My BEST celebrity interviews
Because we should celebrate the nice people too.
It’s always funny when something you write in about 15 minutes takes off more than a personal essay you pour your heart and soul into. But hey, that’s the magic of the internet. I learned quickly in my BuzzFeed days not to get too attached to views and comments, the good and the bad.
The internet chews you up and spits you out just as fast, and then you come back for more. That’s just the cycle we’re in. If there’s anything journalism has taught me, particularly in the last five years, it is that negativity sells. The seemingly scandalous news gets more click. The bad news, the horrific news, even more engagement. The news cycle is often vicious, sad, and nasty. People say they want positive stories then never read them.
But despite all of that, it seemed unfair to publish the worst celebrity interviews I’ve ever done, without celebrating the good.
The ‘good’ celebrities and reality stars
There’s PR-trained good, the chaotic-good and then there’s genuinely-friendly-good. PR-trained good makes me think of having a glass of rosé with a Vanderpump Rules star, while she narrated her own version of events about the season where she was gushing over her “celebrity” boyfriend who seemed kinda disinterested. She barely broke eye-contact as she downed her drink and spilled all the tea in our 15-minute timeslot.
PR-trained good are the bands with big labels. Even the ones who maybe don’t want to be there. Who try to sell their new album, while maybe not truly believing in it because the label’s pulled too much sway. It has never shocked me when those bands or artists have gone independent after.
Chaotic good can be the reality stars. The MAFS stars who are just happy to talk to someone to tell their side of events. Tbh, they’re getting more chaotic bad as the seasons go along, but there’s still some I keep in touch with to this day, because underneath it all, they’re real people living and learning real lessons.
Chaotic good is famous twin musicians The Veronicas, who have beautiful, sensitive souls but might accidentally start bickering with each other mid-interview before getting back on track. I liked it as an interviewer because it’s an actual rare show of people being real. A lot of celebrities don’t usually let the mask fall. For the couple of times I’ve chatted with the duo, they’ve been lovely, remembered me despite me being at different publications, and were just as happy to chat off-camera as well.
Genuinely-friendly-good and one of the nicest celebrities I’ve met during my time was Kelly Clarkson.
We only had a small amount of time with her, but she was so kind, so bubbly, happy to have a laugh, and really made you feel engaged. I was nervous in case you can’t tell from my body language in the above photo – it was one of my first celebrity interviews with BuzzFeed and I was shadowing/helping another reporter at the time, but she was so welcoming and it wasn’t forced or media-trained.
Plus, she was thrilled to hear our favourite songs of hers included ‘Addicted’ from her Breakaway album. An album, much like Avril Lavigne’s Let Go, which was a gateway for girlie pops to enter the ‘00s emo heyday.
“Oh, so you’re a little fucked up too,” she had laughed.
Icon.
My dream celebrity interview
Sometimes people ask me who my ‘best’ interview has been or who my dream interview would be. For me, the chats that have brought me so much joy over the years are usually the musicians. From The Used to Kelly Clarkson, to the Veronicas to Tonight Alive, music was a huge part of my self-soothing journey as a kid and in my teen years.
The most joy I get as an entertainment journalist when interviewing, is when I’m chatting to artists who have had a song or album that influenced my life in some way, shape or form. Some, you feel genuine connection with. Others, you know they’re just maybe trying to promote their not-yet-sold-out-stadium-show and are on autopilot, until you can make them laugh at a slightly off-topic question. Either way, interviewing the bands or musicians who impacted my life in a positive way never gets old.
So if I had to manifest, write it down, burn the paper and pray upon some lucky stars in the hopes to make it happen, as to who my most-craved interview would be.
I think I could die happy celebrating an ego death with Hayley Williams.
Just putting it out there.