David takes a dive

TV WEEK's Pete Timbs spoke to controversial dancing contestant David Graham, the sixth contestant to leave the dance floor... TV Week

So, did you guys have a party after you were kicked out of the show? Did everyone hang around?
No, apparently the other guys had some dance or something to worry about, so they had to go and train. It was just the crew, Eliza (David's dance partner) and me.

Did any judges hang around?
Nah! They walk straight away. Well, not all of them. Helen, Mark and Paul stick around a little bit but Todd just takes off within seconds. The show's not even over, the credits aren't even up and he's gone.

Where does he go?
I don't know, to hide and cry. I don't know, be a sook.

What about Todd's comments last night? How did that make you feel?
They were just unnecessary and he knew it. He knew that they were completely unjustified but I don't know - maybe he was trying to make some good TV. I was doing a heck of a lot of training, so they were just silly comments that had no basis. He didn't give me an opportunity to answer and even if he did, I wouldn't have replied. His comments were so far removed from reality that they didn't justify a response.

So you haven't spoken to him at all?
No, I haven't but I really wanted to shake his hand to say, 'Hey look, I think most of your comments were justified and I appreciate a lot of the criticism'. I'd also like to let him know that I was spending more than 10 hours a day, I was committed to dancing, be that training in the gym, training in studios or just getting in with the tracks of music that we had to try to get in time with. Hopefully, I'll be able to see him on the last show and just shake his hand then.

Why do you think he had it in for you?
No idea, and you know, it's not really my concern. It's his.

Do you think he may have had a crush on you?
Well. It's unreciprocated, so...

Maybe that's why he's so angry ? because you don't like him and he has the hots for you.
Yes, well, he's never going to go anywhere with that one!

So you tried to be a gentleman when it was just you and Kate left and you thought Kate might get booted off. What was all that about?
It could have been taken a lot of different ways. It could have been taken that now I'm doing dance sports and getting medals and places, that I'm totally up myself and I thought I was too good to stay ? but that's not how it was. It was just a simple case of me staying probably three weeks longer than I should have, because two extremely capable dancers and two of our best athletes went before me. I wasn't going to let that happen again. I didn't want to stay just on my public support, which I was really grateful for. But it's a dancing show and I wanted the best dancer to stay and Kate Ceberano is an absolute hero of mine and there was no way I was going to entertain the possibility of staying and have her go. Luckily, it turned out that she was definitely going to stay.

Now that it's over, what's next for you?
I'm going to take one of my Big Brother holidays, just to get away. I've got three trips to South-East Asia and South America. Mum and dad have got my sheep over at their place. My farm is just a dust bowl, there's nothing there at all, so even if I did go home I'd just be twiddling my thumbs.

It's been a year of absolute, insane craziness. It just hasn't stopped. If it's not being trapped inside a house on the Gold Coast, it's trapping Australia into watching really bad dancing or it's being trapped in a really bad drought. I just want to break out and get on the backpackers' trail and not have to worry about anything.

Who are you going to go with?
I'll just see whichever one of my mates can get time off work.

So, there's no boyfriend you want to take away with you?
You, and your bloody probing questions about me and my love-life. No, no.

What about taking Todd?
Well no, definitely not Todd. I devoted all of my time to dancing and I had no personal life while I was on the show. There is no one at all that I'm seeing. So hopefully I might meet someone.

Who is your tip to win Dancing With The Stars?
Hopefully Kate. I absolutely love her ? she's my favourite, if you're allowed to have favourites. Also Tim. He is an incredibly talented person who deserves that trophy.

So, you would like to see Kate win, but you think it will be Tim?
Yeah, I think so.