Lance Savali is having the time of his life on tour with Chris Brown. Photo / TVNZ
Lance Savali is having the time of his life on tour with Chris Brown. Photo / TVNZ
As Kiwi viewers see him battle it out on our TV screens for the Treasure Island crown, in real life Lance Savali is having the time of his life on tour with controversial singer Chris Brown.
The dancer has not been in New Zealand while the Fans v Faves version of the show has been screening, as he prepared for Brown’s UK and European Under the Influence tour in the US, before it kicked off last week.
The faves — Savali, Dame Susan Devoy, Matty McLean, Art Green, Lana Searle — and fan David Ward aka Wardie, will pair up and play their hearts out to make Wednesday night’s finale.
Meanwhile, Brown’s tour has been overshadowed by his comments on social media last week. The 33-year-old R&B singer lashed out after he was beset by a new wave of criticism over his history of domestic violence against ex-girlfriend Rihanna, following her Superbowl half-time performance.
Brown hit back at his critics for repeatedly mentioning the 2009 brutal assault against her, which sent her to hospital.
Chris Brown’s tour has been overshadowed by his comments on social media. Photo / Supplied
Later in 2009, Brown pleaded guilty to one count of felony assault. He avoided a prison sentence but served up to five years of supervised probation and six months of community labour.
In 2015 — months before Brown’s tour was due in New Zealand — Immigration NZ barred him from entering the country. At the time, Immigration told the Herald that his rejection from the UK, from where he was barred in 2010 for having a conviction — meant he could not enter New Zealand.
On his Instagram story rant last week, Brown asked people to move on from something that happened when he was 19. He then went on a tirade pointing out other infamous abusers, whom he claimed that, because they were white, didn’t have constant reminders of their past as he did.
Days before Brown’s social media post, on the opening night of the tour at Dublin’s 3Arena, Savali wrote a message of gratitude on Instagram for being part of the tour with Brown, pointing out that it was their seventh together.
Savali is not just dancing for the Run It singer, he has had the microphone out interviewing fans before Brown’s concerts, asking them what they would say to the singer if he was with them now.
Their answers are not printable — Brown “liked” them though, he reposted Savali’s reel to his 132 million Instagram followers.
Ever the professional, Savali would talk only about Treasure Island to Spy and would not comment on Brown’s outburst.
He said he was very proud of his second round on the show and is still blown away that he made it this far again.
“Every day I was on the island, I’m like, wow.”
Savali on Treasure Island: Fans v Faves. Photo / TVNZ
He says the show holds a special place in his heart and has brought him many friendships, most especially Devoy.
“Aunty Susan. I love Susan, she is awesome.”
Devoy rates Savali too and the man he formed an alliance with, Art Green.
“Lance and Art were so dominant that none of us really thought we had a chance. Their physicality seemed impossible to break,” she says.
And that’s after Green and Savali got physical in a challenge in the surf with Devoy’s son, Josh Oakley.
The squash legend says that watching her son fight to the end in a challenge against him made her proud.
“It’s not every day you get to have that experience with your kids.”
Green’s proudest moment of the competition was beating Oakley in their elimination battle as he says he was such a fierce competitor, while McLean regrets blindsiding Oakley and putting him up for a challenge again.
“I know now how much that impacted him in that moment,” McLean says.
“Seeing that unfold, changed the way I played moving forward — I was a lot more direct with people, even though I hate conflict.”
