Nick Bracks

OUR STRAIGHT MATES With Matthew Myers

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Nick

He was best known as the son of a former Victorian premier, until he stripped to his jocks and strutted through Federation Square. Now Nick Bracks is tearing up the floor on Dancing With The Stars.

DNA: You’re building quite a reputation as a model. Is it something you’ve been wanting to do or did you fall into it?

Nick: I sort of fell into it while I was at uni and I thought, why not give it a go and see what happens? It brings me infrequent and random work and it’s a good platform to other things.

So it works well with my current lifestyle.

What was it like as the son of a premier?

My dad was premier of Victoria from when I was 12 right into my teenage years, so I haven’t really known anything different. But in terms of the family situation, and compared to a lot of my friends, I still had a lot of quality time with my parents. Dad would come home after work, just switch off and spend time with us.

So it’s really something that’s been a normal part of my life.

You did a photo shoot in Federation Square for 2010 Fashion Week. Was that an iconic 28 DNA

moment for you?

I guess you could say that. It was when I first got into the whole modelling industry.

I just went along with it. It was a very unusual thing for me to do and I don’t know if I’d want to do it again. But then again, on Dancing With The Stars I’m faced with a whole new level of nervousness!

So which was the more nerve-wracking?

Federation Square was a walk in the park compared to dancing on live television.

You were nominated for Cleo’s Bachelor Of The Year 2011. How do you feel about the sex symbol tag?

It’s all a bit of fun, really. The main thing I enjoyed was a few free trips to Sydney. But I also knew a lot of the guys in it, so it was good to be able to hang out with them. I really did enjoy the whole experience.

If Cleo ever brought back the centrefold,

would you consider it?

Hmm… I don’t know. We’ll have to see how we go with that one!

Are you aware gay guys also find you hot?

I’ve got a lot of gay friends, actually. I get hit on by more gay guys than girls and I don’t find it intrusive at all. Some of my gay friends are in fact my best friends and I have no issues at all.

If you were gay, who would you go for?

It’s hard to go past Dan Ewing. He’s pretty hot!

You have a great body for someone your age.

What do you put it down to?

I used to do a lot of competitive sport when I was younger and I like to keep fit, so I go to the gym three or four times a week. Any day I’m not at the gym, I’ll go running.

Dancing With The Stars is your first exposure to television. How are you finding it?

It’s quite in-your-face and the whole dancing thing is completely foreign to me. Having a

camera in your face while you’re trying to get a handle on the moves and then performing on live TV is pretty full-on. So I’ve been taking it all one day at a time and I try to enjoy myself a bit, as well.

What celebrity have you been told you look like? Perhaps Steve Bracks?

[Laughing] Yes, I get told that quite a lot.

Actually, I get told I look like Taylor Lautner from the Twilight films.

What’s your porn name? (Your first pet and the street your grew up in).

My first pet was a dog, Maggie, and I grew up

in the news! But I can’t really complain about being half-naked with four good-looking girls for a day. It was something different.

There have been some ‘bad boy’ incidents in your past. How do you want people to perceive you these days?

Well, I’ve accepted that a lot of people have a negative opinion of me, as most of the media attention I’ve received was from the mistakes I’ve made. I guess that’s fair enough, if that’s all they’ve seen, but hopefully from seeing me on Dancing With The Stars they’ll see that I’m not such a bad guy. Eventually I’d like to be

“I get hit on by more gay guys than girls and I don’t find it intrusive at all.” in Percy Street, Ballarat. So Maggie Percy.

You appeared in a music video called The Things by Sharam Jey, where you were bound, gagged and held on a leash by a beautiful girl. Did you enjoy filming that?

It was all a bit of fun. I got asked to do it two days beforehand, but I don’t know if I would have done it if I had known it was going to be

perceived as my own person and not the son of someone, which is hard to get past. There’s not many things you can do to remove that stigma, but I also accept that’s the situation I’m in. I mean, from that situation I’ve been given opportunities that most people wouldn’t get, so there are two sides to it.

So in some ways you could relate to the

children of celebrities on a grander scale – Madonna and Lordes, for instance?

Yes, to a very small degree it’s probably a similar situation where you don’t want to be known as the son or daughter of someone. You want to be known as your own person.

Madonna, Kylie, Britney, Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Rhianna or Pink?

Probably Rhianna. She’s not too bad to look at!

Your parents have rubbed shoulders with everyone from pops stars to royalty. Do you remember meeting famous people?

Yeah, a few. I remember meeting Ruben Hurricane Carter at some sort of event like the Commonwealth Games. That was kind of cool.

I’ve met Tony Blair and I remember meeting Michael Schumacher and Will Smith. They were all pretty good experiences.

Who or what has been the biggest influence on you so far?

I’d have to say my parents and friends. I have an uncle I’m really close to and he’s always been pretty supportive of me.

In terms of modelling, you have the world at your feet. Where do you hope to go? Would you try acting?

I don’t know if I’d have any ability in acting and I’ve never really been inclined towards any of that sort of thing. Even with dancing, I’ve always been a shy and reserved sort of person.

But I’ve been looking at what options there are out there. I’m building up a bit of a profile, so I may have to learn some new skills. So for now, I’m currently exploring.

What is your favourite travel destination?

I have quite a few, but I’d probably say Barcelona is one of my favourites. I’ve got a couple of close mates who live there. It’s a fun and relaxed city with great food and there’s always something going on.

What do you think has been your best dance move so far on Dancing With The Stars?

I’d say ripping my top off in episode four!

As a model, do you have a favourite ‘look’?

I prefer the more formal and fitted look for clothing, like a nice-styled suit. My personal preference is well-fitted, simple and plain, but good quality. Not too many colours going on, but dark clothes. Sometimes less is more!

Are you a boxers, jocks or freeballing man?

Definitely a fitted boxers man. Definitely not a jocks man, I don’t find them as comfortable.

What has been the most surreal experience you’ve had so far in your career?

Definitely Dancing With The Stars. If someone said to me six months ago I’d be doing this, I wouldn’t have believed them. I’m still kind of thinking, what the hell am I doing?

It’ll be even more surreal when you win!

[Laughing] I’m just thinking about getting through each routine and not messing it up.

But that would be surreal! H Dancing With The Stars airs on Channel Seven, Sunday nights at 8.30.

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