Lisa McCune, 53, has added a Mirror Ball to her already chock-a-block trophy cabinet. Following her Dancing With The Stars victory, the four-time Gold Logie winner was flooded with support from her nearest and dearest.
“The kids were ecstatic,” she tells New Idea. “They were thrilled. I got a couple of videos of them screaming when I won, because I was at a function with some of the cast and crew at the time.”
Lisa’s win was made more special as it was her dance partner Ian Waite’s first time topping the leaderboard.
“Ian’s been doing dancing with the stars in the UK for many years and he’s never taken home the Mirror Ball, So he was absolutely swept away in the joy of it all,” Lisa says, adding that he “works tirelessly”.
“He’s a stickler for the techniques and the material, and he’s a lot of fun. He’s very confident in his dancing, and that translates to me as a partner. It makes it easier for me because you feel like you’re in safe hands.”
While Lisa’s confidence and determination translated on screen, there were some challenging moments that the audience didn’t get to see.
“I went through a bit of a period of time during the Viennese Waltz where I had a really sore rib cage,” Lisa admits. “So I couldn’t do some lifts because I felt like I pulled some muscles.
“But most people were carrying some sort of injury, like Julie (Goodwin). Even the professional dancers. I know Alex (Vladimirov) and Ant (Middleton) were a bit broken at times too. It’s part of the discipline of dance, isn’t it? It’s protecting your body and making sure you look after it.”
Injuries aside, the experience was “joyful” for Lisa.
“I’m enjoying this part of my career where I’m getting to do some things that I probably normally wouldn’t have done and I’m giving them a crack,” the Blue Heelers star says.
“You start to go ‘Am I gonna get this opportunity again?’ and I thought, ‘Well, I’m gonna give it a go!’.”
The 53-year-old has certainly had an illustrious career, having won four consecutive TV WEEK Gold Logie awards for her role as Maggie Doyle in the beloved police drama series, Blue Heelers.
With the 2024 Logies approaching, a new batch of Australia’s most popular presenters are in the running for gold – including Andy Lee, Asher Keddie, Julia Morris, Larry Emdur, Robert Irwin, Sonia Kruger, and Tony Armstrong.
Having the accolade herself, Lisa isn’t playing favourites.
“This is the one time that it’s the audience’s nod to who they have loved watching for the past year on television,” Lisa muses. “I’ve been part of that audience and I think everybody’s so individual and unique.
“Having just worked with Sonia Kruger for Dancing With The Stars, she is such a class act. She’s wonderful at what she does, not only as a performer, which we don’t see her do enough of these days, but as a presenter. I’ve spoken with Larry Emdur and he is equally a formidable talent.
“I love Andy Lee and Julia Morris. Then you’ve got the new young blood of Robert Irwin coming through the ranks. And Asher Keddie, of course who is flying the flag for drama. It’s a great race for the gold. I daren’t say who’s going to get it but I think everybody’s going to have a really good chance at it.”
