She’s spent years performing on stage, so for Deni Hines swapping singing for sequins and stilettos on Dancing With The Stars was a dream come true.
Going toe-to-toe with seasoned performers, Deni, the daughter of music legend Marcia Hines, tells Woman’s Day she wasn’t worried about taking on the competition.
“I remember Kylie Gillies asking if I was nervous… I wasn’t nervous, I was in my element,” says Deni, confessing the only dance that pushed her way out of her comfort zone was the foxtrot!
She’s been rehearsing up to eight hours a day with Lyu.
(Image: Channel 10)“I’ve done choreography videos, I’ve done musicals, but I’ve never done a foxtrot… everything is so stiff, and I just want to break free,” she chuckles.
“But I loved it, because anything to do with creativity, which is my world, I will just lap it up.”
DWTS is the 51-year-old’s third reality television appearance, first joining the cast of The Celebrity Apprentice Australia in 2011 before performing as the Unicorn on The Masked Singer in 2019.
Rehearsing between six to eight hours a day with her partner Lyu Masuda, Deni tells us that while her co-stars were “sweet” and “wonderful”, she had her eyes firmly on the coveted mirrorball prize.
“I’m not there to socialise… I came to win,” she explains. “I kind of ostracised myself because I didn’t come to make friends, it’s a competition.”
With COVID cases on the rise while filming, Deni reveals she was forced to take to the dancefloor alone for the opening night when Lyu’s test results failed to return in time.
“He had hayfever, but I swear he thought he was dying,” Deni recalls with a chuckle.
“Luckily, we were dancing the next day… and I just had to get through the eight-count intro!”
An accomplished singer, Deni is stepping out from behind the mic!
(Image: Channel 10)Battling blisters, long hours in rehearsals and crazy costumes, Deni was grateful for the love and support of her businessman husband Daniel Moses.
Still as in love as the day they said “I do”, this year marks a decade since they tied the knot.
And when asked to spill their secrets to staying happily married, the couple both agree that laughter and independence are the key.
“He cracks me up,” says Deni, beaming from ear to ear. “You know you’ve met the right person when you don’t even realise it’s been 10 years.”
And her husband couldn’t agree more.
Deni now lives in Thailand with husband Daniel.
(Image: Instagram)“The last 10 years have been the best of my life,” says Daniel, who is due to celebrate his 50th birthday later this year.
And when she’s finished her stint on the reality show, Deni, who has spent the past five years living in Thailand, has plans to focus on her music with a new single soon to be released.
But don’t expect to see Deni moving back to Oz any time soon!
“There’s no way in hell!” she shouts. “My life is blessed in Thailand.”
