M-Net on Dancing with the Stars SA: No confirmation of a 2nd season yet, says 1st season was 'crazy, chaotic, fun, scary, but so rewarding' - and brought the magic back for us.

M-Net (DStv 101) says it can't as yet confirm that there will be a second season of Dancing with the Stars South Africa but the pay-TV broadcaster's head of local content described the just-concluded first season of the BBC's glitter floor dance format's revival on M-Net, produced by Rapid Blue, as "a mixed bag" that was "crazy, chaotic, fun and scary but most of all rewarding" - and a show that "brought the magic back for us".

This past Sunday night, Kaye-Ann Williams, the head of local content and independent films for M-Net channels; Kee-Leen Irvine, managing director and executive producer at Rapid Blue; and winning dance pair Connell Cruise and Marcella Solimeo did a Q&A with the media at a press conference immediately after the conclusion of the live broadcast of the Dancing with the Stars SA first season finale on M-Net.

TVwithThinus asked Kaye-Ann Williams whether M-Net will be doing a second season and if so, when it will be scheduled.

"I can't confirm a second season just yet, we will go through a process and then make a decision after that," said Kaye-Ann Williams, the head of local content and independent films for M-Net channels at the press conference.

"With regard to the first season of Dancing with the Stars SA I think we started discussing this mid last year, and Jan du Plessis, M-Net channels director is such a fan of Strictly Come Dancing UK and so is Yolisa Phahle, CEO for general entertainment at MultiChoice, and so am I, that just, you know, the dream of being able to do this seemed quite big."

"So when we started our discussions we knew that doing this would be dependent on various 'ingredients' - the right judges, the right celebs, the right professional dancers, producers and all hands on deck."

"So this past season has been a mixed bag for us. It has been crazy, it has been chaotic, it has been fun and it has been scary. But most of all it has been so rewarding. Because in its entirety - from the cast and crew to the dancers and the pro dancers - everyone had been 100% committed."

"We are extremely proud of what has been accomplished by this entire group. From episode to episode you watch it, you analyse it, you ask 'what can we do better?', 'how can we raise it?', 'how can we raise the bar?' We constantly asked ourselves that and challenged each other to do that."

"So it was very robust as well in terms of raising the bar, so I feel, just as a brand exercise for M-Net, it brought the magic back for us," said Kaye-Ann Williams.

"For me it was one of our wildest dreams come true and we are extremely, extremely proud of what this entire production and this entire team has accomplished."

"Also the type of leadership that Kee-Leen Irvine has provided to this production - she is an executive producer of note. Uncomparable. And I'm so proud to work with Kee-Leen - you have been so committed and absolutely collaborative, and such a joy to work with and I am so proud of what you have accomplished and it's because you've steered the ship this way."

Kee-Leen Irvine said "there's certainly an appetite - South African viewers love local versions of international formats and their shiny floor shows so we do them well, I think, especially when we have the support of a client like M-Net".

"So we will always continue to do those, alongside the original local programming that Rapid Blue also does."

"This really, really has been the highlight of my producing life and I think all of the cast as well. We've learnt so much. And a lot of that learning has come from Jason Gilkison - he stretched us."

"I've had the most supportive client in M-Net that I've had in my entire life, and I'm going to get tearful, but from Yolisa Phahle to Jan du Plessis, and Kaye-Ann Williams and Terja Beney (commissioning editor), what you can do as a producer with the right client behind you, and the right team alongside you, it's just been phenomenal," said Kee-Leen Irvine.

"As a production company, every single person has walked away enriched on a number of levels through being involved with this show".

Choreographer and judge on the Jason Gilkison who also served as Dancing with the Stars SA's creative director, at the press conference said "it was an absolute joy to be here".

"The team that was assembled by M-Net and Rapid Blue were just so incredible to work with. And no matter what I said as creative director, there was never a question of 'there's no way we can do that".

"Everybody just threw all 100% of themselves into this. And it was a beautiful situation to be in as a creative director because suddenly every week we were all doing stuff we were so proud of. And it was just a lovely experience for me," said Jason Gilkison.

Lani Lombard, M-Net's head of publicity, said M-Net won't be releasing any voting results for Dancing with the Stars South Africa and that the new voting system that was introduced whereby viewers first had to register before they could vote was a highly secure and massive TV voting improvement.

"We had no glitches whatsoever throughout the season of Dancing with the Stars SA for live voting. This is incredible, if you look at the history of live voting, and in this country the problems that you had in the past with delayed voting, or volumes or technical failures. This is really a secure, controlled voting mechanism. We knew exactly how many people were registered and it made the process easier."

"And because of this we can move forward and do more live shows with live voting. Live voting just makes a TV show so much more exciting because anything can happen. We are completely convinced by the new voting system. It was just so errorless and so easy to compute," said Lani Lombard.

Duck! Sushi! Pasta! French Macarons! The food at M-Net's Dancing with the Stars SA afterparty in 12 photos - and why the chef didn't want me to snap the hamburgers.

Following the live broadcast finale of Dancing with the Stars South Africa on M-Net (DStv 101) this past Sunday evening where Connell Cruise won, it was followed by a press conference and then a VIP afterparty on the mezzanine lounge and pool deck at the Southern Sun Hyde Park Hotel in Johannesburg.

It's here where M-Net treated the media, sponsors and ad execs, TV executives and producers, the contestants, their family members and the professional dancers to an utterly unbelievable party that stretched late into the night with an open bar where wine and drinks flowed, together with a profusion of food stations all through the lounge area - all with different, dazzling premium food offerings staffed by chefs.

All of it was too much to take in - literally and figuratively.

While guests mingled, clinked glasses and grazed on the vast buffet organised by M-Net, guests in their finest evening wear would glide from food station to food station, where chefs would on-demand literally serve up their' every food whim and desire: from Peking duck and sushi, to every sort of pasta permutation.

On offer were the very best sea food on the one side, juxtaposed with ready-to-serve sliders - or you could "custom-make" your very own hamburger or chicken burger with straw chips. Or how about dipping into the hanging trays dessert "table" or other dessert stations whenever you want.

How about a brandy cocktail/nightcap with a dash of lemon? Or a smorgasbord of decadent cheeses?

A vast array of sauces and condiments, salads and breads were literally everywhere as part of a delectable, premium spread - a veritable ready-to-eat "food market" everywhere you turned to at the Dancing with the Stars SA afterparty.

It was unbelievable.

Afterwards some journalists, when everyone talked about who ate what, several mentioned that they totally missed some food stations and didn't see it all - completely overwhelmed by the daunting number of food choices.

At the hamburger station next to the pool, the one chef got a bit angry-annoyed ("testy" would probably be a better word) with this journalist who seemingly didn't eat or do anything other than snapping away and taking photos.

"No, wait. Why are you taking so many photos?" he asked. I explained I'm a journalist covering the event.

"But I see you taking photos of empty serving plates. Can't I just fill it up? If I put more here [hamburger station photo below] then the photo looks better?"

I nicely said, "no it's not necessary, thanks". But then the chef became forceful, not backing away into the background but basically almost insisting that I stop taking photos until more mini-hamburgers have been put on the trays.

Meanwhile right next to it, people could also make their very own burgers from all of the separate ingredients as well. I fully understood the chef - he wanted "perfect" photos. For him a full, beautifully full plate of food is perfection.

I said: "You know what, even better than a full plate of food, is an image showing that some of the food is already gone. It shows that people are actually liking it, enjoying it and that they're eating it. And they're taking it because they want it."

He suddenly nodded and asked if he could make me hamburgers but I said no, it's fine I can, and I specifically stayed here and ate several hamburgers I made, together with chips (and a glass of red wine) to show him how much guests are enjoying and munching on the food.

It's the only food at this event I actually ate (sorry ducks!) and it was perfectly lovely, while I talked to several TV producers and executives, stars and other journalists.

Before the afterparty, in an adjacent room, M-Net held its Dancing with the Stars SA press conference.

M-Net also had drinks and food here for the press as well - and it looked beauuutiful. I didn't eat here at all but had a cooldrink can of something, although some journalist tucked in. The food presentation was perfection.

INTERVIEW. Actor Eden Classens on his Dancing with the Stars SA journey: 'The whole experience was difficult but it's something that you got addicted to. It was fun.'

On Sunday night actor Eden Classens didn't win Dancing with the Stars South Africa during the live finale but ended up as one of the two runner-up couples together with actress Zola Nombona.

Just after the live finale broadcast on M-Net (DStv 101) TVwithThinus caught up with Eden Classens who spoke about his disappointment about not winning, but how much he enjoyed being part of the show and learning to be a dancer.

Eden Classens shared what he thought about the judges, his professional dancing partner Ash-Leigh Hunter, what he learnt and discovered about himself, how his body changed, and what he didn't expect would happen when he signed up to become part of the show.

Is there anything that you would have done differently during the course of the show?
No. We did everything we could. We had a great night, we had a great season; great support. We did everything we could.


What was the experience like for you being part of this show?
I grew as a person. It was actually life-changing and I learnt a few things about myself that I didn't know and I became a dancer, so it was an absolutely amazing experience. It's something I will treasure for the rest of my life.

How was the experience of getting a body harness strapped around your body and straps through your legs and around your thighs - in addition to wearing ballroom dancing clothes in the finale, and then being hoisted up with wires and dropped down for the one dance number?
Oh, it was a lot of fun.
Uhm, I mean, for a guy the strapping isn't very comfortable I would say, but it was a lot of fun and it was very cool to be able to make such an entrance.


Can you talk to me a bit about the trust relationship between you and your dance partner and how that grew over the course of the show for someone that you met and didn't know at all when you started?
Ash-Leigh Hunter and I are very similar people.
We have the same work ethic, we had the same goals, and we're very similar in the way that we approach things and we just clicked from the start and it was very easy to work with her.


What did you think of the judges?
The judges were great, they were very informative and their critique were always on point about what we could work on and it was great to get feedback from professionals like that.

What was the hardest for you?
The whole experience was difficult but it's something that you got addicted to. It was fun.
I think the hardest for the whole season was not winning tonight.


How did your body change?
I lost 12 kg and I became super fit; much more supple, much more able to do specific movements you can't do when you've got a lot of muscle on.


What did you not expect about this journey?
I didn't expect to fall in love with dancing.
I thought it was just going to be doing routine after routine, and I think tonight in the finale it became full-circle, especially with my freestyle dance. It was just amazing to have that emotional journey in such a song and I didn't expect that at all.

When will you be back at Atlantic Studios in Cape Town and resume your role on the set of kykNET's Suidooster?
I'm not allowed to comment.

[Suidooster tells me Eden Classens will definitely be back in his role as Justin Potgieter and confirms that he will be back on set on 1 May and will be seen on TV again from the end of June.]


What did you learn about yourself?
Well, I've learnt that I'm a very hard worker.
I've learnt that if I set my mind to something and I want to achieve something, that I can achieve it.
And I've learnt that you're going to get knock down a lot in your life, and you just have to stand up and keep on working hard and if you work hard enough, you'll get there.

INTERVIEW. Actress Zola Nombona on her Dancing with the Stars SA journey: 'I went in fearlessly and I had the time of my life'.

On Sunday night actress Zola Nombona didn't win Dancing with the Stars South Africa during the live finale but ended up as one of the two runner-up couples together with actor Eden Classens.

Just after the live finale broadcast on M-Net (DStv 101) TVwithThinus caught up with Zola Nombona who spoke about how the show that she expected would be "rosy" became a personal challenge to grow, that she didn't realise how really difficult the dancing competition show would be, what she thought about the judges - and revealed the one thing she was scared of, but lied so she could get to do it.

Is there anything that you would have done differently during the course of the show?
Sjoe. Maybe ... Nothing comes to mind. I did my best.
I dived very deep into spaces that I never even thought existed. Maybe if I were to go back, I'd go in with more vigor, I guess. At this point I believe I gave it my all, but there's always space for more growth, for more work. So I would go with that extra 2% of more vigor.


What has the experience of being part of the show been like for you?
Absolutely crazy.
I was not expecting it to be this intense. I just thought it was going to be a fun journey, like dancing and being with fun people. Then it was this very serious competition, that was not only demanding physically but pushing me mentally as well.
But Dancing with the Stars SA is just great if you want to push yourself - if anyone wants to find out exactly what capabilities they have, outside of their comfort zone, then you should really do something like this.


How was the experience of getting a body harness strapped around your body and straps through your legs and around your thighs - in addition to wearing ballroom dancing clothes in the finale, and then being hoisted up with wires and dropped down for the one dance number?
That was a highlight for me, for my whole journey!

It's something I had never done before. I was asked beforehand "are you afraid of heights?" and deep down I knew it was a "yes", but when I looked them in the eyes I said "no" because I knew this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I would never have a chance again to do something like this in such a big show and such a big production again. So I went in fearlessly and I had the time of my life.

Can you talk to me a bit about the trust relationship between you and your dance partner and how that grew over the course of the show for someone that you met and didn't know at all when you started?
I think in a journey like this, you just have to throw yourself in at the deep end and I think I built that trust early on in this competition.
We always trusted each other on what we can do and can do together. Our trust definitely grew., I must say. I think we were meant to dance together, you know. I made a great friend and a great brother with Tebogo Mashilo and I think the next person he's going to be dancing with will be a very lucky girl!


What did you think of the judges?
I loved our judges, oh my goodness! They were the most amazing people.
They are so diverse in the different aspects of dance which I think really helped us as dancers. Every time we left the floor, one had something practical, something that you learnt metaphorically as well - that you had to go and figure out yourself as well.
Sometimes I left with "I don't know what she's saying right now!" but sooner or later it would click, hey.
Ja, so I loved them, they're amazing people, and they were great.


What was the hardest for you during the course of the show?
The most difficult thing was the discipline of the dancing, you know.
Coming from a career space that is demanding, but going into one that is physically demanding, one had to grow some form of mental tenacity and physical tenacity to compete in a competition like this.

What did you not expect from this journey?
I didn't expect it to be so tough, I must say.
Like I said, I thought it was all going to be rosy, you're going to be treated like a star, and you're just going to dance like a star, but it ended up being your journey.
You had the safety net but if you wanted to get to the finals, you had to take the initiative yourself to build this and to get stronger. So it ended up being something that became really personal. So I wasn't expecting it to be so difficult - really difficult.


What have you learnt about yourself?
That the performance gift that I have, I do not have it by chance - it's something that I think is there for a greater purpose. That I'm a really strong person and that I've got great mental tenacity.

Singer-songwriter Connell Cruise crowned the winner of Dancing with the Stars on M-Net in the fantabulous glitter dance show's live finale.

Singer Connell Cruise was crowned the winner of Dancing with the Stars South Africa on M-Net (DStv 101) on Sunday night.

The live finale of the retitled 9th season of the BBC glitter floor format show was broadcast from the roof of the Hyde Park Corner shopping centre in Johannesburg, with the reality competition series that was produced by Rapid Blue.

Before the broadcast of the Dancing with the Stars SA live finale, invited guests who had to adhere to a "strictly ballroom" formal clothing dress code, snacked and sipped outside the Dance Dome (see photos at the end of the article), and got special Lindt bonbons handed out at their seats for the last episode.

The broadcast of the Dancing with the Stars SA live finale was followed by a press conference with Connell Cruise, the Rapid Blue executive producer and M-Net executives, followed by an over-the-top and lavish afterparty at the mezzanine pool deck and lounge of the Southern Sun Hyde Park hotel adjacent to the Hyde Park Corner.

ALSO READ: INTERVIEW. Connell Cruise on winning Dancing with the Stars SA: "It's the story of how hard work always pays off".

The singer-songwriter and his professional dance partner Marcella Solimeo took the glitter ball trophy, winning more public viewer votes in the finale than actress Zola Nombona and her dance partner Tebogo Mashilo, and Suidooster soap star Eden Classens and his dance partner Ash-Leigh Hunter.

Connell Cruise had been a contender and a crowd favourite right from the start of the competition.

"This is just a dream. I thank you all so much," said Connell Cruise. "From day one you filled me with such love for this beautiful art form that took over my life," at the end of the live finale.

Dancing with the Stars SA judge, Debbie Turner, at the end of the 2-hour broadcast, said "There is a famous quote that says, 'dance came from the people and should always be delivered back to the people,' and I believe that the contestants have done that".

The season finale included showstopper group dance performances, as well as special appearances by singers, including The Voice SA winner Craig Lucas, the veteran South African singer Claire Johnson and the multiple Sama-winning legends Mafikizolo.

For one group dance performance, Eden Classens (what he said about it), Zola Nombona (what she said about it) and Connell Cruise (what he said about it) were all strapped into snug-fitting harnesses and hoisted up into the rafters of the Dance dome, only to be dropped down with wire-work during a dance number.

Dancing with the Stars SA closed out with a new South African TV production record: The most glitter dropped on-screen as part of a massive glitter bomb dropped on the in-studio winners and audience, dwarfing what's ever been done before on shows like Idols, SA's Got Talent and The Voice SA.

INTERVIEW. Connell Cruise on winning Dancing with the Stars SA on M-Net: It's the story of how hard work always pays off.

On Sunday night South African viewers voted singer-songwriter Connell Cruise the winner of Dancing with the Stars SA on M-Net (DStv 101) during the broadcast of the live finale, with Connell telling TVwithThinus afterwards that his win is "the story of how hard work always pays off".

TVwithThinus sat down with Connell who talked about how dancing has been a closed door to him but how Dancing with the Stars SA helped opened that door a bit, how it felt being strapped into a harness and descending onto the dance floor in one of the finale's dazzling dance numbers, what the journey's been like for him, and what's he learnt about the experience of being part of the show.


Is there anything that you would have done differently?
I would have loved to incorporate singing into some of the performances - and we definitely tried to, the only times that were available we almost did but songs got changed last minute, and concepts got changed, but I certainly don't regret any single thing. The only thing - you know I'm very proud of our Samba.

Our Samba was difficult but I think we got a great score for the Samba even though I struggled so much, so even in my regrets because I really wanted to nail that Samba and I don't think I really did, I think our score was still a very good one, so we've got that to be proud of.

How would you describe the experience of doing this show?
Oh man. Completely out of my comfort zone. But what a lovely challenge and joy. I'm a competitive person, I never enter anything unless I'm totally into it and I totally gave this my all. And if this is the story of anything, it's the story of how hard work always pays off.


Can you talk a bit about Marcella Solimeo as your dance partner and the trust and bond that had to develop between you and quickly?
Marcella and I, I think on average over the last 4 months, we've spent at least 10 hours a day with each other. And this last month we've reached 12 hours a day. You get to know someone really well in that time. This has become like a full-time job for the most of this year and it's been a joy to work with Marcella - she's a professional, she's excellent, she's got such great vision and great ideas, and she's a fireball on that dance floor!

When she's on the dance floor you can't look at anything else, that's for sure. She's in my opinion the best of the best and I'm just the luckiest to have been paired with her and to have worked with her and to have learned under her, she's great And what I can tell you is that she's a great friend too, and she's as much a part of my family now as anything and I don't think it's ever going to change. She's the best.


In Sunday's live finale you as part of the final three competitors we're all  strapped with harnesses through and around your legs and we're hoisted up and descended in one of the spectacular dance numbers. But what was the wire-work and the tight harness like?
It was the coolest man!
Out of all the things in this competition, if I had left this competition at any point before this finale and I saw three guys and they weren't me and they were going doing that I would have really been bummed, so I'm so glad to do that. It was so much fun to come screaming down from the roof, what a joy! I've always wanted to be Superman and I really felt like Christopher Reeve flying up there. It was awesome.

What did you think of the judges?
I think the judges on the most part have been fair.
I think they've got a lot of authority and well-deserved authority. They're experts and it's not a question of "you sit up here and tell us what to do". These people have earned that right - they've earned that ability, they've earned that power through their excellent work, their excellent ability.

Some might say the judges are harsh and unfair or whatever but they've been through worse to get to where they are now than anything that we've been through. And I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. I wouldn't have wanted to be part of a journey where we were mollycoddled, or peaches and cream, and told things that didn't matter.
In my life I respect hard work and they've only inspired me to be harder and to give more and that's been very good.


What was the hardest for you about being part of this show?
The hardest for me was the emotional vulnerability because a show like this requires you to reveal so much of yourself and as a musician, as a singer, I like to reveal myself in cryptic for and let people figure it out if they want to.
This has forced me in a good way to open up and reveal parts of myself that I don't normally think I would have. And Marcella worked really hard with me in bringing that out and that's been the hardest part but also the most rewarding part and I'm grateful for it.


How did your body change?
Well, I'm fitter than what I've ever been in my life. I think I've got a six pack - or at least a four and a half. I'm toned as heck. I feel strong. I feel fit and I'm looking forward to maintaining this because I don't want to lose this. Check with me in 6 months and see if I still look the same!

What did you not expect about this journey?
I didn't expect how much I would want this. I didn't expect that this would really become all-consuming, all-encompassing.
I thought it was going to be fun, I thought it was going to be a challenge, I thought it was going to be out of my comfort zone and it certainly met those expectations and exceeded them. But the thing that really blew my mind is how much I would care about this - how much I would care about dancing, how much I would love it and come to respect it.


What would you say did you learn about yourself?
I learnt that performance is bigger than anything I could have imagined or thought about before.
This has opened up a whole new world of expressing myself, of finding  meaning; of art. It's really opened my eyes to what there is and dancing for my whole life has been a closed door. It's been something that I've always admired but never could really understand.

And what Dancing with the Stars SA has done is it's opened that door a bit and it has shown me that there's so much out there. I'm not saying in any way that I'm an expert or have achieved really, but it's given me a taste for this and it's a taste I want to keep on enjoying.

Connell Cruise, Eden Classens and Zola Nombona to compete in M-Net's Dancing with the Stars SA live season finalé this Sunday.

The live TV broadcast of the season finalé of Dancing with the Stars South Africa on M-Net (DStv 101) this coming Sunday at 17:00 will see Connell Cruise, Eden Classens and Zola Nombona compete in a last dance-off to see who will be crowned the winner and get to lift up the coveted glitter ball trophy.

The revived BBC-format - produced by Rapid Blue productions for M-Net and name-changed from Strictly Come Dancing SA to Dancing with the Stars SA for a 9th season to differentiate it from when it was on the SABC for the previous 8th seasons until 2015 - will come to a close from the Strictly Come Dancing SA Dome on the roof of the Hyde Park Centre this Sunday.

The winner of Strictly Come Dancing SA will now be decided by viewers' votes with the scoring from the judges Jason Gilkison, Tebogo Kgobokoe, Debbie Turner and Bryan Watson no longer in play for Sunday's season finale.

Connell Cruise is dancing with Marcella Solimeo, Eden Classens with Ash-Leigh Hunter and Zola Nombona's professional dance partner is Tebogo Mashilo.

M-Net added an extra voting period leading up to the Dancing with the Stars SA finalé on Sunday 22 April, with viewers who can vote until Wednesday 18 April at 22:00 with their usual 100 votes.

Live voting for the finalé show will reopen at 17:00 on Sunday 22 April and will close (slightly earlier than usual) at 18:15 ahead of the winner announcement just before 19:00.

M-Net says the vote count and ranking of contestants is done according to the international format rules and is independently computed by Deloitte and Touche and are confirmed against the vote results as determined by M-Net.

INTERVIEW. Frank Opperman says farewell to Dancing with the Stars SA: 'I hated it as well but it was the most wonderful experience one could have'.

On Sunday night South Africa's Outboet, Frank Opperman, became the 8th celebrity contestant to be voted out of Dancing with the Stars SA on M-Net (DStv 101), saying he simultaneously hated and loved the show that was physically grueling but also the "most wonderful experience that one could have".

TVwithThinus spoke with Frank Opperman, who was paired with the professional dancer Jeanné Swart during the show, as he shared about "dancing with divas" - in a good way, giving up smoking, drinking and even elevator rides, how early on he actually contemplated leaving the show, and how he maybe could have worked harder but also couldn't.

Is there anything you think you could have done differently?

No, sjoe. No. I could have worked harder but I couldn't. I was too tired. Physically, jene, I've got a sore ankle this morning. Physically It was very hectic on my - the physical side of it was rather hectic for me. 

And what has the experience been like for you?

It was one of the most - I was thinking just now, it was better that a 10-step programme, that is how lekker it was to me. It was the most wonderful experience that one could have. I hated it as well but sjoe, it was a lekker challenge - to keep up with it. I'm very, very grateful to have been part of an outing like that. 

Can you talk a bit about the bond and trust between you and your dance partner?

My dance partner is Jeanné Swart and she put her life in my hands at times! What one was doing, it felt to me like little stunts, like in a movie scene. And I would lift and swing her around where the faith she would have had to have in me to do that was really amazing. She's a real hardcore dancing girl who would put her whole body on the line for us to get a nice move. And if you're going to miss, you're going to hurt somebody, so that was very interesting.

How do you feel about being voted out?

I was relieved, sjoe, it's really hectic. And I know those other kids dance so beautifully. And I was just exhausted. I thought it's too much dancing now, I couldn't keep up. To me, early in Dancing with the Stars SA I wanted to duck and dive and then it started getting into your blood and then you try harder, but sjoe, no, I was exhausted. And it was long days. Those youngsters work up to 14 hours a day and that shows why they get to dance like divas! So it's really, really hard work to physically crack that. 

What do you think of the judges?

Ag, excellent people. Everybody should go and have a look at Bryan Watson on the internet on YouTube - Bryan Watson and it's called a jive, him and his partner. You will see he was for 9 years the reigning world champion. You must watch what that goes does, man. They were amazing people, I had a fun time with them.

What was the hardest for you?

The hardest thing about it was the time, the physical thing, and jene, to go and stand and dance in front of people and you know Dancing with the Stars SA on M-Net is live - there's no take number 2 here. And if you're going to let somebody slip, jene, jy kan jou naam lekker gat maak. You know, that kind of pressure to it, definitely was so hard. You can make your name big gat. And I'm just so fortunate that I left there without making my name too gat, because dancing is a hectic thing. I've got a lot of respect for people that can do that.

How did your body change?

I lost 7kg. I'm so supple at the moment. I haven't taken an elevator or something for like 3 months, and I haven't smoked. And I haven't been drinking and everything, so jene, I'm in tip-top shape besides from a little bit of an ankle this morning and that's from trying to do a Charleston where you have to swing your foot in and out. But it's all good, you know.

What did you not expect about this journey?

Oef. Actually the whole thing, you know. The whole thing was a surprise to me. I was kind of asked nicely to be in it, and in a moment of madness, I said "Okay, I'll do this". I thought "Ag, go change your start of my year". It's been the same for 15 years. I start with an arts festival and do a show. And this year I started off without having to learn lines or anything, all I had to do is move my body around. It was an experience and a half!

What did you learn about yourself?

 I'm amazed at the body and how muscle memory works. It's one of those things where you can't go and learn a manual. You've got to do it physically. It's like playing a guitar or somebody that does something - you've got to go and actually practise this thing physically, you can't read a manual. 

I thought, "Wow, I impressed myself being able to do this".

INTERVIEW. Liesl Laurie leaves Dancing with the Stars SA: I had to go back to being the Liesl who was 15 years old and always had to push.

On Sunday night Liesl Laurie became the 7th celebrity contestant to be voted out of Dancing with the Stars SA on M-Net (DStv 101), saying the show was a reminder of her resilience and how it took her as a former Miss South Africa back to the 15 year old she was who always had to push herself and remind herself why she's doing things.

TVwithThinus spoke with Liesl Laurie, who was paired with the professional dancer Ryan Hammond during the show, as she shares how her body took a knock (that cracked rib!) but also improved, the trust she had in Ryan, the judge she thought was fair, eating pasta every day, learning even more perseverance - and being lifted up.

Is there anything you think you could have done differently?

No, I don't think there's anything I would have done differently throughout the whole competition.

You know, I think Ryan and myself worked very, very hard, we gave it our all every single day - we worked up to 7, 8 hours per day. 

So no, there's nothing, absolutely nothing I would change, not any glitter on any dress, not any step in any routine. I believe that these kinds of competitions are set up in a certain kind of way and if something is meant for you, it will be for you. It definitely wasn't meant for me this time, but we'll see who actually ends up being the Dancing with the Stars SA champion this year.

What has the experience been like for you being part of this show?

It's definitely an experience that's one of those that's not very easy to explain because I think it will take me maybe a whole day just to get through the different kinds of emotions you go through, the different kinds of people you get exposed to and I think the easiest way to narrow it down, is just a learning and growing experience.

You learn more about other people, different cultures, you learn more about yourself as well. You're just thrown into this world and you learn so much about dance as well - you learn to respect it, you learn to understand it. 

And you also learn about all these people who love and respect dance so much. So it's a journey. It's a big journey. We did 80 days - which is a very long time if you think about it. 

It's definitely just a learning and growing experience and I wouldn't change it for anything. 

Can you talk a bit about the bond and trust factor between you and Ryan? It's evident that as dance partners you really trusted each other.

What was very important when you start the competition, you are very worried about which partner you'll get - you're hoping it's somebody that'll understand your quirks, and won't get irritated, someone that's very patient. 

And you know I was very, very blessed with Ryan. 

He's probably the most polite and kind person on the whole cast. 

I've never seen him say anything bad about anyone else, I've never seen him be ugly to anyone and that kind of rubbed off on me as well. I think I took on his light and it became our light - especially in our dancing, especially in what we were doing. 

He was easy to trust. He's a guy of his word. 

I helped him as well when he was trying to get engaged to Angelique, to speak to production, to keep it quiet, and that also showed to me the kind of guy that he is. He was ready to make that step and he wanted to do it on a platform like that because that's something that she always wanted. 

He's not necessarily that guy and I think all of those things just showed me that he's willing to make somebody else look better, somebody else feel better, more than what he thinks about himself first. That for me made me trust him very early on in the competition.

How do you feel about being voted out?

I think it's always disappointment, you know. I'm very, very sad. 

But like I've said, if it's meant for you it will be for you. If this wasn't meant for me, even if I made it to the final, it was going to be someone else's prize to win. 

I'm just looking now to see who is actually the person that is supposed to be winning this competition because I do believe in lives being written out already, I believe in God, and I believe that everything happens for a reason and that there's a plan for certain things. 

I also do believe that I was a part of this competition because I had to learn some stuff, I had to be taught some stuff and I had to experience some things as well.

Obviously, ideally as a human, you want to be a part of a competition and win it, but I do take away the experiences, and I do take away what was necessary for me, and I do understand that as well.

What do you think of the judges?

I think the judges were particularly hard on me. And I've voiced this before as well.

I don't understand why and maybe after the competition we'll sit down and have a cup of coffee and they can explain it to me. 

But the judge that I really, really started to love and respect at least by 4, 5 weeks ago was Tebogo. I feel like she was always very fair towards me, she was always very constructive, but with the other judges I do feel that sometimes their comments were a little bit harsh.

Then again, it's a competition, it's their opinion and South Africans didn't always listen to their opinion and that's what made everything interesting and entertaining.

What was the hardest for you?

The hardest part is definitely your body taking a knock.

You think you're this fit person, you're tall, you've always had a great physique - and then you have bruised toes, you have knee guards on, you have a cracked rib.

You know I have so many bruises - I was counting them last night and that's just from the past week. You've got a sore back and ankles - it's stuff you never would have expected because you believe that you have this strong body. 

So that also has an emotional side to it because every time your body gets hurt you wonder: "Am I going to make it further? Is this the thing that's going to get me out of the competition?"

So that was definitely for me the hardest part because I had an injury almost every single week and I said to Ryan we're not going to speak about it every single time something happened, because I also don't want to be known as "that girl", you know. 

Very early on in the competition I cracked a rib, and I said to Ryan that everything else that happens after that, we keep it between the two of us, between production so that they're in the loop  as to what's happening, but we're not going to base our Dancing with the Stars SA experience on a sore knee, and a sore back. I wanted it to be an experience about the dance, the fun and people getting to know me again and also getting to know Ryan.

So how did your body change for the better?

Every person in my family, a couple of friends who got to see me throughout the journey, said to me, "oh my gosh, I'm going to dance because check how cool you look! Look at your body!"

It definitely goes from what would have been a zero to a hundred in a couple of days - you see the changes immediately.

I think it's because it's such a repetitive thing. I lost 4.5 kg that I did not want to lose at all because I'm a very small girl already, but it just happened you know, and yes, very, very toned, way more stamina. I'm very much stronger as well - I can feel my neck's very much stronger, my thighs, my arms as well. Your body does change tremendously.

There are a couple of contestants who have gone up to lose 12kg in the whole journey. 

I was grateful that I was able to eat pasta every single day and have hot cross buns and pasties and everything because the second you walk into the studio you work it off within the first three hours.

What did you not expect about this journey?

I did not expect to become friends with so many different people, who, if our paths didn't cross in this, I don't think we would have ever been friends. 

There are people like Eden Classens who will definitely be a friend of mine, Zola Nombona as well; Jeanné who is Frank Opperman's dance partner - very, very smart, very entertaining and very tough-in-cheek, she's definitely one of my favourite people in set. 

Eden's partner Ashley as well - and almost every single person will be a part of my life for a different reason. 

I think when you go into something like this you think "I'm going to dance, I'm going to win, I'm going to look cute on television, I'm going to do all of those things" - you don't think of the family you might gain out of something like this.

Even the crew - there are some people in the crew that I will always message on their birthday, I will invite them to, if I'm having a party or something, because they've not just been part of the cast and crew - we became like a family. They are also the only people that understood what we were going through, throughout this whole journey.

What did you learn about yourself?

You know, I like to believe that I'm someone who knows myself very well but what I think I've learnt most is resilience, and also just reminding myself how persevering I am.

I speak about my childhood a lot and how I had to persevere and how I had to push through. 

Then Miss South Africa happened for me and it was a slightly easier journey. And then Dancing with the Stars SA happened and I had to go back to being the Liesl who was 15 years old and always had to  push and remind herself why she's doing things. 

So it was more just a reminder of all the things I knew of myself but sometimes have forgotten and put to the side because I was focused on other things. Definitely the perseverance, the resilience and also that I'm a "people's person".

And it sounds like a cliche because everyone says that, but we grew up in a country of ubuntu. 

I was raised with the knowledge of ubuntu. 

What you also learn on Dancing with the Stars SA is that you're not an island. You have to have other people around you that have to surround you, and carry you and help you. That's also something that I've learnt from my family and my friends that I can never be an island because I'll never ever survive - on the dance floor as well. You can't be an island; have to work with Ryan; when we're in a group dance we all have to work together. 

I think one of the greatest lessons that I would even speak to people about is just knowing that you always need other people around you to help you and to lift you up.