5 Minutes With ... comedian and dancing champion Celia Pacquola

Who: Award-winning writer and performer, comedian and Ten’s Dancing With The Stars 2020 champion

What: Her show Celia Pacquola: All Talk, which earned her a nomination for the 2018 Melbourne Comedy Festival Award for Most Outstanding Show, is available to watch on Amazon Prime from April 10

Where: The show is one of 10 stand-up comedy specials dropping on Amazon Prime until May 8

How has Dancing With the Stars been the greatest thing you’ve done this year?
I really thought being in a reality dancing TV show would be the most intense thing in my life, and now it’s my comfort given what’s happening in the world. When I started on the show earlier this year, we were going through the bushfire crisis and I felt like what I was doing was frivolous. Kids especially need to see that something silly and fun can exist in our world right now. I’m getting messages of thanks in putting a smile on people’s faces – it’s a nice feeling for sure. 

What will you do now the show is over?
I’ll continue to post videos to my social media account from home and I’ll try and use the time to put out positive content. 

How can the public support comedians right now?
Buy their comedy albums and videos online. I am one of the few people who are still doing stuff; but I’d say watch Amazon comedy, too. My show All Talk was written in 2017 and it’s a lot about mental health. I would love people to watch it to get something out of it that way. When comedy comes back to the stage, go out and support your comedians with a vengeance. If you’d go to one show in a festival, go to five. 

You were open about your depression and mental health on DWTS? How do you feel about that?
I had a mental health day that happened on a filming day during episode four – it was hard but it actually happened. It was the worst timing ever and I couldn’t get away from it. I posted about it on my socials because I made a promise to document my journey on the show. Because it’s a reality TV show I was scared I would have no control over what people saw of me, that’s why I continued to post my actual real life unfolding. I wouldn’t have brought up my depression after doing the cha-cha otherwise, but it all came out naturally and I feel better for being 100 per cent honest about it.

Are you close with family – will you be calling them during this self-distancing period?
I call my mum every day, so yes. I also have a sister in London and another here in Melbourne. We talk as much as possible. My Melbourne sister is a mother of three kids and she’s trying to work from home. Now it’s all about checking in with everyone to say hi.

Will you keep up the dancing?
I can dance now but only specific ones and with my dance partner Jarrod (laughs). I am trying to hold onto Buff Celia, but the reality is I will be sitting in my house and it’s very small. I can’t dance there right now. I would like to keep the fitness for a bit and am excited get back into running. I haven’t done that for two months, and will love to see how fast this new body can run. I will be busting out a few new dance moves when we can go to weddings again that’s for sure.

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