OUR STRAIGHT MATE: TRISTAN MACMANUS

There’s more to Dancing With The Stars’ judge Tristan MacManus than his hot Irish heels.

There’s more to this Dancing With The Stars judge than his hot Irish heels.

I dropped into a squat and my trousers ripped from arsehole to belly button!

DNA: You’ve seen a lot of celebrities through Dancing With The Stars. Who has had real wow-factor?

Tristan MacManus: Courtney Act was superb! She was so entertaining and powerful. It was something I wasn’t expecting. It was more than just dancing – there was meaning behind it. The show is, by its nature, very difficult to do and these people take themselves out of their comfort zone to be judged and, for some, ridiculed. But they’re still able to flip the hair, walk in and come back the following week with chins held high. That’s very admirable to watch. That’s wow-factor right there!

On the US version of Dancing With The Stars you’ve been partnered with Gladys Knight and Pamela Anderson. How did you find them? Quite bizarre at first but, once in the moment, it became absolutely normal. It’s very easy to forget that these people are just people and I got to know them as people. What I came to appreciate most about Dancing With The Stars is that if you don’t treat people like people they won’t treat you the same way back. I was very lucky that these stars, for lack of a better word, treated me like a normal person. While competing on the show, they’re still putting themselves in your hands and in a position to be ridiculed, and we have to remember and respect that.

You also partnered Valerie Harper (Rhoda and The Mary Tyler Moore Show). To gays of a certain age, she was an icon.

Valerie was amazing. At first I didn’t know who she was. All I knew was that she was a dancer on Broadway and wanted to dance again but had terminal brain cancer. I thought that sounded tragic and wondered why we were doing this? Was it about someone’s misfortune for the ratings? But she wanted to do it. I asked to meet her and she was very straightforward and honest with me and, most importantly, very inclusive. She was interested in my life, my wife and whole family. She put all of that first. The first thing she’d say in rehearsals was, “How’s your wife?” I’d ask her how she felt and she’d brush it off and say how great it was just to be there. Valerie gave me a perspective on how to appreciate things. She passed [August, 2019] and I still feel emotional about it. She was very special and I miss her.

Did you ever watch an episode of her classic sitcom Rhoda?

Yes, she made me! And I thought, “This is the Valerie that I know.” She was exactly like the character. She couldn’t be any nicer or funnier. When people tell me they loved Rhoda I tell them they are pretty much watching Valerie. Who is your music diva?

You can’t look past Beyoncé. She has it all and just keeps pumping out classics. I’d also say Kylie. She’s awesome and I’ve been lucky enough to work with her on a few occasions. My daughter has recently gotten into Taylor Swift. I never thought I’d be listening to Taylor constantly every day!

You played Elder Peach in the Mrs Brown’s Boys tour. What was that experience like?

I danced with Jenny Gibney, who plays Cathy Brown, on Strictly Come Dancing and we became good friends. We stayed in touch, and when they toured Australia with Mrs Brown’s Boys,I was asked to join. I thought it was perfect, being Irish, but then I got the script and Elder Peach is a Mormon and I had to have loads of gel combed into my hair, which was so frustrating.

Why?

I hate brushing my hair. I’m really lazy when it comes to that. I think, as Elder Peach, I had more gel in it than an actual Mormon! But I absolutely loved doing it, and I love Mrs Brown’s Boys. In fact, I ended up becoming one of the producers.

You’re from Bray, Wicklow in Ireland, you danced professionally in Europe and then worked in television in the US and Australia. Did you have a sliding door moment?

I was in my teens. I don’t know if it was my dancing that I wasn’t enjoying, or just that period of my life, but I walked away for a few years and went a bit rouge. I didn’t have any inspirations or ambition. Then I saw the show Burn The Floor in Dublin. I wasn’t interested at first but I went along and it was unbelievable. It was a joy to watch and made me dance again. Everybody in the show was so individual – the dancers had distinct personalities that complimented each other. That struck a chord with me and was the moment I decided to go back to dancing – and do it the way I wanted. You’re pretty much an Aussie now; have your gay mates taken you out to any fun venues?

A couple of years ago a friend was having a birthday party on Oxford Street. I went to this gay bar to meet for drinks. My mate went off to the toilet and while I was sitting there alone some people from Dublin walked in. I hadn’t seen them since childhood. They were like, “What are you doing in here?” The moment couldn’t have been better timed.

As a young dancer, did people make the assumption that you were gay?

Oh, one hundred per cent. Dancing was something I kept a secret for a long time. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to express why I liked it. Back then, I didn’t understand that I didn’t actually need to validate why I liked it. I wasn’t sure people would appreciate my dancing and, coming from a small town in Ireland, I thought it wouldn’t be accepted. I wasn’t mature enough to embrace being a dancer, but I certainly do now. I wish I had been more comfortable with it back then. It’s very different now; I look at the kids these days and they’re so inspiring. They’re confident and know what they want to do. Not just with dancing either, but confident about everything… their bodies, their sexuality and place in society. That’s inspiring.

It probably doesn’t take much to get you on a dance floor. What song does it for you? Actually, I’m the last person to get up dancing! I’m too self-conscious. I’m one of those introverted extrovert people. But the big song for me is You’re The Voice by John Farnham. Not ABBA’s Dancing Queen?

For the past few years I’ve been doing the ABBA Festival at Trundle. I dance in a show and give a dancing lesson to the crowd. I never appreciated ABBA until going there and seeing how much people love them. ABBA were often taken for granted but what an impact they’ve made! The Winner Takes It All is my favourite. Have you ever had an on-set wardrobe malfunction?

I’ve had loads. On my first day of rehearsals for Burn The Floor I had all the producers, choreographers and cast members sitting in front of me and I thought I’d better make an impression. During my dance I dropped into a squat and my trousers ripped from arsehole to belly button. Luckily, I had underwear on underneath. That certainly broke the ice! Briefs, fitted boxers or free-balling?

It really depends on laundry day. I don’t freeball that much now. I used to when I was single, but I don’t have to anymore!