Dream Academy’s Ezrela on K-Pop trainee life, bonding with KATSEYE & her sentimental keepsakes

0:00 Charmed is all about our collections and our memories and why they matter. Our keepsakes can be a representation of personal style and quality, a reminder of who we are. Some stories are worn to tell with Pandora. Keep listening for more.

0:15 That was my favourite part. Every time I walked in after a long, hard day of training, I would take a picture of how beautiful it was and then I would just lie down.

0:21 That would be the best feeling to come back to your sacred space. Do you still have the plushies now?

0:27 Yes, I still have the plushies. I still sleep with it.

0:28 Oh, that's so cute. Hi, I'm Sam Todd and welcome to Charmed. This is a show about the things we keep. The random little things, the sentimental things, the stuff that probably looks like nothing to anyone else, but for some reason, you can never throw it away. It might be a concert tee, a friendship bracelet, a ticket stub, a Pandora charm, an old CD, or some tiny piece of merch you bought during an obsession that completely took over your life.

1:04 Every episode, I'll be chatting to someone about the bits and pieces they've held onto, and what those things say about memory, nostalgia, obsession, and the person they were when they found them. Because yes, sometimes we collect things, some of us, a lot of things, but most of the time, I think we're really just trying to hold on to a feeling and a memory. Today, I'm chatting to Ezrella, and this episode is all about pop culture, fandom, and the things we keep from the moments that completely consume us.

1:31 For Ezrella, there's the added layer of having actually been inside one of those moments through Dream Academy and Popstar Academy. We're talking about that experience, being away from home, the things she kept from that chapter, and what it was like later seeing Kase perform and reuniting with the girls in Australia. But first, we're going to throw to the Get to Know Me section. Every single week, I put a question box on my Instagram story pertaining to the topic of this week's episode, this one being pop culture.

1:58 And you all sent in some fabulous questions. So the first one comes from Casey, and she asks, have you ever camped for a concert? And to that, I say never. And I never will. I respect the hustle. Or do I? I don't know. I think the concert camping culture has kind of turned into this whole beast. I see a lot of TikToks about people making self-made cues and wristbands and the fights they get into. And I also just cannot imagine having a good time at a concert after camping.

2:28 in the wild for 24 or even 48 or 72 hours before. People do it for days. And then I imagine showing up to the concert exhausted. You haven't had a good sleep. Dirty, like unshowered. And you know what is one of the best parts of a concert? Getting ready with your girlfriends in a full glam. You know, I'm going to the Zara Larsson concert tomorrow. And I am so looking forward to being in the hotel room with my girls, doing the makeup, getting dressed up. I feel like you are robbed of all of that by camping.

2:57 But I suppose what you get from camping is a front row spot. So it's kind of a trade-off. I've never been on barricade, probably never will be because I'm not willing to sacrifice days of my life for it. So shout out to the camping sisters who are, but that will never be me. Our next question comes from Rose who asks, what is the best concert you've ever been to? And perhaps my answer is cliche, but I have to say Taylor Swift's Iris Tour. There has been nothing like that cultural moment. At the time, I was living in Brisbane and I traveled to Melbourne for the tour and just coming into the city and there were girls and women everywhere, all there for the same reason.

3:33 Everyone is dressed up in sparkles and friendship bracelets. And there was such a beautiful feeling of unity and community. It was such a rare monoculture moment because who doesn't love Taylor Swift? And I loved being a part of it. And it was also... The Swan Song for my clothing brand, The Vault. My final collection was the Taylor Swift Ears Tour inspired collection. So getting to go to the concert and seeing people wearing my designs for the final time and wearing my own designs and then hearing Taylor sing the songs from my entire life. Impeccable. Can never be done again. Though I hope it will be. I hope somebody else could do an Ears Tour, but I don't know if there's anyone out there. who could do it

4:11 like her. And our final question comes from Wendy, who asks, do you collect concert merch? And if you do, what's your favorite item you've gotten so far? Well, of course, it is no surprise to anyone that I collect concert merch. I collect many things. But specifically, I love to collect concert t-shirts, because I also collect vintage t-shirts. And when I collect the concert shirts at the concerts I go to, I imagine them becoming vintage items in my wardrobe in the future. I specifically like to buy them in an oversized fit because that's how I like to wear vintage T-shirts.

4:41 And I brought one of my favorites to show today. If you're just listening, now is the time to flick through to the video stream. This is my Taylor Swift Fearless Tour T-shirt. This tour was about 15 years ago, and it's got her with her curly hair and her sparkly dress. And just looking at this image reminds me of my teenage self. I love this one. But there is another item of concert merch that I got recently that I really love that I want to shout out.

5:08 I went to Levee's A Matter of Time tour, and I got her Mei Mei bunny pastel. Because Levee has her own little mascot that she created, which is Mei Mei the bunny. And at the shows, Mei Mei comes on stage and crowns the best dressed of the night. But you can also get Mei Mei merch. And Mei Mei is a white bunny with really long ears and a cable knit sweater. And more artists need to be doing subtle things like this, where It's not glaringly obvious that it's merch. It's a very if you know, you know kind of thing. And you can wear May May all the time because she just looks like a bunny.

5:39 I love her. Azrella knows pop culture from a pretty unique perspective because she's experienced it from both sides. She grew up loving music and dance, then found herself in Dream Academy, away from home and competing as part of a global project watched by fans around the world. And Azrella and I actually met for the first time at the Cat's Eye concert in Sydney, which feels like the perfect place to start. Today we're talking about Azrella's memories from Dream Academy, the things she brought home from that experience, what it was like watching Cat's Eye perform when they came to Australia, and the music, artists, fandoms, and objects that have stuck with her long after the moment itself was over. Hi, Azrella.

6:19 Hi.

6:20 Welcome to Charmed. I am so honored and excited to have you on here as a guest. And this is your first official big interview. Yes, it is.

6:29 Thank you for having me. I'm so excited to be here.

6:31 Of course. We're so thrilled. And you did such a wonderful job representing Australia as the only Australian contestant on Dream Academy. I have to know... How does one end up on Dream Academy from all the way in Australia?

6:44 That's a really good question. Honestly, for me, I think a lot of people were scouted here and there, but I actually did a really big audition for it. And it's actually funny. I auditioned for something else, and I just slipped in a little video to Hivex Geffen, and I had no idea what it was. But I just saw this sign that said, you are the main character.

7:03 And I was like, ooh, I love that. So I sent in a video and... Yeah, like, I think a month later, I got an email while I was just, like, getting ready in the bathroom, and I just saw it said, Heiberg-Skeffen, audition update. And then it was like, you just passed to the second round and stuff.

7:20 Oh, my God.

7:21 And I thought a lot of people were going to be... like, on it and, like, because it was an audition process. So there was a time where you get to meet other trainees that are auditioning.

7:33 And this is all via Zoom? Yeah, this is all via Zoom. So you're still in Australia. Exactly.

7:36 I was still in Australia. There was about three rounds. Wow. By the third round, when we got to meet a lot of people, I found out I was the only Australian there. And I was really shocked because I know a lot of people that also have auditioned and love to do things like this. So it was a really big moment.

7:53 I hear there was over 120,000 people that auditioned. The fact that you beat all of them out is crazy. And going on Dream Academy is any young girl's dream to be plucked out of obscurity, whisked away to L.A., getting to live this dream life. So you go through the three rounds of audition and then what happens?

8:12 So originally they wanted to take us to LA for the third round, but I think it was around COVID times. So we had to stay and we did like this big process. And then, yeah, they finally told us we got in. And by then I just had to, like, it was hard to get visas because like, we're all from a global area, so that was something that was really interesting. Normally when you go into this sort of K-pop training system, You don't get that much people from different Europe, Australia.

8:47 Every country.

8:47 Every country.

8:49 Did they help with the visa or did you have to sort that out?

8:52 They took care of all of the visa stuff. But while they were taking care of the visas, we had to do online classes. And so for me, that meant I had to get up at about 2 a.m. every morning. And then I also didn't have my own dance room. So I had to go outside where it was really cold. In the dark. In the dark. The sun was not even, like, rising yet. I could see the moon. And then halfway through class, I could see the sun coming up.

9:16 Oh, my God.

9:17 And we would be, like, needing to give it our all. We would be working out. And I would be, like, on my, like, patio ground with, like, a thin little yoga mat trying to, like, do all this, like, sit-ups, push-ups, this whole workout routine. and then like dance and whip my hair. And I hadn't even had breakfast yet. So it was really, that was really quite hard for me.

9:39 It was one of the times where I realized like, this is not going to be easy, but if I really want this, I'm just going to have to commit. So I tried like, you know, I wasn't very comfortable with my hair at the time, like, and it was very curly and I would wake up and have bedhead. So then I was like, okay, I need to straighten my hair so that I'm ready to go into this class and everything's all done.

10:00 And so not only are you training at 2am, you're getting up really early to get ready. Exactly.

10:05 Wow. Especially because like I had to make a good impression. Yeah. It's the first time I'm seeing all these people.

10:10 And I know you mentioned dance rooms. Did a lot of the other girls have dance rooms and their training during the daytime?

10:15 Well, a lot of us did use like living rooms and things like that. But yeah, some of them had dance rooms. Some of them had like a gym that they were dancing at. I think I was the only person that was in my backyard.

10:28 In the middle of the night.

10:29 Yeah.

10:30 It really speaks to your dedication. And you were so young. Were you 15, 16?

10:35 I was actually 18.

10:36 Oh my gosh, you looked so young on the show. But nonetheless, 18 is still so young to be doing all of this. Did you tell the people in your life or did you hold onto it like a secret?

10:48 No, I didn't tell the people in my life. I think maybe like one of my best friends knew, but then other than that, like I pretty much disappeared.

10:57 Really? Yeah. So you didn't tell anybody?

10:59 Like my family, I told my family, like my extended family, they all knew, they all came to my house and like wished me off on the night before I took my flight. But yeah, friends wise, like I also had just started my first year of uni. Like I just finished my first year of uni by then. And so, yeah, I just I had to drop that and just leave.

11:22 Wow. The restraint is so interesting to me because I think a lot of young people, as soon as you get exciting news or a huge opportunity you want to tell everybody I mean I am so old well I'm not that old but I'm 32 and when I got offered this show I was telling all of my friends like girls you won't believe this and you could just disappear.

11:39 Yeah because I've always heard people do that so I did want to try it so that's what.

11:45 I did you wanted to be mysterious yes exactly did you know when you were embarking how long you would be gone for.

11:51 No I had no idea and honestly like When I was training, I really didn't believe I would make it that far. So for about the first six months of training, I actually hadn't unpacked my bag.

12:03 Not at all. Yeah.

12:05 And I didn't like the other girls were buying like their own towels and their own bed sheets and stuff like that. And I just I thought that it would be really sad if I bought it and then I had to just go straight home. Like, I don't know. I really just didn't believe it. So. Me buying my own bed sheets and towels, that was a really big moment for me. I was like, okay, I'm here to stay.

12:23 I'm committing.

12:24 So at the six-month mark is that when you bought your bed sheet?

12:26 Yes, it really is.

12:28 And back to the suitcase? Yeah. What sort of items did you bring with you from home in that suitcase?

12:33 Well, it was actually quite funny. I didn't get a lot of space to bring to, like, L.A. I only had one suitcase.

12:41 Just one suitcase?

12:42 Just one suitcase. And there was, like, a huge mix-up at the airport, like, I'd gotten, like, the wait allowance confused. So, like, my bag was really heavy. So then, like, right before I was boarding my flight, I had to, like, quickly take out all of this random stuff, all my shoes and stuff like that. So it was a really stressful moment.

13:00 But one of the most important things that I kept with me, even though it could have gone back, was this scarf that my mum gave me. It just, it smelt like her. It felt like her, like, and that was something that, like, even sleeping in my bed when I was training, like I would have that next to me and I would just always have like a piece of my mom with me.

13:19 Oh, that's so special. That's so nice that you were able to bring that with you. I can't get over the fact that you are uprooting your life with one suitcase and it couldn't even be a full suitcase. And you move into a share house with all of the girls, right? What was it like living with so many young girls?

13:35 Well, I'm the youngest child of my family and I'm in a, like there's three of us. So I love the idea of living with multiple people and having so many sisters.

13:46 It seems like the dream. Exactly.

13:48 It really was the dream for me. I was so happy. I loved waking up and waking up just looking at Daniela's face across from my room.

13:56 So you guys were roommates?

13:57 Yeah, me and Daniela were roommates and same with Lexi and Carly. But actually, initially, they all put us in the same room.

14:06 Every single girl in one big room.

14:07 Exactly. I think there was about 10 trainees at the start but two of them lived on their own like with their parents so yeah all eight of us were in the same room so it was two to each bunk bed yeah so me and Sophia were the first to share a bunk bed and we were so excited about it because we were really really close like even on zoom like even though we would zoom call and we would have different time zones me and Sophia would Zoom like outside of training in class.

14:36 Oh, that's so nice. Because I was wondering how you would connect with the girls on a group Zoom call.

14:41 Yeah, exactly. We would have group chats and we would call. But yeah, mostly Sophia and I would call a lot. And so when it was time to choose like bunk mates, me and Sophia bunked up. And yeah, it was really, really fun. Like I loved living with everyone. I loved going downstairs and people were eating and we were all just having a good time. It was hard for like cultural reasons. I'm sure everyone came from different backgrounds.

15:05 There was such a diverse range of girls.

15:07 Exactly. So like the way we all like took care of the house and things like that was very different. But that only required conversation and discussion. And so we worked through it really well.

15:18 Was there like a minder living with you guys or was it truly just the girls?

15:22 So initially it was, yeah, there was like a minder, but she wasn't like long term. It was just temporary.

15:29 But then.

15:30 There was a moment where it was just us, and then they got someone to actually be there with us, which was really good.

15:35 When it was just you guys, did it go a little bit crazy? I imagine you guys would be so exhausted from training all day.

15:40 Yeah, we were very exhausted. It was never too crazy. We just played a lot of games, and we were quite loud, but that was it. It was fine. It was a big house.

15:49 Honestly, when I was watching Dream Academy, I was like, this is my dream. Why was I born without singing or dancing talent? No way! Just imagine being in a house like that with all of these amazing girls and you're getting manufactured into being a pop star and then you come home at night and you all hang out with each other and cook each other's food. Do you miss that time or did you have enough?

16:10 No, I never had enough. I missed it so much. There was a time where I was going through it and for me personally, I used to have a lot of fast food and I loved that. That was a comfort for me. So yeah, exactly. So when I went into the program, like I needed to start having like better food and it was really hard for me. And one of the girls, um, she started cooking for me because she was like, I really want you to eat really well. Um, let me cook you something from like my culture. So she would cook me, she was Japanese and she would cook me this like sukiyaki don and it was so nice it was so delicious and like I crave it all the time and I can never have it again because like I don't live with her anymore.

16:54 You have to travel to Japan just to have the sukiyaki don.

16:56 Exactly and then also Sophia would also.

16:59 Make me a lot of um like sinigang and pancit canton from like her like Philippines like culture and that I still make it to this day like she taught you the recipe she taught me and we would make it together I love her so like I do miss that a lot. And also I miss like whenever like someone was stressed or something, they would either make crepes or like blondies or brownies and things like that. So I would benefit off of that. So it was really great.

17:26 It sounds like such a beautiful sisterly environment. And I know you said after six months, that's when you sort of started to feel more settled and you bought your sheets and your towel. Did you decorate your little bunk? Tell us how you decorate.

17:39 Yes, so we after like I think a month Maybe we split off into different rooms so me and Lexi were sharing a bit Lex Rela Lex Rela and we made that Lex Rela's corner we put pictures all around it we put fairy lights we bought like.

17:57 Matching plushies and And we just made.

18:00 That our space.

18:01 That was so sweet.

18:02 It was amazing. That was my favorite part. Every time I walked in after a long, hard day of training, I would take a picture of how beautiful it was.

18:09 That would be the best feeling to come back to your sacred space. Do you still have the plushies now?

18:15 Yes, I still have the plushies. I still sleep with it.

18:17 Oh, that's so cute. And you're still in touch with Lexi?

18:19 Yes, of course.

18:21 And all the girls?

18:22 All the girls. I'm so proud to say that my connection with them was so genuine that It's been three years and no distance has like come between us. I'm so close with them. I call them all the time and they make me so happy. Like they really are my sisters.

18:38 That's so lovely to hear. And I think that you guys went through this experience that nobody else could ever really understand. I mean, what we saw on the Popstar Academy documentary, I'm sure only just scraped the surface of everything that happened. Is there a moment that they filmed that didn't make the cut that you wish was in there?

18:57 Ooh. I'm not too sure. There's been a lot of different moments that they've filmed, but there's also been moments that they haven't filmed. I would say some of my favorite times were us at the house and we would play a lot of games.

19:15 We would do, like, karaoke together or we would do hide and seek.

19:19 Imagine karaoke with a bunch of pop stars to be. Yeah. Oh, my God. It would be insane. They were really good.

19:25 There was a lot of harmonies going on that I didn't even know were part of the song.

19:29 Wow.

19:29 Yeah.

19:31 Something I loved watching on the show is when you all travelled to Korea. How was that?

19:36 That was my dream. I loved that.

19:39 That was.

19:41 I think my second time in Korea.

19:43 And you speak Korean, right?

19:44 Yeah, yeah. So I'm not fluent, but I did speak it. So it was really nice. Like, you know, we do hair and makeup. I would talk to the people that were doing it. you know, whenever we would go somewhere, I'd be translating for the girls and having to do this and that.

20:02 You were the MVP. Never forget when you had to translate when someone was being eliminated. That was horrific.

20:08 That was so, yeah, that was really funny.

20:13 Funny now.

20:13 It was funny now.

20:14 It was funny at the time.

20:15 But like, even that then, I think a lot of people were like, oh my gosh, like she had to Do all of that. But it was never an issue for me to translate for someone because I would rather that than someone be in a room and they don't know what's going on just because they can't speak the language. So if I can be that person that can tell them that, that's totally fine. Like, whether I was crying or not, I didn't even... I wasn't even thinking, oh, I have to translate this. I was like, yeah, of course, I have to let her know. So I was happy to do that. That moment, like, it's funny. I get why it's funny. But for me, like, I just... I'm happy to let everyone in the room understand. So that's why I was happy being like a mini little translator

20:54 for anyone and everyone wherever I could.

20:56 That makes so much sense because not only do you speak Korean, do you also speak Japanese?

21:00 Yes, I do.

21:00 Any other languages? I.

21:03 tried to learn Hindi. I'm not fluent at all, but I love watching like Bollywood movies and things like that. So that is something that I really liked. And then also my mother tongue, my family speaks Malayalam. And yeah, I know I can understand it more than I can speak it.

21:19 But yeah. So we're going on five languages brewing in your brain.

21:23 Yeah. And then also, I love learning languages. So I would get the girls to teach me a bunch of stuff in their languages. So I actually know a lot of different phrases. in like Swedish, Tagalog, what's it, like Belarus, like that language, Portuguese, what's it? What's the language?

21:48 Slovak?

21:49 Slovakian?

21:49 Yeah, Slovakian. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

21:50 I don't know if that's what it's called.

21:51 Yeah, yeah, yeah.

21:52 Adela's language.

21:53 Yes, Adela's language. So, like, yeah, I would learn a lot of different stuff like that.

21:56 That's so impressive because I'm studying Japanese. And when I'm studying, I feel my brain is at capacity. How can I fit more in? The fact that you have five languages plus all of these phrases. Insane.

22:08 Thank you.

22:09 You're welcome. But going back to Korea, what was your highlight of that trip?

22:14 Ooh, my highlight of Korea. That's a really good question. This is actually kind of crazy, but there was one moment where we all were, like, we all were training together and we all just started getting really sick. Oh. And it was really scary, but it was also really funny. And so I would just see some of us on the ground, lying down on the chair, and we were all just really unwell. But we were laughing about it, and we all got to... class had to be, like, cancelled and, like, the teacher had to, like, put us on little yoga mats and, like, put on, like, some funny, like, resting music to just, like, have us, like, calm down.

23:00 And I think that was just, like, such a funny little moment.

23:03 Sick as in, like, throwing up?

23:04 Yeah, literally throwing up. And so it was just, like, it was such a funny moment. And then also another moment that I really loved was when we all went to the Hype building together. That was, like, a personal dream of mine because, you know, I used to love K-pop. So that was just, like, achieving a little dream. I remember holding Sophia's hand and walking in together and we were so excited. And we got to record like music there.

23:29 So that was just like really amazing.

23:31 Yeah, that's really like an I made it kind of moment. That must have felt so surreal. Yeah.

23:36 Wow.

23:36 Which was the mission that happened in Korea? Was it mission two?

23:40 Yes, it was mission two with fearless and anti-fragile.

23:43 On the helicopter pad. Yes. How did it feel like getting done up in full pop star hair and makeup and costume and whatnot and performing on a helicopter pad?

23:52 Well, I didn't know we were going to be on a helicopter pad. So I was like, but it was fine. It was totally fine. It was really great. It was an amazing time. I loved the outfits. I loved like my team got to do green and black. I loved that. It was so beautiful. I think glam is such an important part of being a star and performing because like you really have to feel yourself and like believe that you're you know selling this aura this vibe this song when you're doing it so that was really fun to do and the makeup artists in Korea were amazing so I had a really great time.

24:28 It's so transformative stepping into a glam I mean I haven't done A pop star level glam before, but even just getting dressed up, it makes you feel infinitely better, right?

24:36 Yeah.

24:36 So I can't imagine what it would feel like to get into the full pop star look. So you did Fearless in that mission. And then the next one was Wannabe, which are worlds apart. We have this really cutesy and this fierce concept. Which one did you prefer?

24:49 Oh, I loved Wannabe. And I think everyone could tell I loved Wannabe. It really showed.

24:56 I loved Wannabe.

24:57 Everyone loved Wannabe. Wannabe was amazing.

24:59 The world loved Wannabe.

25:00 The world did love Wannabe. I was really shocked by that. But it was such a good vibe. Like, I loved everyone in it. Fearless, I think it was, there was something stressful about it because we had just gone through, like, our first elimination where Adela and Hinari were gone. And that really hit me hard.

25:21 So shout out to Adela. She's doing so well. She's doing so well. Are you going to see her when she comes for Laneway?

25:27 Of course.

25:28 Of course. Me too. Me too.

25:29 Anyone, any of the girls that come to Australia, I cannot wait. Like I love seeing them.

25:33 We need to get Marquis down here.

25:35 We do. I'm planning on it.

25:36 Her debut has been fabulous.

25:38 Yes, it has been. I am so proud of her. But yeah, even with Adela, like her elimination was, was really significant for me because that is the moment when we were training where I realized that this is not like a talent show where like the most, the most talented person or the most hardworking person like gets to get in the group.

26:04 Yeah, quite frankly, it was not fair.

26:06 Yeah, it was just like, that's when I realized that the group is not about like Like I can be the best for myself and I can do my best, but that doesn't mean I'm going to fit the group. And Adele's elimination really showed that for me because I think she's so talented. She worked so hard. We looked up to her so much.

26:27 She was like a big sister to everyone, right?

26:28 Yeah, she really was. And so for her to go, that made me realize it's okay if I get eliminated because that does not diminish your talent, your person, anything about you at all. And so that was really important for me. Um, but then, yeah, going into mission two, it was, it was hard not being there with her because we'd also like me and Della and Carly, we were the only people born in 2003. So we're our own special little line. Yeah. So it was really hard, like not having her there, but.

26:58 I remember the speech she gave at the end when she had been eliminated and she said, it's great if you get this, but you don't need it. You're all great on your own. Yeah.

27:07 She really meant that. And it's true.

27:08 And she showed it.

27:09 She showed it. Exactly. It's so true. Like it's really about hard work and just putting in what you can give. And she really shows that. But yeah, that was really hard for when we got to Korea. We were all just really sad and upset. But yeah, by mission three, we were really used to it. So I was able to tap in a bit more.

27:31 There would have been such a dichotomy between the high highs of getting to carry on and then the low lows of your friends being eliminated and left behind. I want to talk about when you got into Dream Academy, it was not a survival show. And then that was sprung upon you. Did you ever have an inkling that that was going to happen or were you completely blindsided?

27:49 I think I was completely blindsided. Normally I like predicting this stuff. I like figuring out what are they trying to do. But I did not realize it was going to be a survival show because I just I didn't realize how they would do it. Yeah, I did not realize it was going to be called Dream Academy. But I loved that concept because I loved being in like this school of girls who love performing and dancing. And so that was really fun. But yeah, I had no idea. Like, I really just thought we're just doing evals every month, just trying to prove that we're better and we're getting better and there's growth. And then at some point, they're just going to pick us. That's what I thought.

28:31 When they announced that, how did you feel? Did you consider leaving or were you like, I have to stick this out?

28:36 On the contrary, I was really happy because one of the things that I was really worried about was initially I was worried about obviously not getting into the group. And like, I was just really stressed about trying to get better and better. And My biggest concern was for a while, Lara hadn't come in for a long time.

28:56 So I was the only Australian Indian trainee. And I thought, oh, I don't get in this group, Australia and India, they're not going to have like a representation. And that really, it felt like a burden on me. So I felt like I wasn't just trying to get in for like my spot in the group, but I was also trying to get into you know, allow like Australia and India to have like someone where, you know.

29:19 And for a global girl group, they needed that representation.

29:22 Exactly, exactly. So that's why I was really happy when Lara got in because I was like, yes, like if it's not me, at least it's her. Like, but I, at the same time, I still feel upset about the fact that Australia didn't get to be there.

29:35 We're always forgotten about. We're so little and far away.

29:38 But it's okay because we're still like being in that group or not, it doesn't take away how special we are. And that's something that I've grown to learn. So yeah, that's how I felt about that. I was really excited about it being a global survival program so that people could at least see all of the countries that got to be a part of this experience and got to grow And stuff. And they got to vote for their people.

30:00 Yeah, when it went to public voting, could you feel the Australian and Indian people really rallying behind you?

30:05 I could. I could. And it was really nice to see. There was a lot of people that were from my past that were voting. And, like, my parents were also getting a lot of people from, like, India to vote. So it was really beautiful.

30:18 And you had really good fan voting.

30:19 Yeah.

30:20 You really got up there.

30:21 Yeah, that was surprising. I really did not think about that because I... I was just trying to like get through the program and do all the dances and stuff. So I'm not actually in a lot of like, you know, promotional TikToks that maybe some of the girls had filmed and stuff like that.

30:38 Were they making those just for fun in their own time?

30:40 Yeah, they were. And so for me, like, I didn't want it to come across, not that I wanted to come across, but I didn't want it to be like I was trying to make these videos just to get votes. I wanted it to be genuine. I wanted people to just like me because they liked my performance or they liked my personality. So, yeah, any TikToks that I did film and stuff like that, like, it was just because it sounded fun. Yeah.

31:03 Can you walk me through what a day was like being in Dream Academy? Because I can only imagine how hard they worked you girls.

31:10 Yeah, so we would wake up at maybe 6 a.m. We would, I mean, we would get ready because, you know, you're there for the whole day and you're looking at yourself in the mirror the whole day. And they could be filming too, right? Exactly, they could be filming. You know, you don't know which days they're going to film.

31:24 I think I saw Megan saying one time every day that she didn't dress up was the day that they were filming.

31:29 Yeah, yeah.

31:30 That would be so annoying.

31:31 Yeah, it was just, oh, I don't know how that happened, but it just kept happening. But, yeah. Yeah, so we would get dressed, we would have breakfast and then we would have an 8am workout class. And that was, that was a workout class. I was just, it was a lot, but the teacher was so supportive, so positive. So it was a really great time. And then straight after workout class, maybe we would have like, it depends on what level you are, but maybe you would have like ballet or fundamentals or maybe some hip-hop, freestyling.

32:04 So even for, you know, a K-pop style of dance, they're training you in ballet.

32:07 Yeah, they, especially I think because it was in America, we had a lot of industry professional dancers teaching us and they weren't just teaching us, like, you know, learn this K-pop group's choreography. We were learning the teacher's choreography of hip-hop, jazz funk and heels. Those were what we were particularly getting graded on. And so, yeah, I would say that like I've learnt a lot of different fundamentals on a lot of different like scopes of like dance styles like we did whacking popping voguing yeah I love.

32:41 I think I've seen you doing whacking on the tour right.

32:45 Now yes is that what she's doing with the hair yeah yeah yeah yeah exactly and then um voguing we did I loved voguing I didn't like that sort of stuff it's like you can really put yourself into it and you can go as crazy as you want and so I really found a different side of myself when I was voguing so I loved it um and then yeah we did Hip-hop, freestyle, locking, popping, voguing, ballet, yeah, heels, just a lot of different stuff.

33:16 Wow. Whether you made it to the group or not, the training is invaluable.

33:20 Exactly.

33:21 Like, where else and when else in your life are you going to get trained by the leading industry professionals in every type of dance?

33:27 Exactly. Exactly. I'm so grateful to them. I love all of my teachers there. They really... wanted the best for us. And I can really tell. And so, yeah, I'm eternally grateful for that.

33:40 You made it all the way to the grand finale. So how long in total were you there for?

33:44 I was there for about, I think, two years. Wow. Yeah, the process might have been a little longer considering we had like online classes and things like that. But yeah, in LA, it was about two years.

33:56 Wow, so like 18 to 20. They're such formative years for you. Would you ever enter a training program again?

34:02 That's a really good question. I think if it was the right opportunity, I might. But yeah, it's really difficult because they put you through a lot. And I think it was okay for me at the time because I didn't know who I was. So it was really good for experimenting and finding out. But in training systems like that, I do feel like they want you to be really good skill-wise, but... they also like a blank canvas that they can put their image on. So it's hard when you already know yourself. And I would say that's similar to like Adela, you know, she's got such a, you know her character, you see her and so like, You don't want to make her a blank canvas because she's special just the way she is.

34:45 Yes, her identity is so strong. It's kind of like a trade-off, you know?

34:49 Exactly.

34:49 You have to give away a little bit of your creativity and individuality to fit this certain mold, but you get taken straight to the top.

34:56 Exactly. So for me, I feel like now that I've finished all of that and I've had time to myself, I know who I am and I know what I like. I know what I love. I know what music I would love to make. And so... Yeah, for me, it's hard whether I would go back to that unless I knew that they were wanting me for me.

35:14 Right, yes. And you have this phenomenal training base now that you can now take with you anywhere that you want. But you get to the end of Dream Academy all the way up to the grand finale. And then what happens? Do you just go home the next day? Do you get to spend more time with the girls? Because the documentary just ends.

35:30 Yeah, that's right. That was actually, I loved that because there was something about that moment that made me really happy. I felt like all the pressure was gone. So, you know, I was no longer, you know, being watched or judged by like all these executives. Like I was done, you know, so. I stayed for, I think, about two weeks and I went to Disneyland with Adela, Emily and Marquis. And it was just amazing. We were like, oh, let's just take advantage of this. Like I have to go back to Australia soon. So we went there. We had an amazing time, like the best. And then I also like went to Adela's house and we called Carly, who was in Hawaii.

36:13 And like we watched like this final episode of this anime we love. And so we just got to like finish everything off. And then I got to take four suitcases back home.

36:23 I was going to ask, what did you bring back?

36:26 I brought back so much stuff. There was all these clothes from the girls that I loved. We would all wear each other's clothes. And I fell in love with their clothes. And then here and there, I would find them, leave it on my bed because they knew I liked it. Oh, that's so cute.

36:43 It's like a true sisterhood. Exactly.

36:45 So I got to take back all of that, plus all these plushies, plus everything I bought in Korea. Yeah.

36:50 What did you buy in Korea? I love shopping in Korea.

36:52 Tell me, tell me, tell me. Yes, I went thrift shopping. I bought a bunch of jackets and they're just like custom jackets and like all these tops and things like that. It was just amazing. Like I loved everything that I bought in Korea. And then also there was something that I brought back that was really significant. We would have lockers in both the American training facility and the Korean training facility. And like our names were on them. So when I left both of those facilities, I took my name off of it and I kept it with me.

37:19 As you should. Yeah. That's really cute.

37:21 Yeah.

37:22 I noticed that you have brought some little mementos today. Are either of them from the time of Dream Academy?

37:27 Both of them are from the time of Dream Academy, yes. Well, this one is from before then slightly, but that one is definitely... from Tube Academy.

37:36 So if anyone's just listening, now is the time to flick through to the video stream, because what do we have here?

37:41 Yes. So this is a Polaroid, and it has a lot of the girls' signatures on them. So this is actually a really funny story, because we were all hanging out. We had an amazing time. We were having some sort of game night. And I said, oh, everyone, wait. I've got a Polaroid camera. Let's take a picture. And so we all did this amazing picture. It was really good, amazing vibes. It printed out. We were waiting for it.

38:07 It was blank.

38:08 I was wondering if the photo had faded over time. So the photo never came.

38:12 No, it never came out. And I was so upset because I was like, that was a really good picture. I swear, I felt like it was a good picture. So I said, OK, everyone, instead, let me sign it so we know that you were there in the picture. So behind this, I'm sure the picture is really there.

38:27 The picture is in your heart. The picture is in your mind's eye.

38:29 The picture was in us all along. But, yeah, so I've got signatures.

38:33 Yes, who have we got? I can see Daniela, Adela.

38:36 Yes, so we've got me. Then we've got one of the trainees. Her name was Narges. Then we've got Carly. We've got Lexi, Sophia, Daniela, Adela. Ilya, Naisha, and Yunshe.

38:50 What a treasure. And also look at Sophia's signature. She was born to be a star with a signature like that.

38:56 Always a crown on her signature.

38:58 Because she's a queen.

38:59 Yeah, exactly.

39:00 That is a true treasure. And do tell us about the notebook.

39:03 So this notebook, this is something that is really special to me because it represents kind of like my hard work and everything that I kind of went through. It is my language notebook. So it has... entries of when I would write in Japanese.

39:20 So not only can you understand the languages, you can also write in all the different alphabets.

39:25 Yes. You are so intelligent. Oh, no, no, please.

39:28 Can you write kanji in Japanese? Yes, I can.

39:30 I can. But it's very hard.

39:32 It's really hard. I can only do hiragana and katakana. I can't do any kanji yet.

39:36 Kanji, yeah.

39:37 Of course you can do kanji.

39:39 And then there's also Hindi that I wrote here.

39:42 Wow.

39:42 And then in the same notebook, I've also learnt Korean here. So.

39:48 Did you take this with you to Dream Academy?

39:50 Yeah, it was really important that I took this, especially because I wanted to, if it was a global girl group, I wanted to make sure that I had like all of my language expertise.

40:03 Yeah, you were a true global representative.

40:05 Yeah.

40:06 You know, one of the things I love about this podcast is how quickly a tiny treasure can open up a whole story.

40:13 A charm, a bracelet, a souvenir from a trip.

40:16 For me personally, I love to collect Pandora charms and I've been collecting them for my whole life. There are many types to collect and they all tell different stories. Whether it's exclusive charms you can only get when you visit a certain city or country, charms you can earn from completing a marathon, that's right, I ran a marathon for a Pandora charm, or even rare vintage charms that I love scouring the internet for, like their treasure. Each term tells a different part of my life story and I love that I can wear and see my memories every single day. If you're thinking about the stories you wear or the moments you'd love to hold on to, you can discover.

40:51 More at pandora.net.

40:58 So you went through this crazy life-altering experience and it was all being recorded and documented and then you had to wait for it to go out into the world. How did you feel waiting, knowing that your life was about to change in this huge way?

41:10 Well, I personally, I didn't really think that my life was going to change as much as it did. Obviously, like, I didn't make the group. So I thought, oh, it's fine. Like, I'm going to fizzle out and that's okay. Like, that was okay with me. But the more popular cats I got, the more people watched the documentary. And so then, yeah, I started.

41:32 You were such a fan favorite.

41:33 Yeah, I didn't realize it was going to be like that. But, yeah, I really didn't believe that. my life was going to change in the way it has. But I'm really grateful. Everyone has been so lovely and so supportive. And I love everyone that I meet that knows me and is a fan of me has been such a genuinely beautiful person.

41:53 So I'm very grateful for it.

41:55 What I was so taken by about you while watching the show is how level-headed you were. And even just in that response now, I think it was the finale episode when you were saying, it doesn't matter whether I get in or not as long as Lara or I gets in. And there's this Indian representation. You were so young to be so clear-headed and seeing the situation for what it was. And even just now saying, it doesn't matter if I fizzle out because I didn't make it.

42:19 Do you have any advice for young girls who wish to do what you did?

42:24 I would say if you really love it, then of course give it a go. But just know that it isn't everything. It's not what defines you. It's never going to be what defines you. It You'll actually find during it that the most important thing is to never lose yourself and know who you are. And that is the best thing that you can take away from that experience.

42:49 It's knowing yourself and knowing what makes you happy. Because I think happiness is really important. And I think happiness is true success. So I think that's something that girls really need to consider. It may seem really amazing and glamorous. And at times it is. But the lows can be quite low. And so holding on to what's important and knowing yourself is something that I think people should remember and also appreciate what they do have now. Because I love my family. I love my friends. I love the girls that I had. And so I'm not holding on to that as if it was everything that was great about me.

43:34 So, yeah. It seems like you went in the program not 100% sure of who you are and you've come out the other side 100% sure. I mean, we can never be 100% sure of who we are. 99% sure of who you are, the kind of artist that you want to be and this huge backing of training behind you, which seems like the greatest gift.

43:52 Yeah, it was really amazing. I definitely, I was like a lot of the girls that I think want to audition for things now where I was auditioning and I was like, yes, I'm going to get this opportunity and it's going to make me and it's going to, It's going to define me and I'm going to start being amazing because I have this. But what I realized is that's not what makes you amazing. What makes you amazing is, you know, having confidence and believing in yourself and knowing what makes you happy.

44:16 That's right. And I'm sure you also saw the curtain being peeled back. You saw how hard it is to be a pop star. I mean, even just observing Cat's Eye's schedule from the outside. It looks grueling.

44:27 Yeah, it's a lot.

44:28 It's only shining at the top, you know? What's underneath is all of the hard work, and I'm sure you got a glimpse of what that's like.

44:35 I've seen how hard those girls work, and I love them so much, and I just, I want them to be happy. So I'm glad. They are amazing because those girls that are in the group, they have.

44:48 That, like.

44:53 Fierce passion.

44:54 And they're hungry. Exactly.

44:56 To be able to handle it. So I think they are so powerful and they're so amazing. And they're amazing women.

45:03 I love them.

45:03 It takes a certain kind of person to be able to do that. And they all do it so well.

45:06 Yeah.

45:07 And, you know, it's actually very full circle to be having you on the podcast right now because I met you at a Cat's Eye showcase. That's right. Yeah. I was with the Pandora team and we met you there and now you're here on my Pandora podcast, which is kind of crazy. But was that the first time you had seen Cat's Eye perform as Cat's Eye?

45:25 I think so, yes. That really was. I mean... I've always seen those girls dance for months on end, days on days on days. But what was really special about this time is I could see how comfortable they were on stage. You know, it was really nerve wracking when we would do it for evaluations. But these girls, like I was with them the whole time before they were about to go on stage and I was with them afterwards.

45:46 And it was just like they were in the zone. They had like a way of doing it. And it was just like, wow, they're really professionals. And one thing that I think was also really amazing was I was in the crowd when they were performing and I just got to see all these people around me love them just as much as I did and appreciate them the same way that I did. And I felt so touched by that because I know how hard these girls have worked and I love that everyone loves them and appreciates their performance and isn't just judging them and making sure that their lines are similar because that's what we would be judged.

46:21 On when you dance. It must feel almost freeing for them to be out of the judging phase and now, you know, they're out in the world.

46:27 Exactly. I mean, I guess the world can be a little bit more cruel sometimes than judge, but.

46:33 Not in our corner of the internet.

46:34 Exactly, exactly. But I do think that they are doing amazing and I think everyone sees how hard they work and that's really important and... They're amazing. I love them.

46:45 I think the docu-series coming out really got everybody invested because I had no idea how hard they have to work and how much goes into making a group like that. And seeing it come to life and having them come to Sydney was so cool because so many people don't come out here to us.

47:00 That is true.

47:02 Still manifesting a full Cat's Eye Tour because we just got a little showcase, but I'll take what we can get.

47:07 They love Australia. Do they?

47:09 Yes.

47:10 The staff loves Australia. You hear that, girls? Exactly. The staff loves Australia, Cat's Eye loves Australia, and they would love to come back. Yes! I've talked to them about this. I actually took Dani and Sophia out to the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House, and we were just talking about how in love we are with them. Sydney.

47:30 And I love Sydney too. So it was just, it was a good time. And I know they're going to come back.

47:34 I'm so touched to hear that. And I was going to ask if you had a chance to hang out with them outside of the show. So that's so nice.

47:39 Yes, I did get to hang out with them. That was really amazing. It's hard because, you know, being in Sydney, not a lot of people come. But yeah, I did get to hang out with them. I got to see all of them. And yeah, we all talked about how it feels like nothing has changed and like we're all just... As closer than ever.

47:59 I feel that you guys will be bonded for life.

48:01 Yeah, definitely.

48:02 I actually saw them. I went to the airport the same day they were flying from Sydney to Melbourne because they were performing in Melbourne the next day. And I was moving to Melbourne that day. That's crazy. I know, it was really random. And I did see them in Melbourne also on my first day living in Melbourne, which was very fitting. But I saw them in the airport lounge and they were giving full star, you know, sunglasses on, hoodies and whatnot.

48:23 Yeah.

48:24 And my best friend and I, we were just sitting in the lounge and I was like, this is not the time to approach them. You know, they're off the clock, but I just gave them a little pinky up. And they gave me a pinky up back.

48:35 That's funny.

48:36 I feel like that's a tasteful way to be like, you know, love you girls, but I'm not going to bother you when you are working around the clock. But then I saw that a mother had brought in, I think, about eight young girls. Somebody must have tipped them off that Cat's Eye were in the lounge. And so this slew of young girls came in with the notebooks and the pens and whatnot. And I'm sure it's so nice to meet your fans, but at 6am, after just doing a show, when you're off the clock, my hats are off to them.

49:02 Yeah, yeah. It's a constant... You're constantly working.

49:06 Yeah, I can't even imagine.

49:08 Yeah, but I know they're grateful about it. And, I mean, we all are. It's... It's a blessing to be appreciated like that.

49:16 Do you have many fans coming up to you out in the world?

49:19 Surprisingly, I do. I really... Every time someone recognises me, I'm like, how do you know? But I get it.

49:26 You are the Australian representative.

49:28 Yeah, I know.

49:28 You are our only one and you did it so beautifully.

49:30 Exactly, yeah. I've been... Even when I was in Singapore one time, these fans, like, ran up to me at the airport and I was like, wow. But... I have gotten approached a lot, and especially by young girls. That's been really amazing. Like, these girls that I think see me a lot, they, for my birthday, I didn't even know they had made a card. And, like, she got all her friends at school to sign it saying, like, happy birthday, we love you so much. Like, it was so amazing, like, meeting you. And that really touched my heart. Like, I keep that letter close with me.

50:03 You're such a phenomenal role model for these young girls. Do you often get little gifts like that?

50:09 Not really. I mean, like, I don't think they realize that they're going to see me. So that was just, like, a second chance that she got. But, yeah, they're normally very, like, scared but really excited. They don't know whether they can come up to me. But I love them so much. Like, they're so sweet and they're so, like, cute and they love dancing and they want to, do all this sort of stuff. So like, yeah, they just, they seem full of character, which I really appreciate and love.

50:38 I'm sure you're so inspiring to them. With the little cards and things like that, where do you display them? Do you have like a little memory box?

50:44 I have a wall in my room. It's got letters from all the girls that wished me happy birthday and wrote really deep letters. And then also from all my teachers that, you know, when I was getting eliminated, they told me what they thought of me and things like that. Um, it's even got like my dream Academy. You made it to the final round, like little notes. And, um, it's also just got a lot of memorabilia of like sweet things that people have said and done for me. Like it's got a little receipt of someone that like bought me something. So I've put it there.

51:18 So during the experience in Dream Academy, you were collecting and keeping all of these little bits. Yeah. I suppose because you don't know how long you're going to be there for. You need to have these little things to hold on to the moment.

51:27 Yeah, exactly. Because it really represents how close I am to them. And that is just like, I will never like, I can never forget that. That's really special to me. Like those girls are what I've always asked for. I've always wanted to be with. girls that loved the same things as I did and had the same humor as me and we played around a lot. So it was just, it was really amazing and like I genuinely have so much love for it.

51:55 You truly have sisters for life.

51:56 Yeah, I really do.

51:58 Another thing that looked like it was a surprise to me was that you guys were being eliminated via TV screen?

52:04 Yeah, that's right.

52:05 What was that about? Was that real?

52:07 Yeah, that was real. We didn't know that that was going to happen. We were just told to come in, sit on the chairs. And then, yeah, the screen would say it. But I mean, it was kind of funny at the time. It was a little hard, but it was also just like, what's going on here? But yeah, I mean, even though that like, I guess when it gets recorded, it becomes very significant. But for us, we were too busy focused on, you know, the issue at hand.

52:35 Surviving.

52:36 Yeah, exactly. Surviving. So like, it wasn't, we weren't really thinking about it too much.

52:41 It seemed really cruel the way that sometimes the name, they said, could be eliminated or staying, and for those few seconds you didn't know and you're, like, suspended.

52:50 Yeah, that was something else.

52:53 That was brutal.

52:54 Yeah, that was quite brutal.

52:58 Did they tell you why they chose to not do it face-to-face?

53:02 No, they didn't, actually. We just went in. We did it how we did it. We were too stressed. We were too, like, going through everything to ask those sort of questions.

53:15 Wow, you would have been just so deep in it, just trying to push through and get through the day.

53:19 Yeah, exactly. I was too busy being gut-wrenched over Carly specifically getting eliminated because she was my best, best friend.

53:30 Another queen who is doing so well, right back.

53:32 Right back.

53:34 The hit that she deserves. Stream right back.

53:36 She played it for me before she ever released it. And I remember listening and I'm like, oh, this is a B. It just keeps on going. And so when it came out, we were both really like, whoa, it just took off. Even my brother talked to me and he was like, have you listened to Carly's Right Back? I'm like, of course I have, but why have you?

53:57 It's really gone mainstream. This is what she deserves.

54:00 It is what she deserves. Carly works so hard and I call her every single day. And I've seen how hard she works. She puts in that work herself. She's always doing it. And so I appreciate her so much. I love her. The most.

54:15 She is doing wonderfully. Tell her she got a shout out on the pod. Tell her I said hi. Yes. And tell her the blue eyeshadow is perfect.

54:21 The blue eyeshadow is perfect.

54:22 Big part of her personal brand.

54:24 Love, love, love the bob. Everything.

54:26 Love it.

54:27 Yes. I told her to get the bob. Did you? I mean, I wasn't like the biggest reason, but I was like.

54:32 You can take credit for that.

54:33 I will say, I was like, Carly, you suit the bob so well.

54:37 And specifically a dark bob. Yeah. Not a blonde bob.

54:39 Yeah. The blonde bob was... Yeah, that's Dream Academy, Carly.

54:43 She is evolved now.

54:44 She's evolved, exactly.

54:46 Okay, so now I want to flip this around because we've talked a lot about you as a pop culture icon becoming an idol. Now I want to talk about you as a fan. Are there any particular groups, singers, bands that you are a huge fan of?

55:02 You know... I would say I love a lot of different types of music. I've always loved Enhypen. They're from HYBE. They've been my favorite group for a while. Did you get to meet them when you.

55:13 Were with HYBE?

55:14 We got to watch a performance that they did, like a mini one at Lotte World.

55:20 Oh, Lotte World. I love Lotte World.

55:22 I love Lotte World.

55:23 Did you dress up in a school uniform?

55:24 Yes, we did.

55:25 Those are the rules.

55:26 It was the same school uniform that was from like Enhypen's like Webtoon series. So I personally really loved it because I was such a fan.

55:33 That must have been such a good moment for you.

55:35 It was great. And we got to see them perform. So I was really happy.

55:38 Was it on the stage, sort of in the middle of the theme park?

55:42 It was not in the middle, but it was, yeah, it was something like that.

55:46 It's kind of like a shopping mall and a theme park.

55:49 Yes, exactly.

55:50 When I went there, for some reason, Tom Cruise was there. Tom Cruise? Yes, on that stage. Unfortunately, I can't understand Korean, so I don't know why, but I imagine that's where Enhypen was too.

55:59 Yeah, yeah, they were probably there. But that was a really great experience. I got to see them perform, so I really loved that. Other groups that I love... You know, I'm really into these new girl groups like Say Now and Flow.

56:13 I love Flow. I'm so late. So good. I'm so late to the party. I just discovered them maybe a month ago when I was on a long haul flight and my entire For You page for the 12-hour flight was Flow. I became so indoctrinated.

56:26 They sing so well. I love their performance. I'm such a fan. Like, I love listening to their music. It's got that. Kind of like that 2000s feel that I just saw.

56:36 Yes, like Destiny's Child.

56:37 Yes, exactly.

56:38 The vocal harmonies are so powerful. Their voices blend so beautifully. The way they dance, they deserve so much more. Also stream flow.

56:46 Exactly, stream flow. We love flow.

56:48 What about when you were growing up? Did you always love K-pop or did you have different influences when you were little, Azrella?

56:54 I only started liking K-pop when I was maybe 15. So it was pretty later on, but it was in important years. But little Ezrella loved Bollywood. She loved Bollywood. I loved watching Bollywood movies because in those movies, you know, it's not just a movie. They have song segments where everyone's dancing, everyone's dressed up, everyone's singing and dancing at the same time.

57:20 Sensational costuming and all the colors.

57:24 It's such a whole experience when you watch a Bollywood movie. It's like you're not just in it for a plot. You're in it for... art of all different kinds, you know, like costumes, like outfits, producing, everything is just embedded in that one movie. And so there's like, they're really paying respect to all different art forms. And so I love Bollywood because of that. Amazing vibes, love the actors. So I, that's what made me like, I wasn't specifically, I want to be a dancer. I want to be a singer.

57:54 I was like, I want to be both because that's what Bollywood showed me that you could be both.

57:58 I'm so happy to hear that when you were young, you were proud of your culture and enjoying Bollywood because you so often hear, especially in Australia, that growing up, people like tamper down their culture. Yeah. I'm so happy to hear that as you were growing up, you were celebrating Bollywood and enjoying it because something in my life I'm so jealous of is anyone with culture. You know, I was not so lucky to grow up with a culture or a religion or a community or anything to be a part of. It must be so nice to have this thing that you can be a part of and celebrate.

58:27 Yeah, I just like my culture is connected to my family and I love my family. I love the values that my family holds. We've always grown up being very close together. Like my cousins are like my siblings and my aunties and uncles are like my other parents. So just all of all the time we would always come together.

58:50 We would have birthdays and Fridays and weekends and special events.

58:55 Any day is a celebration.

58:56 Exactly. And so we would all grow up together. And that is something that I valued so much. And so that plays into me loving Bollywood because it reminds me of all of those times with my family where we would just be hanging out and we would be playing some Mali Ali music or some like Bollywood songs in the background.

59:16 It's so beautiful. I'm so envious. Would you ever do Bollywood?

59:20 Can you imagine? I would love to but I think that's a whole nother ballpark that I'm not even ready for.

59:28 Do they have Bollywood trainee camps? I know. Can you go?

59:32 But it's also, you have to be an actor for it, which I would love. Like, I'd love to give my hand in acting or even like voice acting.

59:37 I think you could do it. Girl, you can do anything. You know, all these languages. You can sing. You can dance. I think you could do it. That's true.

59:43 It does open up a lot of pathways. But yeah, that requires a whole different skill set.

59:49 So I'm not 100% across Bollywood. I was thinking about like young Ezrella fandom and I was wondering if your room was decorated with posters and things like that. Do they have that in Bollywood?

1:00:01 Honestly, I didn't have many Bollywood posters. I loved listening to the songs and stuff like that. But I mean, if we're talking posters and stuff, I had Victorious, iCarly, like Big Time Rush was a huge group that I loved. And I just, I love like Girl group, boy groups, people singing together. So those were the sort of posters.

1:00:22 And Hannah Montana, obviously.

1:00:24 Love Hannah Montana.

1:00:25 Yeah.

1:00:25 I was going to ask because the first ones you said were Nickelodeon shows. So you were also into Disney Channel.

1:00:30 Oh, 100%. Princess Protection Program.

1:00:32 The best.

1:00:33 Like, this is the way we play. Camp Rock. Camp Rock. Love.

1:00:37 I love them all. High School Musical.

1:00:39 High School Musical.

1:00:39 Oh, my God.

1:00:39 I can't believe I forgot.

1:00:41 I had a Zac Efron poster on my roof so that when I went to sleep, I can look up and see. Not just one, multiple posters of Zac Efron. That's brilliant. Thank you, I am a brilliant mind.

1:00:52 I should have done that. I had like a little high school musical DS game that I would like play.

1:00:55 Oh my god, I didn't know there was a game.

1:00:57 Yeah, there was. It was, I loved a DS. I love playing games.

1:01:00 Did you have Nintendogs?

1:01:01 I did have Nintendogs.

1:01:02 The most important game?

1:01:04 My little Nintendog. I think I would name it like a classic like, like. jumpy or something like with a Y at the end.

1:01:12 I always had a chihuahua on Nintendogs. Me too! You get it. I named him Maxwell and then when I got my first chihuahua as an adult, it was Maxwell.

1:01:20 Maxwell! Yes. You made him into real life.

1:01:23 I did. I manifested Maxwell for my whole life and now he's here with us in spirit as the charmed chihuahua.

1:01:28 Oh, and he's purple this time.

1:01:30 Yes, he's purple now. He's been reincarnated as a purple chihuahua.

1:01:34 I love it. He's charmed up.

1:01:36 Now I have exposed myself with my Zac Efron posters on the roof. Did you have an embarrassing celebrity crush?

1:01:43 An embarrassing celebrity crush?

1:01:45 I will say Zac Efron, not embarrassing.

1:01:47 Yeah, that's not embarrassing at all.

1:01:48 Perhaps the posters on the roof are.

1:01:50 No, I disagree. The posters on the roof are amazing. I would say celebrity crush. I really had a crush on James from Big Time Rush growing up. He had a really nice voice, and he was really beautiful, and I just kept looking at him every time I would watch the show. So I would say him, and then maybe...

1:02:10 I would switch between the Jonas's here and there.

1:02:14 Who's your favourite Jonas now?

1:02:16 You know what? I will say... I will say... Joe Jonas is really funny.

1:02:22 I agree.

1:02:24 I love how he handles social media right now. I think he's really, really funny. I love his humor.

1:02:29 I was a Nick girl growing up, but now I'm a Joe girl. He's so funny.

1:02:32 My sister was a Nick girl, and I think I always tried to be like my sister. So I tried being a Nick girl, but I think I became a Joe girl.

1:02:39 And what about Kevin? Poor Kevin.

1:02:41 No, I love Kevin.

1:02:42 We need the Kevin girls to rise up.

1:02:43 My brother was the Kevin. We split.

1:02:46 Your brother was the Kevin girl?

1:02:47 Yeah.

1:02:47 Perfect. I'm so glad. I saw that Big Time Rush were actually doing a nostalgia tour recently. Would you see them?

1:02:55 I did see them.

1:02:55 You did see them?

1:02:56 Yeah, I did.

1:02:57 What was it like?

1:02:58 It was just like I felt like I was for little Israel.

1:03:02 Yes.

1:03:03 That was what that was. And I already knew all the lyrics in my head. And I had a really great time.

1:03:08 I'm so glad. I love that we're in this era of artists sort of owning that their nostalgia acts.

1:03:13 Yes.

1:03:14 Like, the Jonas Brothers are currently touring their Burning Up album.

1:03:17 Yep, yep.

1:03:17 And that's correct. New music, it's fine. But the originals, like SOS and Year 3000 and all of that, that's what we want to see. And I love that they're owning it.

1:03:27 That genre was, like, amazing. That time where all those songs were coming out. And I think they did, like, a duet with Demi Lovato. Yes. Yeah, I love that song from Camp Rock. So, like. I love what everyone's doing now. I just think music is becoming really like powerful today and I love it.

1:03:45 And I like that they're listening to the fans and giving us what we want.

1:03:49 Yes.

1:03:49 And now we've arrived at my favorite segment of this show, which is called Show Me Your Charm. And I ask all of my fabulous guests to bring one super special item relating to the topic of the episode to show the class. What have you brought for us?

1:04:03 So for this, I have brought, oh, it's a little, it's a little twisted. I've brought my little necklace. This is a little cross necklace that I know and love and I've had on since I was very, very young and it was given to me by my mum and I would wear it when I was going on the plane to LA. I wore it wherever I would travel and it really represents home to me and I feel like Whenever I was scared, I would hold on to this necklace and everything would be okay and my mom would be with me. And I never took it off.

1:04:40 All the way through Dream Academy.

1:04:42 All the way through. I was always wearing this necklace. Even when I would wear like a silver piece of jewelry, I would never take off my gold necklace.

1:04:50 And for the record, mixed metals is where it's at.

1:04:52 Exactly.

1:04:53 You can wear both. Exactly.

1:04:54 This has really, this has brought me into mixed metals. But yeah.

1:04:57 That's very sacred. Yeah. And something that's carried you all the way through your journey.

1:05:02 Yeah. And it'll keep carrying me through, like, my future and everything like that. Like, this is very much my forever, like, piece.

1:05:10 So for any big milestone or scary day, you will always wear it?

1:05:14 Exactly.

1:05:15 I love that. Yeah. Thank you so much for showing it to us. And now my item is way less, you know, special and touching and loving because we're talking about pop culture today and I love to collect things. One thing that I collect is band t-shirts from all of the shows that I get to. I've also been into collecting vintage ones, but I have a lot that I've collected in my entire life and I wanted to bring my oldest one today, which is from the Justin Bieber My World Tour. I believe this was 16, 17 years ago. And I fashioned it myself into a crop top.

1:05:50 I was going to say, it looks really good. Like, I didn't know they made crop tops, but you made that.

1:05:55 That's amazing.

1:05:56 I did.

1:05:56 And I made sure to cut out the bit that had Brisbane, Australia on the back. I wish I bought something more touching and heartwarming.

1:06:04 No, this is perfect. This is beautiful.

1:06:06 After Zac Efron, I moved on to Justin Bieber, and I was a hardcore Belieber.

1:06:11 That's so fair.

1:06:11 I was outside the venue lining up for the whole day.

1:06:15 This is like a piece of fashion, like you could sell that in mass.

1:06:18 Who wants to buy?

1:06:19 I want to buy it.

1:06:21 I am very sad to have upcycled such a fabulous shirt into a crop top that now I'm not so into crop tops. I would probably do anything to have the t-shirt back. So if anyone's selling one, I'll trade you for this custom one of a kind crop top.

1:06:35 I need to buy a t-shirt so I can get that one.

1:06:37 I will trade with you. But I have one last question for you before you can go. And I hate this question as a collector of many things who loves all of my things equally.

1:06:47 Yes.

1:06:47 But you have to answer it. If you could only keep one thing from your entire life, from your entire journey, everything else has to go. What would be the one treasure that you keep?

1:06:58 I feel like I have to say my necklace that I showed. That was just, it's my family, it's my mom, it's my grandma, it's my faith, it's everything. Like I love it so much.

1:07:11 I had a feeling you were going to say that.

1:07:13 Yeah, it has to be my necklace.

1:07:15 It makes so much sense. And it feels like if you have nothing else, you can still ground yourself with that necklace.

1:07:20 Exactly. Like it really, it really reminds me of home. which is, it's hard, especially in a career where you be an artist and things like that. You have to travel everywhere, so it's nice to have something that's always on you, that just grounds you.

1:07:36 Yeah, that can keep your feet and your head on the ground.

1:07:40 Yeah, and you can never lose it, because it's locked in.

1:07:42 Yeah, one would hope.

1:07:43 Exactly.

1:07:44 Well, it's been so wonderful having you on the show. Again, thank you so much for coming on Charmed for your first big interview. I think all of our listeners will be so excited to see whatever you do next and we will definitely support you.

1:07:57 Thank you so much. I've had an amazing time.

1:08:00 You are amazing.

1:08:01 Oh, I'm so glad.

1:08:02 Thank you. Thank you so much to Ezrella for coming on and sharing with us all about what it was really like being a part of Dream Academy. I hope you enjoyed this chat as much as I did and we'll see you next week for another episode. Don't forget to stay charmed.