Copyright (c) Jay-Jay Harvey and Allen and Unwin, 2016

THE CELEBRITY FILES

In the Pink
five times. I absolutely love her.
The first time I met her was in 2003. I won a popularity contest
among my workmates for the opportunity. Listeners had to text
in the name of their favourite host on The Edge and the one who
got the most votes got the trip to LA with Pinks record company
to interview her.
The contest got nasty. Everyone at The Edge wanted to win,
so we all got quite cut-throat. Even my own husband Dom was
getting quite bitchy and competitive toward me because I was in
the lead most of the time. (I told you earlier he likes to win at any
cost!) I had never seen him so aggressive. It was not a nice contest,
and I wasnt enjoying the tension, so I pulled out of the running.
My boss Leon talked me back into it, because he knew how
much I loved Pink. He said that since Jase and Dom werent doing
as well, I should make them back me instead. So, after a bit of
convincing, they did. The contest ended up being very fierce
between me and Chang, who was on the afternoon Drive Show at
the time. At the end of the week, Chang had around 40,000 votes
and I had 30,000! Pretty unbelievable! I did pretty well considering

IVE MET PINK ABOUT

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I had one less day in the contest after pulling out, and Chang was
on air most of the weekend plugging himself, but the boss decided
to send us both since we did so well. In the end Chang wasnt even
able to go, due to visa issues, so I had the prize, and Pink, all to
myself!
I got to meet her on her day off. She arrived at the location
(the studios of KIIS FM in Los Angeles) wearing a woollen poncho
and beanie. She was very chilled. I was so scared to interview her
because I thought she would be feisty and rude but she was quite
the opposite.
Every time I have met her since she has always been downto-earth, honest, relaxed, funny and cool. Im convinced if we
met organically wed be BFFs. Shes also incredibly hot. If I was a
lesbian, shed be my dream girl.

Lady Really Gaga

daunting presence. We first met her
backstage at Vector Arena in 2009 when she opened for The
Pussycat Dolls at the beginning of her career, so she was on the cusp
of something big.
She was nice but she was odd. We were in her dressing room
and I found her hard to talk to because I couldnt work out if she
was taking the piss or not. She was sipping tea and wearing what
she called No Pants tights with the word no all over them.
She also had a massive cone-head wig on. We thought she looked
great for her stage debut in 30 minutes but as it turns out, that was
just her casual wear and she wore a totally different outfit during
the show!
Lady Gaga came back to New Zealand the following year to do
two sold-out shows. The nation buzzed when her plane touched
down at Auckland International Airport. Media chased her, fans
chased her, we chased her.
We saw a tweet from Gaga confirming she was in New Zealand.
LADY GAGA IS ANOTHER

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Mike and Dom started making jokes about unconfirmed sightings

like, I saw Lady Gaga at the supermarket. She stole my bananas,
and I saw Lady Gaga up K Road. Then Mike started mimicking
Lady Gagas voice.
It turns out, Lady Gaga was listening to The Edge in her taxi on
the way to her hotel, and heard us trying to track her down. She
tweeted: Listening to The Edge. Catch me if you can Kiwis. Im in
a waka. Play Telephone?
We could not believe it! Lady Gaga was now one of the biggest
stars in the world and she was listening to us! So I said, Lady
Gaga, call us! and gave out our office line.
About two minutes later, our receptionist came in to tell us
Lady Gagas manager was on the phone but she didnt know how
to put the call through to the studio. Mild panic set in and we all
scurried around trying to find a solution. Our producer Chang
gave the manager our secret hotline number and when it rang
I answered, trying to be all cool, but instead some weird accent
came out as I said Hello, The Edge? It was Lady Gaga on the
phone! OMFG!
We were trying very hard to contain our elation. This was by
far more exciting than when we met her the first time because it
was unexpected, exclusive and legendary. Big stars do not call into
little radio stations to say hi. They just dont. No matter how hard
you beg. It is very rare. (Tom Cruise, Gwyneth Paltrow, Russell
Crowe and Jack Black have all called us in the past but we offered
cash bounties for those calls. This time we were offering nothing.)
We spoke to her for about five minutes and were buzzing all day
afterwards.
Apparently her record company were fielding calls from angry
media who thought we had set up the interview and demanded
to know why they didnt get one. Lady Gaga didnt do any other
interviews while she was in New Zealand on that visit, so our
interview made the news. It was the only source of legitimate
comment for anyone needing a story.
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Ive met her again since and talked to her on the phone a couple
of times, and I have realised that she wasnt putting on an act
when we first met her. She is just like that a little bit quirky and
unusual but shes also not afraid to show how real she is either.
Lady Gaga is probably the most passionate star Ive met. She
lives, breathes and bleeds for her music.

A Quick Shot at Quentin Tarantino

much work goes into an interview was the
one we did with Quentin Tarantino in 2016. The director had
just released his latest movie The Hateful Eight and came to New
Zealand for the first time ever to promote it.
We were told we might get to interview him, so to keep the
entire day of Thursday, 21 January free. We were also told that
even though the interview might not even happen, we were to
submit our questions in advance and within 24 hours.
I hadnt seen the movie yet, so researched as much as I could
online about it and wrote about 15 questions to send through to
the publicist. That took about two hours. Then we were told, All
interviewers must see the film prior to the interview. If you do not
attend the screening, we will have to cancel your slot.
That sounds like a dream to most people, but I didnt
understand why we had to submit our questions before seeing
the movie. I felt like I had seen the movie after reading so much
about it anyway! Also, I am not a fan of violence in movies so I
dont usually volunteer myself to see Tarantino flicks, but on this
occasion I had to watch it.
The movie was three hours long and we had to go after our show
one morning at 11 a.m. So by the time the movie finished at 2 p.m.,
we had been up since 4 a.m. and hadnt done any show prep for the
next day. We just hoped the interview would come off.
The next day we were told the good news: We have confirmed
your interview with Quentin Tarantino and Zo Bell on Thursday,

AN EXAMPLE OF HOW

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21 January at 11.06 a.m. at SKYCITY Grand Hotel.

We didnt know we were going to get to talk to Zo, the Kiwiborn stuntwoman and actress, too. This was a bonus but we hadnt
prepared questions for her, so we would have to write some more.
The message also said: DURATION: 68 minutes. This includes
introductions and sign-offs so please be prepared to start as soon
as you take your seat.
Six to eight minutes for two people? We would be very pushed
for time.
ETIQUETTE: All interviews must be film-focused. Games,
pranks, station IDs, pieces to camera, autographs and photographs
will not be allowed. Please keep questions film-focused or careerfocused. Please do not bring the theme of violence to the fore.
He doesnt respond well to questions about violence, hes so
bored of the topic. He loves talking about this film specifically and
about his career in general (not personal life) so you should be
safe if you stick to this.
So, no questions about the one thing Tarantino is famous for
violence in his movies and no questions about his private life.
This was difficult when we actually had the interview because
Zo Bell was very touchy-feely with him during our chat and I
was dying to ask what that was about!
The interview did happen and yes, we were well prepared.
Quentin was a great interviewee, too. I imagined him to be quite
an intense guy, but he was friendly, funny, chatty and quite open.
I enjoyed talking to him.
It was a shame we couldnt get a photo with him, though, after
we put in so much effort to be there. Publicists can suck sometimes.

Nick Carter and the Pineapple

at Vector Arena in 2010 to interview
one of the Backstreet Boys. I was hoping it was Nick Carter because
I considered him to be the most famous one in the band and it

WE WERE INVITED BACKSTAGE

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was! Ive never been a fan of the band but I can appreciate that
they have so many huge fans. There were hundreds of people
lined up outside the venue by 6 p.m.
We were ushered backstage and waited in a tiny room for our
interview. Nick was about half an hour late and we were told
we werent allowed to video or take photos. Our producer at the
time, Chang, wasnt allowed in the room and neither was our
listener who had won a meet and greet. (She had met them earlier
anyway.)
When Nick came in, he was eating pineapple and kept eating
it while talking to us. He looked so moody I couldnt believe he
was about to go on stage in front of 12,000 people. His answers
to our questions were very serious and he did not offer anything
new just rehearsed, standard responses. It was hard to work
with him. The whole time he was looking out the door, or looking
at his wrists . . . he did not want to be there. Mike was a massive
fan so was totally gutted. I figured Nick got famous too young and
lost touch with reality.
We managed to convince him to pose for a quick photo and
he left. We wondered how we were going to make that interview
sound fun on air.
As we were leaving, Nicks band-mate Brian Littrell, about
12 girls following behind him, walked past and was very friendly.
Hi guys! he beamed. Brad Watson and Sharyn Wakefield (now
Casey) from The Edge Night Show got to interview him and they
said he was awesome. Pity we got Nick.
I wrote about my experience with Nick Carter on my website at
the time, radiochick.co.nz. He saw my blog and wrote one himself,
about me (with his original spelling and punctuation)!
First off, I wanna say that New Zealand was amazing!!! The fans
were so pumped and we loved em. I cant wait to get back.
Sooooo!! I happened to stumble onto a certain someones blog
about a so called bad interview that i did while down in NZ.
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Normally i would just shake it off but Im bored and i wanna chat
about it for a sec while i hang out in CHINA. I dont think that
i need to mention the name but, She knows who she is. So here
we go. As far as the pine apple goes, Ive been trying to up my
fruit intake and That was some of the Best pineapple that ive ever
tasted. I shoved it in my mouth right when i I walked in the room.
I tried to swallow it quicker but by the time the questions were
coming, It was to late :(, Pineapple had no chance. Now as far as
how late I was. 30 mins? Common gimmie a shot here. Maybe
15? . . . No? . . . Ok you got me. I had to eat. I didnt wanna blow
chunks on stage. We only had an hour to eat, interview and change
and . . .Well ya get it. Also the people in the front row wouldnt
be too happy if I barfed on them lol. I have to admit , I was a little
bit tired. Now this is no excuse, but we have been on a really long
run as far as tour goes. I always try my best to stay chipper but
sometimes, ya cant help it lol. This Im deeply and extremely sorry
for. Ill do better next time. :) Maybe you didnt want to be there?
Hey, Maybe I wasnt what you expected? Ya know, Sometimes,
I feel like I should complain about questions people ask me! Like
when people get really personal and disrespectful.(But we wont
bring up any of that, will we? ;). Look the main reason I wrote this
was to show you that Im human, Just like everyone else on our
beautiful planet. And maybe next time, you shouldnt judge a book
by its cover so quickly. Cause sometimes we all . . . Have a bad day.
God Bless
Nick Carter
After reading his blog I felt a bit mean because I realised he is a real
person with feelings, just like you and me, and maybe I was a bit
harsh. Its easy to assume celebrities are so different to us since they
live in a completely different world. Nick was actually very nice in
his blog and he could have been a bitch back to me, so I respect that.

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I Almost Met Kim Kardashian

Kim Kardashian, but Ive been in the same
room as her, and I have talked to her . . . she just didnt talk back!
The E! channel flew me to Sydney in 2012 for a VIP evening
with her, where she was appearing in a club to promote the newlook E! channel. I was told that I might get to interview her but I
wouldnt know until the day.
I squealed like a little girl when I heard this news. Kim is on my
dream interview list, so to see her in real life was getting me one
step closer.
The event was a red-carpet affair, so I was thinking, since it
was in Sydney and they are a bit more flash than Auckland, that
it would be super high-fashion. Local designer Natalie Chan told
me she wanted to dress me and put me in a gorgeous fuchsia
dress. It was a long, one-shouldered gown with a gold-beaded
sash belt. I wore gold wedges, got my hair and makeup done and
I was ready for Kims paparazzi!
The party was at a Sydney bar with about 100 industry guests.
Most of them were women who had come from work, but Sydney
women are so stylish, even their work clothes are immaculate.
Stilettos, LBDs, perfect hair and makeup. I was overdressed and
out of place with my long frock, and wished I had worn jeans
instead.
There was a small stage, which I stood next to. I knew this was
my only chance to get to Kim.
This was back before she married and had children with Kanye
West. She was famous for her reality TV show and her big bum. I
was dying to know if it was as oversized in real life as it looks in
pictures.
Cameras flashed and a hum spread across the room. Kim
Kardashian had arrived. She walked in (behind the bar to avoid
us common people) and up on to the stage.
She was stunning. Short, but not too noticeably in her six-inch

I HAVENT EXACTLY MET

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heels, and a knee-length, tight, taupe dress. She looked of average

size to me like a 1012, and her hips were as they appear on
camera bootylicious! Definitely a size up. But she absolutely
rocks it. Her face was small and slim but she was perfectly
groomed and flawless.
After a wee chat on stage, Kim made her way behind the bar
again and had some photos taken with a select few. I tried to get
back there but her hired security were doing their job a little too
well for my liking and kept pushing me back. I kept pulling out
the Kiwi card but nobody seemed impressed.
I knew Kim had to leave eventually so I stood by the exit
hoping to get her then. She came towards me, walking faster than
a normal person leaving a bar would, and her security stood right
in front of me to block me out of the way. Kim! I yelled. Kim!
Come to New Zealand! Kim! Kim! Kim! Yes, it was humiliating
but I had come all the way to Sydney and got super-dressed-up,
and this was my last chance.
Kim kept walking, pretending not to notice me, and disappeared
into a flash of bulbs. Bye, then! I yelled after her. And that was it.
My one chance with Kim Kardashian over. The closest I got was a
photo of me standing in front of her while she was on stage.
When I got back home to New Zealand, Dom and Mike found
it hilarious that I had hollered at Kim in the bar like this and they
played the recording over and over again. They still tease me with
it regularly and for some reason our audience loves it.

Tattooed by Ed Sheeran
ED SHEERAN IS THE NICEST ,

most genuine celebrity I have met so

far. Hes one of the biggest stars in the world, but he still seems so
down-to-earth. Scruffy, and with bad tattoos, he doesnt care what
anyone thinks of his appearance.
Usually when a star of his calibre is in town, they would never
come into the radio studio, we would have to go to them, either
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backstage at their gig or in a suite at their hotel. Its too much

pressure on security for a star as big as Ed to come to a radio
station, because fans find out and swarm the place. But Ed has
been to our studios four times now.
The first time he was fairly new on the scene. His fourth single
was out, Small Bump, but there must have been about 150 fans,
mostly teenage girls, waiting outside the studio. Eds security tried
to sneak him up past everyone but Ed is so friendly he made sure
to stop and give them all a wave and a hello. The girls screamed.
After his interview with us, Ed left via the elevator and down
into the basement, but as he was pulling out, all the fans appeared
at the basement doors. A star as big as Ed would usually drive past
with his head down, or at least wave, but Ed got out of the car and
told all of the fans to line up and have their phones ready on selfie
mode, then he went along and had a selfie with every single one of
them. He was late to his next appointment, but he didnt care.
The second time Ed came in we had invited select people in
to watch him perform a couple of songs live on what we call
The Edge Minimum Wage Stage. We get artists into The Edge
TV studio, on a small stage, and they sing a couple of acoustic
versions of their own songs. Then we present them with $14.75,
the minimum hourly wage for New Zealanders at the time. Ed
was so lovely he immediately passed the money over to one of the
fans who had come to watch him.
The third time Ed came to visit us, we had a strict eight minutes
with him. Instead of an interview, we decided to do something
a bit more daring. We had a prize wheel in the studio with four
options on it: Jay-Jay, Dom, Mike and Eds choice. We told Ed it
was The Wheel of Tattoo and that he should spin it and whoever
it landed on, he would have to give them a tattoo.
Mike already had an Edge logo tattooed on his butt from a
previous on-air challenge. Dom has a tramp stamp tattoo on his
lower back, of an actual trampoline, which he did for his first book
Bucket List of an Idiot, but I have so far managed to get through my
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21 years at the edgiest radio station in the country without ever

having to get inked. I wasnt keen to break that drought today,
but I guess if Ed Sheeran was my tattooist, then it would be OK.
We already had a professional tattooist with all the gear in
the studio. He had also organised a stencil of one of Eds famous
guitars, about the size of an iPhone.
Ed has been known to give his friends tattoos, including a
padlock on Harry Styles, so he is no stranger to the tattoo gun.
We admitted we were nervous, though, but Ed didnt seem too
concerned. He was so excited to get into it that he spun the wheel
while we were all mid-sentence.
I was really freaking out. I had to think about where I would
get such a big, ugly tattoo. I mean, a guitar means nothing to
me personally. I didnt want it to be in a very visible place, so I
thought about my lower leg, above my ankle, or my arse . . . but
then, would I really want Ed Sheeran looking at my arse? Luckily I
didnt have to worry for long, because the wheel stopped one click
away from my name, and landed on Dom! I was relieved, Mike
was relieved and even though Dom let out a groan, Im pretty sure
he was excited. It was his idea, after all.
Ed tried to give Dom some advice. You need to think about
this. You dont want it on your arm, you need your arms bare.
If youre going to get it anywhere, it should be next to your silly
tramp stamp.
Where else would be good, the ankle? Dom asked.
That wouldnt look very manly, I told him.
Well, since its Ed Sheeran doing it, said Dom, how about
next to the penis?
We all laughed and then Ed joked, It wouldnt take long!
I dont mind the arm, Dom said. I think it would be a
legendary story.
Ed seemed pretty keen up until this point but now reality was
setting in and we only had about four minutes left with him. Oh
man, are you sure about this? he asked.
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Dom was sure, so Ed put on rubber gloves and told us he was

feeling the pressure to be successful now. If my album flops,
youre going to have a really bad tattoo, he said to Dom. People
will be like, Oh who did that? Some has-been about ten years
ago!
Dom joked back, Well, funny you should say that because we
did this about eight years ago and Mike has a Ja Rule tattoo on his
arm.
And with that, Ed fired up the needle and started tattooing
Doms bicep.
Meanwhile, in the background, his people were going crazy
looking at the time. We had about two minutes left now and this
was a big tattoo. Ed was rushing. He did the outline as quick as
he could and then signed it with an X (the name of his current
album).
He stood back to look at his handiwork and looked embarrassed. Im so sorry I did that, he said to Dom.
What do you give it out of ten? I asked Ed.
Ahhh . . . four, he muttered as he shook his head. He was then
dragged out of the studio by his manager.
Due to the rush, Eds tattoo was quite shaky and unfinished.
It looks like a prison tat. Dom didnt mind though. The tattooist
offered to fix it up for Dom, but Dom wanted to keep it authentic.
He had a tattoo drawn by Ed Sheeran, albeit a really, really bad one.
The fourth time Ed Sheeran came to New Zealand, in April
2015, he still came into our studio. We could not believe this. The
fans outside were going crazy. We talked about Doms guitar
tattoo and Ed was still slightly embarrassed by it.
By the fifth time Ed was here, in December 2015, we finally had
to go to him instead of him coming to us. We visited him in his
hotel, the Pullman, before his sold-out show at Mt Smart Stadium.
He remembered us instantly and said, This is the first time youve
come to me! Do you remember? Every time Ive been in your studio
you have told me that big stars always make you go to them.
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Now youve become that guy, Dom joked.

Yeah, and I quite like it! Ed laughed.
Ed seemed proud of Doms tattoo this time and was showing it
off to his manager and record-company reps.
It was his very last interview before he decided to take a break
from the spotlight. One thing he said in that interview that made
me really love him was, I got my parents a flat and a car for when
they visit me in London, right across the road from me. Its so
when I have kids, when they start getting a little bit irritating . . .
He motions as if he is shooing someone away. Ive got the
grandparents there.
Awwwww.

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