Today I interviewed Miss Reality Television aka Joe Cotton, the winner of Pop's Ultimate Star. We talked about everything from reality television, the cruelty of the public, to her cleavage and money...
Camillia Temple stated that none of you would have been there if it wasn’t for the pay. How big a factor was the weekly pay cheque in your decision to be in Pop’s Ultimate Star?
Absolutely. To be honest we knew we were signing up for a lot of ridicule and criticism. None of us would have signed up for the show and put ourselves through that without the pay. I already work several different jobs. I have my radio job at The Edge and my singing with my band.
On reality television
I’ve been on a lot of reality television shows and I’ve read the cruel things people say about me on the websites. People can be incredibly mean. They criticise everything. [Really? And you’re still talking to us?]
I’ve been on a lot of reality TV shows and I know how it works but it’s still hard to take.
For the record Joe Cotton has been on:
- Treasure Island (season 3)
- The Great New Zealand Spelling Bee (she came 3rd)
- Pop Goes The Weasel (C4 show hosted by Jaquie Brown)
- Celebrity Joker Poker
You might spot some other familiar faces from The Great New Zealand Spelling Bee, which included Rosita Vai, Jordan Luck and Kim Willoughby.
So why did you do the show?I went on the show because Keri Harper was going to be on it and I thought it would be a lot of fun to do it together.
What did you get up to last night?We all went out and had a few drinks. I'm feeling very hungover and I think a lot of the others will be too. Emily Williams was partying hard and Rosita Vai was still going strong when I left.
Did you get paid for being on the cover of the Herald on Sunday View magazine?No. Laughs. I didn’t realise when I did that interview that
talking about being paid for magazine interviews and photos was taboo.
Are you one of those people that sets goals and visualises success as a tool to achieving goals?Not really. I just focused on my performance and wanting to be the best possible representative of myself and my band. I never expected to win. But I’ve been given an opportunity and I wanted to make the most of it. After TrueBliss, I stepped out of the limelight for a while and I lost confidence and didn’t do anything. Then I realised that I was letting opportunities go and I decided to do what I could. I’ve worked extremely hard to get to where I am.
What do you say to the people that say your radio show gave you an unfair advantage?I heard that a lot. It’s funny. I thought it was strange. On Dancing With The Stars the contestants are encouraged to promote themselves, so how is it different? I spent time out of the industry. TrueBliss was nine years ago. Then I decided to start taking opportunities. Everyone who has been on NZ Idol had the same opportunities. I’ve made the most I could of those opportunities. It was up to them to do the same. I’ve stayed on top of the game and worked hard. There was no clause in the contract that said I couldn’t promote myself on the show.
Everyone else had the same opportunity. I told all the other contestants they were welcome to come on my show any time they liked to promote themselves and talk on the show. I encouraged people to vote, but I didn’t tell them to vote for me. I told them to vote for their favourite. I said of course I’d love it if you voted for me, but you don’t have to. Vote for the person you want to win.
What did you think when Ben Lummis was eliminated from the show?That was a shock for everyone. No one expected him to go. After that I think people realised they had to vote for their favourite.
Speaking of hard work, how much time did you put into the show?We had about nine hours during the week. We’d get our song selection on Tuesday night and that’s when the filming is done. Then on Wednesday some rehearsal of the song. Also the Cover Girl makeovers, and shots of things you’re doing during the week. Then we go down to Wellington for final rehearsals and filming. On Sunday we start at 8am and are rehearsing and fine-tuning for the whole day.
Put the rumours to rest - Were you lip synching?I love the fact you do something and you do your very best and still people criticise you and find fault. I have never lip synched in my life. It is always live.
In the studio sound is so different. Everything sounds much louder than it does on television and I was holding the microphone away to stop it from sounding so loud and trying to tone it down.
How did you feel about showing your cleavage each week on national television?That was the decision of the stylist although you could say you absolutely hated something and she didn’t mind. She let us have the final say.
I didn’t mind the cleavage. At times I thought it was risqué. We had to fix up the green dress a few hours before the show and put in extra panels because it was too revealing.
I was sewn into the other green dress I wore in an earlier show. I saw myself later dancing around at the end and it looked like two squirrels trying to make their way out of a sleeping bag.
Will we see you again on television?There is nothing planned at this stage. For now I am focusing on my normal jobs on radio and with my band The Mermaids Danceband. I’m having today off and then I will be back to work tomorrow.
Will there be any more reality TV for you?You have to gird your loins to do reality television. I’m not ready for that right now. I loved Treasure Island, it was the most fun ever but I want to focus on the jobs I already have.
Do you plan to release an album?It’s been at the back of my mind for a long time. One day when I’m feeling brave enough…
What made you choose to sing the song Angel and how much choice did you have?I chose that as my first elimination song, but I didn’t have to do an elimination so I kept that song all through the competition. You do have to clear your songs through the show and there was one that was a problem but I could have changed it if I wanted to.
What are you going to do with the $50,000?I haven’t even thought about it. I should do something sensible like a house deposit but a little part of me wants to spend it on shoes or a puppy or a holiday.
Anything else you’d like to say?Everyone that took part in the show and even the judges were exceptionally brave. I commend them for staying true to themselves and backing themselves and believing in themselves. People can be so cutting and cruel. I am just so pleased to have made it to the final, let alone win and I learned a lot from the others in the show.
Think about it... If you could have one Antonio Banderas or three Jason Gunns, who are you going to choose?
