It's in the news today, but it was actually on TV Reload the podcast last week. Don't welcome back guys to TV Reload. My name's Benjamin Norris and on this podcast I go behind the scenes with the biggest players in television.
Yeah, great questions.
The show's about the game. There's a lot of great television out there in Australia.
But I've also got to go behind the scenes with writers. The truth is, when I started writing it, it wasn't had nothing to do with the news and casting agents.
They know from a casting point of view what they need.
And editors because that's what we do as editors where storytellers. Not to forget some incredible executive producers who are making some of the best TV in Australia.
I have been on the program since the beginning and it's kind of in my DNA.
So thanks for joining me each week and I hope the podcast continues to give you real insight into the magic of television today. On the podcast, I have Angie Kent, who you might know as a darling of reality television from goggle Box to the Jungle, from the Bachelorette to the dance Floor. There isn't a network or production company that hasn't hit her up for a job in the last few years. Angie wears a heart on her sleeve and is one of the most relatable personalities on the
TV circuit. I feel like we have only just seen the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what Angie is capable of. And if you can't get enough of the Pine size Queenslander with her presence on Telly, you can catch her with her best friend ev Jones on their weekly podcast Two Girls, One Pot. Today we'll be talking Dancing with the Stars, which we'll see Angie
return to the popular format. The All Stars Juggernaut is on Channel seven Sunday night at seven point thirty, and while I've been lucky enough to see this week's episode ahead of this chat, I can't recommend enough the chance to watch Angie on Sunday Night perform with her partner as I'm still bump into the moves and will no doubt be rewatching it as that episode goes live. We will talk behind the scenes, future projects and all that's
in between. There's plenty more coming up in the chat, and without further ado, I'd like to welcome Angie Kent to TV reload.
When I was little, I would watch Dancing with the Stars Welcome You're Dancing by the Stars All Stars twenty twenty two. On the first episode, it looks like that we're having a punch.
Up time for reality star Angie Kent.
I'm never going to remember all these borhroom moves. So I'm looking at Angie now and she's just got this awesome energy about it. I think Edie and I would be up coming back for like us season. You've got something more to give and I want to see it. I think it's important to really just own who you are and just do you. Life's so short, and so I'm predicted more.
Hi, Angie, how are you?
I'm good, Benjamin, how are you? You know?
This is really strange doing a podcast with someone you know personally.
Yeah, because you have to be like professional. We're not too professional where it's like I know who you are. You don't have to talk to me like that.
I know, I know. And I should start by saying congratulations on your time on Dancing with the Stars. I couldn't be more excited for you.
I know, what a whirlwind. Here I was thinking I would a never get the opportunity to do it again because the first time was quite a I don't know, cluster fuck of sorrow. And then where I am doing it again two years later? Who would have funk it?
What made you say yes to returning to Dancing with the Stars or God?
I figured like, I was like, I'm gonna put my reality TV shoes up now because I've done you know, well not so many. I do three back to back, and I was kind of like, yeah, that's enough now. But then I thought dancing would probably be the only one that I would do because the first time round, I don't remember it at all because I was so exhausted got coming from the jungle bachelorette straight onto the dance floor. I hardly remember any of it, and I
just wasn't myself. I was a bad nerves So I was like, yeah, this is perfect, Like I get to do it and this time I get to remember it.
Well, I've been lucky enough to see this week's dance and I can't get over how good you were. I simply can't wait for Australia to see this.
Really proud of myself and I had so much more fun and I think that was the main point of me doing this is that I just wanted to have fun this time.
How much preparation did you put into this and what was your process like this time around? Was it different?
Well, it's such a completely different format. So Dancing with the Stars last time it was like, I think we had seven weeks maybe leading up to the first episode, where you only really learn one dance and then you
started your next one. But this time you had four weeks dancing full time with no like without the show, and then you have to learn seven dances in that four weeks because you never know when you're going to get voted off, So you know, I learned every single dance for each night, and its kind of just goes like one person goes one night, second or third night, four nights, so so fast, and you put in all this work. Literally you can be voted off the first night.
You already have six dances up to sleep, so it's pretty full off. You're exhausted by the time the show starts and the show's kind of over really quick.
What kind of commitment, like time wise, is involved with a show like this? Were you there every day.
You were doing so I flew in from Queensland straight into the pandemic. Sydney was in full lockdown at that point, so it was quite like daunting, and I was like, oh, do I want to leave a state where it's like we haven't been hit by the pandemic to go into Sydney's full lockdown. So you kind of just like went to the studio, came home to where they set you up in a hotel, and like that's all you do.
So I'd go to the studio at like nine and finish at like three or four, and I'd do that Monday to Friday, and then sometimes Saturdays we do like three or four hours. So you're really, really you're exhausted, and then you have one week to kind of learn the first dance, but then by the second week they're like, you need to start learning the second dance, the third dance, the fourth dance, the fifteenth just in case you stay
until the end. So by the time the show starts, you kind of forget your first dance and you got to kind of touch on it again. I don't even know how our brains remember it, but there must be something in the brain that just holds onto things. Because I was like, nah, I'm never going to remember all these borroom moves a little.
Bertie told me that as productions started, they gave the celebrities a chance to get out of the show due to COVID. You know, so for people listening to this podcast, they pre recorded Dancing with the Stars and it happened in New South Wales at a really hectic time of lockdowns. What when they offered you the chance to leave the show? What was that process like in your mind?
Yeah? That was so full on. So I actually wanted to take it, so I said. I spoke to Julian and I was like, I've got my movie premiere. It's my first movie, and I really like I promised to my director that I only took dancing if I could come back, and they made all the promises that i'd be back as well. We promised we'll get you back as soon as the show's done, You're back, and I
was like, all right, I'll sign the contract. But little did they know that Anastasia was going to shut the border and they gave us the opportunity that were like, lots of people are you can leave if you want, And I was like, all right, I'm going to call up and I'm going to check. So I applied to leave, and the day I applied, I did not get an
answer until the day I was allowed to leave. So even if I did apply, I still wasn't allowed to leave the state until I think it was I waited three months for an answer for her to say you can come back home.
Did anyone leave? Did anyone leave the commitment?
I think a lot of people, well a lot of them were from Melbourne, so they were able to leave. There was only me and I think three other professional dancers that they just said that they'd stay and they got stuck as long as I did as well, So there was four of us all up that got stuck out of our home state for three months, three and a half months.
It is such a huge commitment. I'm always interested if the celebrities know who their dancing partners will be. Did you know that Julian would be back to take you through the dances?
No, so I was. I knew I knew that I was. I mean, I don't think you're supposed to say that because we pretend we don't know, but we do know, because before you sign, they're like, oh, the beauty of this is you know, it's Dancing at the Stars, all Stars. So if you can be reunited with your original partner, it's kind of like a nice story behind that. Plus you get through the first, you know, awkward stage of having to get to know somebody quite personally quite quickly.
But I didn't have Julian for the first week. He had to do because he came from a hot spot. He had to do a week hotel quarantine in the poor thing. So I had a different dancer for the first week. So Julian and I only had three weeks together.
I know this is a little cheeky to ask, but I loved watching you in the background, knowing you as I do. You were very expressive with Julian. Did Is there a bit of a love hate relationship that happens with your dance partner?
Oh my god, Oh yeah, yes, so I did see you on the first episode. It looks like that we're having a punch up, like a verbal punch up, but when not, we were fully just that's just me talking. Just I'm so I use so much expression, which I'm surprised I can do because I've got so much photos. I talk with my entire high pace and I was looking and I was like, all that looks like I was cross. But we were literally probably just like bitching about me and I would have been just carrying off,
but we do. He was like, he's like my little brother.
I just love watching you be yourself. Is it quite surreal to see TV legends Darryl Summers and Sonya Krueger back on this show. Did this time feel more celebrated or more impactful because it was a return to that og brand.
Yeah. When I was little, I would watch Dancing with the Stars and I would just be like, oh my gosh, it's such a magical show. And it was a bit different when it was with ten. I think they tried to like really jazz it up and modernize it. But this type of show, it's ballroom. You don't need to like modernize ballroom. That's the beauty of ballroom is that
it's like old school and beautiful. So to be back there and have it like you know, Channel seven style with Sonya and Darryl, I was like I couldn't believe I was there. I felt it felt really weird. And then to meet Darryl, like I used to watch you on Hey, Hey, it's Saturday. I've never met Sonya before. It was super surreal.
Beast there with Darryl Summers. I can't even imagine what that would be like. But what did it feel like for you? And was there something that you took away from that experience?
Yeah, it was kind of like I had to I forget. You know, some of these people are probably so used to being around people like that. Even though I've been in the industry now for a few years post Google Box, I still pinch myself because I still am that girl that just you know, was from the Sunshine Cors, lived with her mate with seven dogs and watch TV Like that's still me at my core. So when I get to meet these people, I still see them as people that I watch on TV, even though I've been on TV.
Do you know what I mean? Like I'm chatting right now with Darryl. It's weird, Like I get all awkward and I say really stupid shit. I notice when I'm nervous, I either go really quiet, really polite, or I can't stop swearing. So I hope I didn't swear too much.
Well, there's the headline right there, and you can't swears. Darryl Summers I know.
If people would hate me, let's be the next thing is like, who swears at Daryl Summers? Ont of more of You.
Also got to see some pretty amazing celebrities that joined you on this series. Who was the most impressive to watch? You know? As you got to see the other dancers perform.
Oh my god, I was like a little school kid embarrassingly. This is why I got really nervous with Courtney Courtney Act. I've been watching Courtney Act for so long. I followed all of Courtney slash Shane's work when they were in London because I'm a massive London TV like I love all the English programs and like all the English reality TV. I'm a sucker for So when I got to meet Courtney in flesh and then obviously shame, I was just like, oh my god, Like what I had to call my
mum because we're obsessed with Courtney. That was the main one for me. I was like, I can't believe I get to dance. I wish I wasn't on the same team as Courtney. I mean, you can't compete with Courtney. Nobody cat.
I was watching Courtney's first dance and I think I texted you at the time, I felt like they must have needed special effects to get into some of those positions. What was it like to see that dance in the fleshy.
That's just Courtney. There was no special unless there's something different they've added that I haven't seen. But watching her and her partner, Josh, who I'm in love with, they're both so divine. Watching them together is just like watching pure magic. They're just sensational, and that the chemistry they have together, it's just magnetic, like it looks like special effects because it's just like real life. It's unfair. Nobody should have to dance next to Courtney and Josh it.
She just shouldn't be allowed.
And of course I want you to win, but you know, do you have a pick as to who you think is going to take out the competition?
I would I would like Courtney to win because I think that they definitely got rob the first time when they came when she came second. But there's so much talent this season, Like everybody is so good. David is amazing, Grant, Daniel is amazing. I reckon, yeah, out of Dave, Courtney or Grant, they're all so amazing to watch.
We should have that as Angie's footy tips, you know, like heard a bed on sports Bet.
Yeah, that's all hint for you.
So with Celebrity goggle Box returning, I really hope to see you and Evie back in that format. I think, you know, you both would have been great and it could have been a real full circle opportunity to acknowledge sort of how far you two girls have come. What are your thoughts on goggle Box and would you ever return to that show?
I love google Box actually doing twenty four hour goggle Box marathon on a pop up channel on Boxtel as we speak. So Evie and I have been watching it because I'm at home healing at the moment post surgery, and Evie and I have been watching it and just texting each other because I have forgotten how amazing that show is. I can't wait for Celebrity goggle Box. When I saw that they got the Erwins on there, I had to like hinch myself because I'm just obsessed with
the Irwins. I'm such a sticko for them. But yeah, like, look, I don't think Evie and I would be classified as celebrity goggle Boxes just because like, I don't know, I don't know would we I don't feel like we. I feel like we've just come back on as like Google Boxes. Again, I don't family. Goggle Box family would quite like us to be. I think they'd be like, wait a minute, why don't you just come back on and be with us, which I would probably prefer than the celebrity one.
You guys are celebrities now. You know you've been the Bachelorette, You've been a celebrity in the jungle. The proof is in that title. Did they ask you to come back to goggle Box for the celebrity edition?
I mean, they didn't ask us, but maybe if they did another one, I would be up for it. I don't know if it's too far gone now and they might be a little bit like, no, you left, so you can't come back. I don't know how they I mean, they let Adam and Simon come back for just the standard Google Box, so maybe they'd let us do celebrity. Maybe they'd let us do standard. I think Evie and I would be up for coming back for like us season. It'd be different because we know everybody we're judging now
or talking about. I watch some of it now and I'm like, oh, mate, Like you can't say that, Like I ring at my twenty six year old self, my twenty six year old undiagnosed celiac swollen face self. I'm like, ill shut your little tiny swollen face.
You know. Would have been fun is if Bidding came down with the flu and you had to fill in and that you were then sitting with the Irwins.
God, I would be so nervous and awkward, That's what I would be, really polite and I'd be like, yes, missus Irwin.
She's like, eh, I can imagine you'd be goggle boxing them in real life.
Awkward. I'd like, still staring at me, your sicker.
I also want to say, I'm really appreciative of how vocal you are about dating shows these days and talking about it on social media. Do you kind of feel like you have a lot to share with that community, with that reality TV community.
Obviously living it you gain more of an insight and then obviously being a view are it's two different things. I just feel like I'm one of those people that probably offers my opinion even if people don't want to hear it. It's just something I've always kind of done, and I get asked to do the recaps for things like Maths or The bachelorettam Bachelor, so obviously somebody wants to hear it, and I just go off plastic speriences or what I think of dating. I know it can
offend a lot of people, especially sis gender men. They hate my opinion that my audience isn't thought, isn't them. So if they don't like it, they don't look darling, just don't look.
But I kind of think that the way you've been able to find your voice is really important for women. You've been sort of paving a way for people who are in your audience to speak up.
I think so true. I feel like growing up I was so many women were told you have to just look good, don't talk back, think before you speak, And I think it's so great now that we don't have to do that, and you should say whatever you want, and you should act however you want to act, and do it for yourself, don't do it for some random dude that probably doesn't even know your last name. We don't need to live to serve the dudes anymore, do
you know what I mean? I think it's important to really just own who you are and just do you. Life is so short and so unpredictable. Everybody should just not take themselves so seriously and have fun.
Well, I guess it's kind of your thing. I mean, you don't take yourself too seriously. You can have an opinion and then you have a bit of a sense of humor about it. I guess that's probably why you've become like the darling of reality television, is that you're extremely accessible that way.
Well I hope. So. I know I'm not everybody's cup of tea, but you know, if you're not laughing with me, you can laugh at me, and I guarantee you're going to be doing either of those two. But you're laughing, So what's the problem. I'm not making you cry, so it should be a good thing really.
Okay, So this is a real naughty question as well. What would you like to see happen as the twenty twenty two Bachelor and Bachelorette seasons come back? You know, what do you think they need to do to the format? Because people are saying that it's going to get shaken up.
It's so tough because I feel as though the franchise is exhausted for sure. I think that well, My season and Matt ad New season was the last season before COVID hit, and ever since then, ratings have just been quite rubbish. I don't know if it's who they're picking or people are just over it because of COVID. They threw everything, what is that saying? The kitchen sink, everything in the kitchen sink, and the ratings were just like the worst. So I'm not sure what's going on. Maybe
people are just over it. I reckon. What they should do this year is give it a rest. I reckon, just have a solid year off and then people will be like, oh, remember how much we did enjoy Or they should pick people that actually want to fall in love and stop picking all these people that literally only want to go on for blue ticks because we've got
you know, Love Island and Maths for that. Whereas this show used to be a show where people actually did really fall in love, and it's sad that people just don't really stick together anymore.
I guess this is where the unrelatability of the format has formed, so to speak. You know, the fact that people were not authentically on the show for the right reason. I think they need to steer clear from people who want to be on the show for you know, notoriety.
I think so. And I also think back in the day, you know, when Sam Frost did Hers and Georgia Loved did Hers and there was someone else before was it? Sophie was after that, So that was kind of before it was like social media was huge and they weren't allowed to post much. I think Sophie's season social media started to get pretty big, but before social media was it was like more of the love stories and the men didn't get the blue ticks or the girls didn't
get the blue ticks. And then BIP came along and it kind of like you don't really know who's there for you, and then who's there to go on Bachelor in Paradise. So I think BIP really threw a spanner in the works with that as well.
We also need to talk about your acting. You started a feature film last year. Is this going to be the next act in your career? Are we going to see more of the actress side of Angie Kent?
No So. I studied film television behind the scenes because I always wanted to be a director, producer of theater. So I studied acting so I could be a really good director, which was so I don't know why I wanted to be in theater. I just the theater growing up, and not that I went to it because I was like four. But I don't know. I just loved it. And so I did study acting in Brisbane and over
in the States. I did a semester abroad and study performance and I had so much fun and I never you know, after that, I just worked behind the scenes and documentaries and marketing and producing, and then it kind of just happened. I guess maybe because I'm not really scared of the camera. I'd talk to it like it's my best friend. But it's so different to then act. I don't know if I'm any good. I can't. I don't know. I think I'm only good at being myself.
I don't know if I can really do other people very well. I'd give it a go.
Well, what did you think of watching yourself in your first feature film?
I need to watch it again, because when I watched it, I was still stuck in Sydney and I wouldn't go on the TV. So I had to watch my first frickin' movie on my laptop. It was so sad. I was so busy judging. It was so busy judging myself that I don't I think i'd pretty good. It's really hard to act scare. You can either look really ridiculous or can take it too far. So I think for a first time I was quite good, but I could still
see glimpses of myself. I was like, well, that's just me, Like, that's just me being a bit scared and a like a like a less kind of out there version of myself. I'd love to play something where I'm like a real bitch, or like just something that's so not me, like like a husband's stealing mole.
I think if Melroe's Place comes back and it was really tongue in cheek, you could be the next head a lovelier.
Oh my god, that'd be so fun. Look, I give anything a red hot go. If the opportunity comes up and it sits well within me and my gut, I'm like, you know what, I'm going to do it, and I'm going to have I'm going to have a bloody good time while I do it.
I guess this industry is so hard as well, and I think that sometimes people think everyone on television is just getting job after job and everything's sort of rolling a certain way, where an actual fact, it is really hard. How do you cope with rejection working in this industry? I mean, it can be brutal.
Because these last couple of years have been a little bit quieter. It kind of went so full on for me when I first left goggle Box and then the pandemic hit, and that was like always the work's always been quite consistent, which I've been lucky with. But I don't think there's ever been something that I've been put forward that I know of that I've been like, oh wow,
I really am sad I didn't get that. I always feel like if I don't get something, or if there's something that I want that hasn't been offered to me, that's just a sign from the universe, and I don't I don't want to get me down too much, not yet anyway, Maybe I will eventually.
I think it's important in our career that we need to roll with the punchers, and you know, not always believe that we're deserved to be cast or picked in shows, even when we want to be.
Well that's it. You can't ever expect that you deserve something or that's yours, because if you come into the industry thinking that, you are going to be wildly disappointed and let down because we know like how the industry works. It's just it can be ruthless and they've always got a bigger plan than we'll ever know, and you kind of don't want to tap into that because that's you're never going to know what they're thinking.
And aren't we lucky? Evie is always telling us we are always in the right place at the right time, and some things don't work out because you know there's something else waiting for us in the wings.
She's really good at things like that, and it's right, everything always pops up when it's supposed to because the universe kind of always lets you have your moments before big things come. I feel anyway.
And isn't it fun to have your own dial a counselor.
Yeah, she is good with stuff like that, isn't she?
To finish this podcast? Just a question I always ask all of my guests, what is something from behind the scenes that we as an audience didn't see that we might appreciate from dancing with the stars.
Oh okay, here's a little there's a little one. So for the second group with the girls. So obviously the boys have their own dressing room and the girls have their dressing room. And on my team, the team I was in was me, Olympia a Lance, Ricky Lee, Denny Hines, and Courtney at but so us the four girls got out, we had like this tiny little like obviously you get your hair and makeup done before, we had this like tiny little like dress room thing that we all shared.
And then Fortney had her own like tent set up for her in the side of the room, and I was like, oh wow, okay, so we all squished in here and there's court over there with her like deluxe tent, which I get because like Fortney does her.
Own makeup and she has her wig person come in and all her costuming, and I think she does a lot of stuff herself.
But it was just interesting to walk in and then Courtney has this like deluxe sweet and we've got thistle like tent that fits the restaurans.
In if they ever do like an Ultimate All Stars, you know what to ask for. I'll have the Courtney Sweet. Thanks.
Yeah, fully, it's like, I'm what Potney is having, but no one even questioned it, which I think is because obviously Shane becomes Courtney. So maybe Shane doesn't feel comfortable being in with the men or the world. I don't know, but they got their Oh maybe because her production is obviously so much more with the wigs and that everything's so immaculate, But it was. It was funny to see that we're all gemmed in like little sardines and all good old Courtney slash.
Shane's got the deluxe sweet.
I just want to say thank you so much for coming on TV Reload and talking to me about the behind the scenes of Dancing with the Stars, and for those people listening if you want to watch.
Yay, thanks for having me. Benjamin