West End star Adam Garcia joins Pussycat Doll Kimberly Wyatt and Diversity's Ashley Banjo on the judging panel of Sky1 HD's hit series Got To Dance. As the show enters its live semi-final stage, he chats about what we can expect from the contenders, Tom Cruise and blondes or brunettes...
Are you looking forward to getting into the studio on Sunday?
I am, I'm very excited, it's going to be tremendous. I'm a little bit nervous and I want the show to go well. And, of course, it's going to be nerve-wracking for the contenders.
What advice do you have for the acts who'll be performing live?
They're in a big studio and they're going to have nerves, so my advice would be to play into those nerves. It's difficult, I've done loads of live performances and you do get nervous. And Ashley was saying the other day how he always gets nervous before he performs.
What is the judges' role in the semi-finals? Do you have any power, or is it all down to the public?
We'll have an opinion, but that's all. It's all down to the public vote.
Is it a relief that it's out of your hands?
Almost, yes. There are six acts in each of the semi-finals and only two can go through to the final, so to have to pick four to leave each week would be really horrible. All the acts are good enough to be in the final so it won't be an easy decision.
Are you pleased you decided to bring Martin Sierra back?
I am. He has a great personality and he's such a showman, and I thought the show needed someone like him, so it's great that he's going to show us how entertaining he can be. I'm excited to see what he can come up with for Sunday's show and I hope he pulls something out of the bag that will blow my fellow judges away.
Are you also a bit apprehensive about his performance in case he doesn't pull it off and Kimberly is mad with you?
Kimberly might get angry with me, and if I'm proved wrong about Martin she'll have every right to be. But I have every faith in him.
Do you have a favourite act? Can you admit to one?
I don't have just one favourite, no, there are far too many excellent dancers to be able to pick just one out. Obviously I have a bias towards tap dancing and Kane our tapper really does, genuinely, have great feet. Matthew Koon is a phenomenal talent, little Emily is brilliant and I love Jukebox Juniors. And, of course, we have a tiny showman in little Akai who is unbelievable. Unity Youth blow my mind... I could name all the acts here because they're all fantastic.
If you'd won £100,000 as a young dancer what would you have done with it?
Wow, that's a lot of money, particularly in Australia. I suspect I would have been made to bank it, but maybe it would have opened doors for me sooner. But I've been lucky and blessed with good fortune in my career so far. Although who couldn't use an extra hundred grand? Apart from Tom Cruise. It'd be pocket money for him; he probably buys £100,000 of pistachio nuts.
Are we going to see you, Kimberly and Ashley perform together in any of the live shows?
I don't think so, but I would love to dance with those guys. I'd need a lot of training to get up to Ashley's body-locking ability though, and you'd have to physically cut me in half to get my leg as high as Kimberly's.
How are you liking Kimberly's new brunette look?
I think it suits her, it's great. I think I like it better than the blonde.
Do you think it'll give her a softer side as a judge?
Never! Not a chance.
The Got To Dance Live Semi-Finals Start at 6.00pm on Sunday 24 January.
