If you also consciously avoid David Seymour, you might have tuned out of Dancing with the Stars NZ since his ‘performance’ of Snoop Dog’s ‘Sweat’.
But after a three-year hiatus, the competition show Aoteroa loves to hate is back. There are more TikTok dances than ever, along with a new cast of MediaWorks and TVNZ employees. Seriously, was no one else available?
One thing the show gets right is the judging panel. Their feedback is a good balance of constructive, encouraging, and entertaining: “You went absolutely hundies. But now you need to lower your shoulders.”
James Luck’s appearances as Electra Shock are a highlight. I can only describe it as a drag queen impersonating Samatha Jones. The only problem with the judging is that it doesn’t matter if two of the highest-scoring performers are eliminated. First Sonia Gray, and then Aotearoa’s first DWTS same-sex couple, featuring comedian Eli Matthewson.
They introduced a dance-off between the bottom two couples in the third week, but the damage was already done. And does it really matter? No, it’s a charity dance competition. But it isn’t enjoyable as a viewer to see someone, who could have gone all the way, go home too soon.
My score: 6-6-6.
