, they said, have you ever have you ever matched up any friends before? And I said, actually, one of my besties that I write music with. We were on tour together and we rolled into a town and he locked eyes with this guy and he was like, can he please come on the tour bus just like before?
We like that would be just airpic and I'm like flex, I'm like, okay, I've never seen you like this before, so oh okay, And they ended up together. They got married and they said, you're our kipper. Without that tour and you saying yeah, come on the two of us, that wouldn't have happened. So this friend I contacted and when I got this job of hosting this show, and
I'm like, this is happening now. He comes from Belfast in Ireland, growing up around a lot of very strong religion and really not feeling that he could ever be himself until he moved to London. That's where I met him, and his life flipped and changed. When I told him what was happening in this reality show, he said, I have to write the theme tune.
I have to write it.
The full body effect of Oh my god, imagine little Ian and Belfast having seen this as a kid, and it's so emotional. And this is all wrapped up with my friends and long life together and so many things. Another friend of mine in Sydney was very scared to come out and trust it in me that he was gay and wondered how he was ever going to navigate that, and was convinced that his family would disown him and it would be horrible, And I just was there to support him and to try and make him feel safe.
Eventually he chooses his moment. It was based around Marty Grass. So that is a very I think important festival where people either come together to celebrate or use that as at this incredible moment to move forward in their lives and to be surrounded by the community. And so now every Marti Gras that comes up, that's celebrated each year as if that was his first year of being himself. And so there's this so much like linked when I arrive on set to do my job hosting, which sounds.
Slash cute but boring, it's very, very emotional.
When I first met you, Danny, I feel like you have just this beautiful I actually got stopped in the street today from some I actually cannot remember her name, but we worked on a job a couple of months ago, and she asked me what I was doing today, and I was like, I'm just getting prepared and ready to actually go into view Danny, and we're both sort of conversing of how warm and how beautiful your energy is.
That it's just so nice to hear like other people feel the same way as I do in terms of when getting to meet you, how welcoming you are.
Thank you and you too, both of you, like you've drawn to people right and you you buzz off their energy and connect and you see it coming through people's eyes and a glow.
You know, It's like an acceptance in so many other ways too, Like I feel like we're talking about Marti Garr and like queerness and seeing representation and seeing diversity on these shows. It's just like you feel like immediately, I just feel like immediately accepted into something where I belong. And I grew up not having a lot of places to belong to, and I feel like coming into my adult life, there is just so many communities that I'm a part of that makes me feel so accepted and
like loved. And I think that's like our biggest you know, our biggest passion is to share that with people and to like converse and have conversations who feel the same way. And I feel like, yeah, we're really excited about the show. I mean, Danny, you've been a part of my life probably longer than you can even imagine.
I just feel like you just know me from the basketball. We hang out at the end and it's like I don't know.
Wait, no I am no, No, I just mean as in, like there have been moments where your name has like been in my life, Like I think when I was even working. This is going to sound so silly, like, but you know, even when Maddie intro and you're you know, part of like creating this like petite clothing, you know, designs from Target, Like I used to have to wear them, like and I'd have your like name tag.
You even remember, you know, I mean I remember the launch at that range.
I still think I have a pants suit from that, Like from that launch, I honestly sweam. But that's what I mean. Like, You've been a part of our lives for so long, and I just feel like, you know, you in your life, you've probably changed and you've probably evolved, but in my eyes, like I feel like you're just like this vibrant, loving person that I've known seeing on my on my TV or like seeing now in person. But it's just like it's just a bit of a spinout. I'm not having a fangirl.
Moment, but I'm doing the best compliment I could ever ever get.
That is so high. Thank you.
I'll let you know something. Brook came in here only a couple of weeks ago, once she had had a conversation with you at the basketball and it was an amazing moment. Yeah, Brook light up so much. She said that she felt really seen by you. And I think that that's like something that is your superpower. And I
think that you know, that moment really inspired you. And I think that without us knowing, you know, you know, we also do the same thing for other people, but sometimes you don't get to they don't get to tell us, or we don't get to tell them. So you know, we want to let you know that you know the moment, Yeah, that was a moment for Brooke, and it.
Was you feel the energy to be with someone, to hang out with them, to be around them. But sometimes I feel like a real mission that I've got to say something and I'd love I'd love that you've received it and you're like.
Oh okay, And it felt like it landed. It was like a little light bulb moment.
Have you needing to hear something to go Okay, I'm ready. I'm so ready to make this happen now.
It's so crazy. Yeah, Like, I mean that moment for me, it was like so what I needed to hear. And I guess in my life like I don't have many people other than Maddie and like my team and you know, really close friends and family that would understand those experiences and then like what I'm doing and like you know, like what we're doing in our life and the craziness of it sometimes and what.
A beautiful visualization of giving your nerves to someone else. I'm taking that into my life.
It's actually worked, Daddie. I have to say it has really worked because I obviously I'm been on set more recently in yesterday and and last week. I've had a few seas and tomorrow is my like really big emotional scene, but I haven't been like one part nervous. Yeah, I gets so good, so thank you. It's just like I don't know, it's just here. You take the good.
Bits, you take the energy, and you savoring that moment and it's something that you're passionate about that you want to do. Otherwise you wouldn't be there because you've got to open yourself up to so much around you to make that happen. That you know, there's some stuff that you just got to park that until you know, it's almost nice to finish a scene or finish a show and come off and whosh, the nerves can come over there and it just turns into energy and excitement and
then takes agents to come down from that adrenaline. But yeah, you can just assign them to someone. So it's like checking off a list that is done and the other person is really fully committed to taking them. It's a done deal. And we made that deal. We shook on it. We were like, this is what's happening. The only other person I've done that with is Kylie.
Wow, Well, I want to ask you, you know, it's getting to the end of the year. We we you know, always talk about how you know, it varies in terms of traditions and what people do at this time of year. But family, what is it like a monogue Christmas? Like, are you going to see Kylie? Do you hang out with a fam What's what's the end of view for you?
Look like it would be a full family Christmas, very much centered around our grandma, who is turning one hundred and five next week.
What yeah, oh my god, I need your genetics.
Is amazing.
So she's a real cutie, she's totally with it and you know, just just wonderful and we're just enjoying that she's already been, you know, getting into the Christmas spirit with a Santa hat on, and she's really like.
Sassy and naughty.
Like she will just like sit there and not say anything and then just throw out this one liner that will flow everyone. It's yeah, so's she's the sassy one out of the family for sure.
Like my mom used to say, she would get.
So embarrassed when her mum would come to school because she was so sassy with everything that she said. And now she loves it, you know, to have it a sassy you know, mum, who's that soult?
Who's that old? Is pretty cool? So you're pretty low key, so, you know, keeping energy.
Just you know, calm and yeah, there's my brother's got two sons. I've got one son, so kind of very boy orientated. The basketball will come out, so we'll be shooting hoops and you know, lots of Christmas music and you know, just normal open presence, eat too much, Yeah, yeah, yeah, how about you guys.
I'm going home for two days. I've realized that sometimes you have to put boundaries in with family and if you can only handle two days, it's two days. You know. I've become to an age where I feel like sometimes you really have to protect what you've worked really hard for in terms of maybe peace in your life. And sometimes in my situation, I feel like, you know, going home with family for too long can sort of disturb that. And I think it's just growing and maturing and realizing that,
you know, boundaries are important with family. So I'll be with them for two days and lap it up for the forty eight hours and then back to Sydney. What about you, Brooke?
Similar Actually I'm normally the organizer. I usually get all my family together, you know, pay for them to all kind of come from wherever they are to be in one spot. But this year is very different. I'm sort of spending it alone, which is so fine. I'm actually okay in Melbourne. A few of my friends have actually imaged me to their family Christmas beautiful, so I might, you know, last minute sort of take up to your totally.
But yeah, my family fly day to La.
Yeah, so I'm boxing Dome. I'm going to lay so.
You can't have a big one anyway. So maybe it's the good year to do it. Came by yourself, take your energy, you know.
I need to get into the Christmas spirit. Maybe this will like give me a little kick in the bum because I feel like I'm being a bit of a grinch lately.
I'm not going it kind of feels like that, Like I hate to admit it because I'm like really big on traditions and getting into spirit and I love music and I love dancing, and I you know, get everyone sort of hyped and excited.
Like last year, I bought like Crocs for everyone, you know, like they loved it.
I couldn't get Crocs any really for my son. Everything was.
I bought them all like if you're yeah, they were all for boys as well, so probably, but you know, I had to buy them all from like separate places, and like bought all the little you know, like the gibbets. Yeah, yeah, I'm sure your son is into the gibbits. Got a little Aboriginal flags for each one as well, and like I personalized them. They're pretty cool, you know, Like my brothers had like vegimie on it, and like my other brother had like a gaming thing because he's into gaming.
Like I really personalized, but I remember my brother's face just like side note, Hey, they act like they hate Crocs and I actually actually.
People wear them.
Yeah that said anti Croc Croc club and so it was perfect. So I put them all on them and then when they opened seeing their faces was hilarious.
Was anyone wearing crocs Onista girl?
Probably in the crew, Yeah for sure.
Yeah, it's so comfy, right, it's good for I don't.
Know how like are though, like for real, they're not like work boots. Yeah, yeah, the Aussie work boot exactly.
Yeah, but we are, we are. I'm getting the wrap up by our wonderful producer. We do want to say thank you so much Danny for jumping on. First things first, it's been a thrill for us to have you on here. I mean it's a it's a massive get for us.
Just so you know, thank you.
I feel very very welcome and I'm just I'm so happy to be here. Thank you for inviting me. And we've got to host you when you come to Melbourne.
Yes, yeah, I would love to take it down.
Yeah yes the twenty third they're playing, so if you're around, could be going back to Melbourne.
I also need a team to follow.
United, okay, Melvin United, what the hell?
You can have a Sydney team as well.
That's all right, I'm rolling my eyes. Thanks. I'm so excited. Also for the show. We will put the show link in the show notes. Thank you were so excited. I mean I am for that. That representation of queerness and love. You know, I kind of love that well.
And I have to catch up with you once you watched all the episodes.
Yes, so we can debriek.
Yes, we need to debrief on it.
And we need to know who's still single. Yeah, and you can play Cupid for me.
And then you need to come to London.
Yes, I did say.
I need to what a plan. I love that and I'll just be in the bag.
Actually another side note, and I make it for sure. I was talking to a friend and we said, we want to claim you, guys's mob. So you and Kylie, we want to claim you. So we're going to call you the Minigues. So your mob, it's like it's like a black fellow name, like you know, claimed.
We were told that Kylie was the original yeah for boomerang.
Okay, and it's actually a normal word.
There you go.
So that's that's your tribe.
We're family. Now let me go. Thank you, great day. Thanks the gugs for coming.
M