Act leader David Seymour with Dancing with the Stars partner Amelia. Photo / Supplied
Act leader David Seymour with Dancing with the Stars partner Amelia. Photo / Supplied
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 and being the centre of attention is done.
His own votes will now go to the only man left standing, Chris Harris, or "Harry" as Seymour now calls him.
David Seymour is 10kg lighter after Dancing with the Stars.
He has put a $100 bet on Harris against his dance partner Amelia, who has put her money on Jess Quinn to win.
"He's the guy who's been under the most pressure and delivered the results. Sam [Hayes] has her newsreading gig and the other two [DWTS] this is their full-time job. Harry has been working full-time and flying up and down the country."
Seymour lost about 10kg in his nine-week stint on the show. His pants are loose and belted tight to keep them up.
David Seymour in the wig he insists was a set-up. Photo / supplied
"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's political fortunes but he ploughed into body building and exercise afterwards.
Seymour says Hide lost more than one 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 think it changed him within. The good bits of the public feedback did wonders for his self-confidence.
He even has philosophical moments.
David Seymour prepares to twerk on Dancing with the Stars. Photo / supplied
"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 different name and a new identity as he tries to grow the party.
He promises it will be more imaginative than the relaunch of the Conservative Party which re-named itself the "New Conservative Party".
Seymour says he could look to Australia's Reason Party, formed in 2017 out of its predecessor the Sex Party. That party too has a solitary MP – leader Fiona Patten is in the Victoria Parliament with similar views to Seymour's on many issues.
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."
Those wanting a physical manifestation of that sunshine and light can find it on Trade Me, where Seymour is selling the fluorescent outfit he wore for his twerking dance. Proceeds are for his Kidsline charity and bids are at more than $1200.
