Shrinking Act
David Seymour’s 10kg weight loss
Act leader David Seymour suffered to entertain us. In rehearsals for Dancing with the Stars, he fell and bunged his knee.
“It was when I was playing James Bond and I had to die at the end.”
Nonetheless, he danced on, and on, and on, until he stopped last Sunday when the judges’ scores proved too much for the public vote to overcome and the music stopped.
It is still sore now as he sits in his office at Parliament, admitting to feeling a bit flat now the excitement of training and dancing is done.
His own votes will now go to the only man left standing, Chris Harris, or “Harry”, as Seymour now calls him.
He has put a $100 bet on Harris against his dance partner Amelia McGregor, who has her money on Jess Quinn to win.
“He’s the guy who’s been under the most pressure. Harry has been working full-time and flying up and down the country.”
TV journalist Samantha Hayes and actress Shavaughn Ruakere will also compete in tonight’s finale.
Seymour lost about 10kg in his nine-week stint on the show. His pants are belted tight to keep them up.
“They look like sort of granddad pants, you know they have them done up really tight and they’re baggy.” He has two options: “I can maintain this lifestyle and buy new clothes or I’ve got to eat and drink as much as possible to get back to fitting the clothes I’ve got.
“I’m not sure yet.” Seymour isn’t expecting to undergo the transformation former Act leader Rodney Hide did after his Dancing with the Stars stint in 2006. It did little for Hide politically, but he ploughed into body building and exercise afterwards.
Seymour says Hide lost more than a quarter of his body weight. “I think for Rodney it really was a revelation. It’s not quite the same for me.”
But Seymour does feel changed inside. The good bits of the public feedback did wonders for his selfconfidence. He even has philosophical moments.
“The great thing about the show is, like politics, over time the public sees through to your soul. And if you’re a good person the public will eventually see that.”
Now he returns to politics. Ahead is a re-launch of the Act Party next year, including a new name and identity as he tries to grow the party.
He plans to use the new vibe of positivity he picked up on the show in politics. “There’s always room for a bit more kindness, sunshine and light. It might even be more effective in politics.”
For a physical manifestation of that sunshine and light, Seymour is selling the fluorescent outfit he wore for his twerking dance on Trade Me. Proceeds go to his Kidsline charity and bids are at more than $1200.