We caught up with the 2023 Strictly champion to learn more about DIANNE AND VITO – Red Hot and Ready! — a new show where he’ll be performing alongside fellow Strictly superstar Dianne Buswell at York Barbican this July.
Hi Vito! How excited are you to be coming to York?
I love York! Every time I’m in York I take like 1,000 pictures. It’s so characteristic — you can really feel the people and the love. You know I’m a big Harry Potter fan so when I arrived at The Shambles I stopped and I kind of got emotional — so I always go there! But most of the time I like to explore, like I don’t even put any navigation on I just like to see where the flow guides me.
We ought to talk about the show a little bit, so what can you tell us about DIANNE AND VITO – Red Hot and Ready?
Me and Dianne put this show together two years ago. We want to bring a side of ourselves that the audience won’t have seen yet.
I said, “let’s develop all of our skills!” I love acting and comedy so — let’s bring that! I love singing, let’s bring that, I love cooking, so let’s cook on stage! Let’s just do whatever we need to do just so we can bring the best show together.
It’s not just about us— we’ve got the best cast ever. [For example] the percussionist we got this guy who played in Broadway!
And together we will create something special and unique. I just want people to have the best time ever.
Did I hear you say that you’ll be cooking on stage?
Yes, you heard good! I remember the first time I mentioned it — “Oh I can cook on stage.” It made the whole team look at me in silence for like ten seconds, like “you’re not gonna cook on stage” — you’re gonna burn the theatre! But now we’re creating a red, hot, and ready food that is gonna be the food dedicated to our show and I’m gonna do it on stage.
Could you sum up the difference between going to a live show and watching Strictly on TV?
Basically, in the Live Show you have the possibility to get to know us better. When you watch Strictly we dance for the cameras. Yes, we do have some people in the audience, but all the other millions of people are from the other part of the camera, so we don’t see them. The live show is our way of being directly in touch with the people, when you are live you feel the people — that’s why every single night is going to be a different show.
How important was the relationship between you and Dianne to the show?
Dianne and I have this brother and sister relationship. Dianne was one of the first people I met when I came to Strictly. Do you know the feeling when you meet someone and it seems like you’ve known them forever?
[When it came to making this show] I said to her — if it had not been with you, it would not have been with anyone else!
If you could be any animal for a day, what would you be?
A deer! That’s an animal I always feel connected with. When I was a kid I loved Bambi the cartoon — and even now in my room there is a big picture of a deer. It’s definitely my animal.
DIANNE AND VITO – Red Hot and Ready! is live at York Barbican on July 6th. Head to www.yorkbarbican.co.uk to book your tickets.
Add a comment