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LEADING Shark Tank businessman and entrepreneur Robert Herjavec has revealed the real reason why celebrities often hook up with their co-stars on Dancing with the Stars.
In an exclusive interview with The US Sun, Herjavec also said he “loves” Dancing with the Stars and still watches it with his wife Kym Johnson.
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The entrepreneur met his wife in 2015 after they were partnered up together for the competition.
They became good friends during filming and married in 2016.
The Shark Tank star said people often fell in love on the show because the contestants get “very close” during filming, noting that it was normal for the dancers but a new experience for the celebrities.
“I think you get very close to people,” Herjavec told The U.S. Sun.
“What people don’t realize is that to celebrities, you’re getting close to somebody, but to dancers, it’s just a job.
“I mean, they all grew up dancing with somebody that close to them, so they have a different experience with it.
“We were actually the first couple to ever get married on the show, but since then, you’ve had a few.”
LOVE BLOOMED
While the pair may not have secured the mirror ball trophy during their season of Dancing with the Stars, they found each other and now are the parents of twins, Hudson and Haven.
Herjavec’s wife Kim is from Sydney, Australia, and has appeared on several Australian reality shows, including the Australian version of Dancing with the Stars, Celebrity Apprentice, and Celebrity Survivor.
Her first American DWTS partner was Jerry Springer, who wanted to learn to dance for his daughter’s wedding.
She said he became like a “father figure” to her.
Shortly after she and Herjavec started dating, she said the reason he is so successful is because he throws himself into everything he does.
“Robert just has so much passion about everything he does which is just so great to be around. He’s just very positive,” Johnson said in 2015.
“I think that’s why he’s so successful in everything he does,” she continued.
“When he does something, he commits to it totally. He did that with Dancing. He’s not afraid to go there and look silly if he has to!”
‘NEVER LEARNED TO DANCE’
In an interview with The U.S. Sun, Herjavec said the DWTS cast was like a “big extended family,” but while he loved the show, he did not learn to dance.
“They don’t really teach you to dance on the show,” Herjavec said.
They teach you a routine broken out into segments so I never really learned to dance
Robert Herjavec
While he no longer practices his dancing skills, Herjavec said he would encourage other celebrities to appear on the show “for a couple of reasons.”
“Yes…number one, you get into incredible shape,” he said.
“I was so cut that I used to take my shirt off and just walk around waiting for them to need somebody in the background and I was like pick me.”
Secondly, he said the whole experience really took him outside of his comfort zone.
“I think in life to do great things, you’ve got to constantly push yourself and for me, dancing in front of 1000 people live, having never danced before, it pushed me,” Herjavec said.
‘RETAIL RENAISSANCE’
The U.S. Sun sat down with Herjavec for an exclusive on-camera interview in New York, covering a wide range of topics, including politics, the economy, and the retail sector.
Herjavec insisted the US economy was experiencing a “retail renaissance” despite mass closures and layoffs across the industry, forecasting a major boom over the next few years.
The investor said retail companies could be successful if they sold high-quality products and offered shoppers a destination experience.
Using the examples of Canada Goose and Lululemon, Herjavec said companies need to build a trustworthy brand in order to cut through with customers.
Herjavec also threw his weight behind President-elect Donald Trump after his election victory, saying the former President would be the best person to manage the economy.
Herjavec also called tech billionaire Elon Musk a “genius for the ages” and said it was “fantastic” that Trump had tapped the Tesla founder to help slash government spending.
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