Sunrise fans were sad to see weatherman Sam Mac hang up his ballroom shoes after getting eliminated from Dancing With The Stars: All-Stars.
Following his shock exit, the 39-year-old revealed that he discovered “a gift” he “didn’t know” he had and was humbled to find out his followers made a petition to bring him back to the dance floor.
“Maybe the judges weren’t ready for this jelly. I know there is already a Change.org to get me reinstated to the show,” he tells TV WEEK.
Sam didn’t feel the judges understood his dance style.
(Image: Seven)The show’s judge Helen Richey was keen to keep the presenter on the show for “entertainment value,” and Sam insists performing for Australia made the experience worthwhile, even though the judges didn’t understand his unique style.
.jpg?resize=380%2C285)
“I don’ think the competition is designed for a dancer like me because I am anti-choreography and I feel like music is something you should feel, should be in the moment, and of course, that is terrible news for my dance partner,” he says.
“I don’t really seek the approval of the judges; I feel that it’s more about connecting with Australia, the audience, and making them feel something.”
Offstage, Sam is making the right steps with his girlfriend, Rebecca James.
The couple met when a mutual friend connected them on Instagram, and after six months of Zooms, messages, and calls in lockdown during 2020, they finally met in person when Rebecca flew from Melbourne to Sydney
“The best part of it all is we’re tackling it like a team.”
(Image: Instagram)Although they were worried about how their bond would translate from online to in-person, things went swimmingly, and now they’ve almost finished renovating their new home.
“We’ve been renovating, so that’s obviously been challenging. Everyone knows it takes double the time and double the price you expect it to,” he says.
“The best part of it all is we’re tackling it like a team, and she’s got her strengths, and I’ve got my weaknesses we complement each other, and we’re getting through it, we’re at the pointy end where we can put everything together and make it nice and stylish and enjoy living in it.”
The weatherman’s romantic bliss with Rebecca is picture-perfect, but Sam admits his love life was far from pumping before she came along.
“I would say I was not lucky or unlucky in love I was just non-existent in love.”
(Image: Instagram)When asked how he faired in matters of the heart, he candidly remarks, “I would say I was not lucky or unlucky in love I was just non-existent in love.”
Of course, it’s not hard to see why it was a challenge. After all, Sam works on morning television with start times well beyond normal.
“This job is not conducive to a relationship for the most part because you don’t spend long anywhere, you can’t get out and socialise because you have a 3:30 am alarm, so you’re in bed by 8 pm,” Sam says.
“Like it’s not overly attractive to say to someone, ‘Hey do you want to go out to a dinner date, I’ll meet you at 4:30 pm and finish eating by six,’ to do my skincare routine and be in bed by 7:30.
“I think I was in no-man’s-land; I think it wasn’t my priority before meeting Bec. I was just so focused and driven by my work, I still am, but I found a way and a person to compliment that.”
Now that he has found his happy ever after, the television mainstay proudly asserts, “If this guy can find love,” other hopefuls can too.
Want to find your own fairytale romance? Sign up to eharmony today
.jpg?fit=105%2C105){kind=avatar}