Cameron Mathison

Cameron Mathison and Edyta Sliwinska were a hot pair, blazing up the hardwood on season 5 of Dancing with the Stars . . . but before joining the show, Cameron asked for his dance partner to be anybody but Edyta!!

The actor and host gets candid with Cheryl about his time on the competition show, including his thoughts on his dance partner, why he almost quit after the second week, his opinion on the scoring process, and how DWTS changed his life!

Plus, Cameron opens up about overcoming his health struggles and juggling a busy career that includes hosting a new game show, starring in upcoming Great American Family projects, and signing up for more General Hospital!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
This is Sex Lies and Spray Tands with Me, Cheryl
Burke and iHeartRadio Podcast. Hey guys, welcome back to Sex
Lies and Spray Tans. He's a man of many talents,
navigating the world of entertainment with ease and charm, from
captivating audiences on daytime soap operas to becoming a beloved
host on primetime TV. His career is a testament to

(00:23):
dedication and charisma beyond the screen. His personal journey, including
a courageous battle with cancer and a commitment to healthy living,
showcases his resilience and passion. We all remember his dynamic
performances on Dancing with the Stars, where he and the
studying edit Teslawinska Wowdust in season five, dancing their way

(00:44):
to an impressive fifth place finish. Join me as we
dive into the fascinating world of Cameron Matheson. Welcome to
Sex Lies and Freaking spray Tans. My friend, I am
normally interviewed by you, but now the tables have that's right.

Speaker 2 (01:01):
I get to sit and listen and answer your questions
for once.

Speaker 1 (01:05):
No, I have to listen, that's the problem, but I did.
I would say the research I've done on you was
very I was pleasantly surprised, right, and I have so
many questions for you, and this is more than just
dancing with the stars, though. We're going to cover it,
don't you worry. We're gonna just rewind all the way

(01:26):
back to when you were a little tiny Cameron Matheson.

Speaker 2 (01:29):
Little Cameron little.

Speaker 1 (01:31):
What's your very first memory as a kid, do you know?

Speaker 2 (01:35):
Yeah, it's it's it's like not a great way maybe
to start.

Speaker 1 (01:38):
Off this interview, like, No, it's okay, I love it.

Speaker 2 (01:41):
No. I was diagnosed with a degenerated bone disease and
both my hip bones when I was a kid, and
my first memory that I ever had was at the
doctor's office. I didn't really know why. I was like
like two and a half or maybe a little bit
less two and a half, and I remember my mom
coming out of the doctor's office with tears in her eyes.
That's my first memory. Yeah, and I didn't know why.

(02:03):
So that's the first memory I have. Yeah, bring it down.

Speaker 1 (02:07):
No, it's okay, you know what My first memory is
my father with another woman, so like that looked exactly
like my mother. He had a thing for Filipinos, obviously,
but rest in peace. So yeah, this is why I asked,
because this is like, you know, we don't do small
talk here.

Speaker 2 (02:22):
Okay, well that's that's the truth. And I'm sorry that
that's your first memory that I'm.

Speaker 1 (02:25):
Sorry that that's your first memory. But well, okay, so
other than your first memory, is what do you remember
from all of that? Did that affect you, like through
your teenage life and your adulthood or no.

Speaker 2 (02:40):
Yeah, I think you know, it would be impossible to
say that it didn't. So yeah, I was diagnosed with
the degenerative bone disease. I had to wear a big
metal a frame brace on my legs for four years,
night and day. I had to sleep with it. It
was think of like Forrest Gump, but he could walk
in his Mine was way out and it was rigid,

(03:01):
and I had a crutching back and a crutch in front.
I had to lift myself up and swing forward and
land and then move my crutches and lift up and swing.
That's how I would walk. And then I was you know,
carried into bed and I had to sleep with it,
which was, by the way, the hardest part and the
only time it came off when I was lowered into
the bath, you know, like put in the bath, and

(03:22):
then I was sort of put back in this price.
So I did that until I was seven and as
so it really so my point is is that it
really did. You know, those were very formative years. I
was the guy that mothers would tell their kids not
to stare at. I was bullied, I was I was

(03:42):
made fun of. It was you know, we all we
all have our history, we all have our childhood stuff
that like sticks with us. That's that's definitely mine. And
so through my teenage years, I probably tried to overcompensate
a lot, you know, like I tried, without me realizing it,
I tried to be you know, the super athlete, the

(04:03):
guy who you know did great in school or got
the girls or whatever it was. And I tried to
kind of make up for that sort of that subconscious
identification as a crippled kid or a disabled kid. You know,
I know, crippled isn't a PC term, but that was
the that was sort of my mantra by kind of
going overboard, and you know, which you know, in a

(04:26):
way obviously never kind of filled that void, but in
a way also it kind of drove me and I
realized you know, I made a lot of mistakes along
the way, but it definitely I'm grateful for the experience now,
super grateful for the experience. I think it's made me
a lot more compassionate towards others, a lot more sensitive
and empathetic. I think I realized that I can get

(04:49):
through unbelievably difficult circumstances. And all the photos I have
of myself during that time, I had a big smile
on my face and I was like, that guy's awesome, man,
that little kid man, way to go.

Speaker 1 (05:01):
Were your parents did they play a big role in
keeping you positive and optimistic?

Speaker 2 (05:08):
Yeah? I think through that whole experience, my parents were amazing.
My brother was amazing. I have an older brother, he's
a year and a half older than me, and he
was sort of like my my my feet on the
ground kind of guy. When I needed to to get
stuff done, he was my hero. And my mom and
dad were super positive and hands on. They bought a
special cars that kind of like, you know, it's back
in the day when you were in the way back

(05:29):
of the station wagon. You know you were just throwing
back there, you know, put the guy with the brace
on his leg, but at the same time. That's that's
what they you know, they were amazing and they you know,
my mom passed away, but my dad still is and
super supportive. And yeah, I think I think that really helped,
having that foundation. I think also there was a lot

(05:53):
of unhealthy ways to deal with it, sweeping things under
the rug. You know, we didn't talk about it a band.
If my kids went through that, I would be like
talking about it and making sure they were seeing somebody.
You know, I just decided it was just the time,
you know. So there was periods of my life where
I totally forgot about it and I'd see an old

(06:15):
picture and I'd be like, oh my god, that's right.
I was like completely incapacitated until I was seven. And
I think there was ways that I would try to,
like I told you, try to like make up for
it in maybe somewhat healthy ways, you know, trying to
be overactive or be the guy in shape, or be
the fastest or you know, play college basketball. And I
did all these things later in life that people never

(06:36):
thought I could do considering how I started. But then
there was also ways that it affected me negatively. And
I think and you know, and you know, using substances
to numb out a little bit, I, you know, trying
to be I was in school for engineering. I graduated

(06:58):
with an engineering degree and in a very very good
school in Canada, and I was going on to get
my MBA, and I went into this whole industry for
all the wrong reasons, to be completely honest, some super
racial industry, yeah, in the entertainment industry, mostly to try
to be I think subconsciously recognized for somebody other than

(07:20):
that kid that was like, you know, the disabled kid,
And to get that sort of attention was like a
real hit and sort of filling that void. Now it
became something that I studied and took very seriously, and
I'm super grateful for that. I've worked very very steadily
in it. But at the same time, I remember making
that decision and what it felt like. So there's been

(07:42):
a lot of unhealthy ways that I managed with the
pain and the sort of the PTSD, and then there's
been a lot of healthy ways. But even the unhealthy
ways that I went through ultimately allowed me to really
take a good look at myself and recognize wrong paths
and correct passes. Far as you know, what we can
do to help ourselves feel better from the inside out

(08:04):
instead of like grasping and stuff from the outside and
you know, needing and wanting, you know, whether it's attention
or fame, or money or partners or like, you know,
versus just really kind of accessing that that peace of
mind and that self worth from within, right.

Speaker 1 (08:20):
And I mean I'm also just on this journey. I'm
just learning, right. I mean I had to get a
divorce and I now alone and I'm not I'm choosing
not to date and all of it because of that.
Like if this is a new though, it's so simple,
I you know, and I think a lot of people
can relate. We make it very complicated and trying to
get validity from.

Speaker 2 (08:40):
Good for you, by the way, thank you, Yeah, good
for you.

Speaker 1 (08:43):
I just want to see for you.

Speaker 2 (08:44):
Yeah, it's amazing, that's incredible. I you know, I followed
your story a little bit and you're thinking about you
and sending lots of love through it. So good for you.

Speaker 1 (08:52):
Thanks Cameron's And you know that just stems back also
from trauma and PTSD. But then also, you know, I
believe a lot of people in the entertainment industry, even
if they don't want to say it, or they don't
ever want to have that moment of like, okay, why
am I here? Which is okay, by the way, no judgment.
I believe that validity of people clapping for you, and

(09:14):
you know, it does something to you, to your system
to where it is addicting and where you believe that
that is where your self worth lies right in other
people's hands. And then when it's taken away, or when
you choose for it to be taken away, it is
a wake up call, you know, because and I think

(09:35):
that a lot of people in the industry especially like that.
Maybe that is more common than not common. Put it
that way.

Speaker 2 (09:43):
I think you're absolutely right. I think it's even even
the strongest of people from the perspective sort of mental health,
and and you know, and getting it even it's it's
an incredibly powerful drug. The attention and the adoration and
the agile and it's it's very very powerful. And even

(10:04):
if you're in a great place in your life, it
can sneak in and you can start kind of grasping
at it and needing it and wanting more of it,
and you don't even realize it. But then when you
stop getting it and they get it, you go to
other lengths. It's a funny thing. And I'm sure it
doesn't apply to everybody, but I bet you it applies

(10:24):
to the more people than we all.

Speaker 1 (10:26):
Think exactly, And that is it's traumatic if you don't
ever have that, like come to Jesus because you're like,
wait a second, and then you like, for me, I
love how deep we're talking because this is my vibe.
How was it as far as rejection goes, like when
you first started in this industry? Or I know that
you said that you actually wanted to write off your

(10:48):
trip when you were in Manhattan because and so that
was your ticket into all my children? Am I getting
this right?

Speaker 2 (10:54):
Yeah? One hundred percent. I was living in Toronto. I had, like,
as I mentioned, I'd left my I was supposed to
start a design build company with my best friend, who
was an architect. I had graduated from civil engineering and
I'd left all that and started like modeling and acting.
And I was and I bought a cool loft condo
in Toronto, where I'm from, and things were just kind

(11:15):
of exciting and cool, and I wanted to go see
my friends in New York City just for the weekend.
And I wanted to write off the trip. So I
went to see an acting agent in New York just
to say, you know, just to write it off. And
they said you should go see the casting director and
all my children. And I was like, I got it,
I got a part. I got I don't have time,
you know. I was didn't even want to go. And
her name is Judy Wilson. She changed my life, but

(11:37):
I went. I finally went to see her. She gave
me a script. And you know what this is like,
it's a cold read. For people at home that don't know.
Cold read is when you just get a scene from
a script and they give you five ten minutes to
look it over and then they're going to put you
on tape or you're going to perform it in front
of a group of people. And five ten minutes is
not a long time to look something over.

Speaker 1 (11:55):
But I did it, and you have to memorize it.
I don't know that world, so you have to memorize it.

Speaker 2 (12:00):
I just I figured you've been on camera so much,
but I will not.

Speaker 1 (12:03):
To memorize memorized scripts.

Speaker 2 (12:05):
I could help you, but yeah, when it cold read,
you don't you don't really memorize it. You just kind
of get the essence of it and you kind of
like are listening and it's there for you and I
and I actually have a copy of that audition or
that could which is which is so crazy to see.
But anyway from that, they they liked it enough that

(12:26):
they gave me a screen test and they wrote a
part on All my Children called Ryan Lavery and that
was in nineteen ninety seven. Wow, and I moved to
New York in nineteen ninety seven, and yeah, it changed
my life.

Speaker 1 (12:38):
Yeah it did change your life. Yeah, Okay, So then
how was that? Was that a shock share system?

Speaker 2 (12:43):
It's like a muscle. I actually think my engineering background
helped me train. So in engineering, you got you gotta
cram and memorize, and then you forget and cram and
memorize all nighters and then like it's it's like that
kind of dynamic. So I feel like by the time
I got into All my Children, which is so for
people that don't know it, be anywhere from you know,
five pages in one day to about sixty pages of

(13:04):
your own dialogue in one day, which is an extreme amount,
but it's possible. I've definitely had that more than once.
Where you've got it. You've got sixty pages of your
own script. You know, your own scenes in there where
you're memorizing, and you'd be really surprised at how you're
able to do it. There's little tricks in the trade.
Everybody's got their own little secrets. Uh. It was really

(13:26):
hard for me at first. I remember my first few
days on the show, because you're so self conscious, right,
and and you not only are you memorizing the words,
but you got to know you're blocking. You got to
know what they mean to you. You got to know
your history. You've got to know you know when you
pick up the thing and move across the table and
when you grab the jacket, and so you're thinking about
not only your lines, but also what we call blocking.

(13:46):
And that's what actually threw me more than just memorizing
was interesting. It was making it real, being natural, making
the moves across. You don't want these moves to be like, okay,
this is when I crossed to pick up the You
want it all to be more motivated by the words
and by your intention, And that was that took me
a long time. But I had a great coach in
New York, City. So I studied in New York City

(14:07):
while I was at All My Children. It was amazing
Tanya Barrison, who helped me and some of the young
people on All My Children kind of get through that
stretch and really really good magical memories, actually really good memories.

Speaker 1 (14:20):
So then it must have been easy Dancing with the
Stars for you. That sounds like what you just listed
as far as what you needed to do, sounds a
lot like the show and how rigorous and how there's
a million and one things you have to do. Oh,
and then smile and you know, look like you're having
a freaking blast at the same time. Why don't you?
But not only did you do Dancing with the Stars? You,

(14:41):
my friend did both All My Children and Dancing with
the Stars traveled back and forth from New York to
Los Angeles on a weekly basis. Was this I would
have killed you if you were my partner.

Speaker 2 (14:53):
Yeah. Editus Lensko who was my partner, she was a
hero and she put up with me. Yes, so we
I was. I was shooting six episodes of All My
Children in three days in New York, so they would
they would jam me up. Uh. For when I was
in New York and edit. It was there waiting for
me rehearsing. In between scenes. We would you know, we

(15:13):
wouldhearse in New York and then we would take basically
Red Eyes both Way more or less, and it was
it was a crazy, crazy schedule, was back when the
show was on Monday and Tuesday nights. I'll say this
that I still believe I've done. I've done amazingly difficult things.
I just shot one hundred episodes of a game show
in four weeks.

Speaker 1 (15:31):
Which was really really really hard New One, right.

Speaker 2 (15:34):
Yeah, But I'll say this, that was probably the closest
thing that I've done to how difficult my schedule wasn't
Dancing with the Stars. That was me. That was for
for decades. You know, it's almost been two decades. The
hardest thing I've ever done as far as trying to
learn how to dance. I was not a natural dancer,
you know, but I was very hard worker and I

(15:55):
could memorize things. But I was doing one hundred and
sixty pages of dialogue, which is six episodes in New
York learning how to dance flyd Red Eyes both Ways,
plus the press, plus the requests and all.

Speaker 1 (16:07):
And then you have a family, and then and.

Speaker 2 (16:09):
Then I had a family, which was really hard. To
be honest, I can't imagine. Yeah it was. It was
very tough on my wife and.

Speaker 1 (16:15):
I'm sure and it didn't help that Ada has so
ugly to look at is a very cove.

Speaker 2 (16:20):
Odd I didn't notice, I really, Uh.

Speaker 1 (16:34):
I think what my listeners would love to know more
of is the psychology behind the show and why people
get so emotional. Why I'm still talking about it after
retiring two years ago. It's like, get over it, no,
but like it really has put a he It was
at my world. It was my world for twenty six seasons,
you know. And with that, whether you want to call

(16:56):
it trauma, bonding or whatever, but there has been a
lot of un I guess, unresolved emotions from everyone I've
talked to the show, because you do. It's like it
it may just be a dance show, but it's so deep.
It gets really deep.

Speaker 2 (17:14):
It's like it's so funny that you know, quote unquote
a dance show could have such a big kind of
like right memory, like part of my memory in my work.
It was it was for me. It was super super
exciting and so wild that I was part of it
so wild that I last as long as I did.

(17:34):
And again, it was such a whirlwind in my life,
you know. As I said, it was a lot of
challenges as far as the logistics go and stuff, But
when I was there with you and with everybody and
edited a it was just at the time when I
did it season five, it was almost light home. You
were part of the playoffs of like the NFL playoffs,

(17:57):
Like everywhere you went, people knew you, everywhere you when
people were watching, there was like twenty two million people
a night watching at least. It was a massive, massive
show across the country. And I was just riding the
wave and having a great time and also exhausted and
also having a tough time. But at the same time,
it was so many great memories. And I'm still, you know,

(18:19):
friends with people from that season. And the other thing is,
as you know, I I then from Dancing with the Stars,
a lot of job opportunities came. I started working with
Good Morning America for six years. I interviewed you a
thousand times when I was on GMA then and then
from GMA I went to Entertainment Tonight. I interviewed you
another thousand times when I was an entertainment Tonight so

(18:41):
thousand times. So I covered every season after me, So
I was not only part of season five. I was
like a regular there week after week, year after year,
and it became like a real big part of my life.
And you're right, it's like it had a massive impact
on me. And I just have so many, you know,
fond memories I have. I remember the challenges and the difficulties.

(19:05):
It was. It was wild. It was a wild time,
super wild.

Speaker 1 (19:09):
Let's talk about the challenges and difficulties, say more, well.

Speaker 2 (19:12):
I think you know. The challenges and difficulties for me
were the logistics that we talked about. Obviously, just a
plain simple on paper, I would have said, you can't,
it's not possible, Like if you gave that schedule to
me on paper, I was like, I don't think anybody
could do that. But you just kind of do it right.

Speaker 1 (19:29):
And German, you were good. I just watched all your
dances like you were It was impressed. I was like,
what is he not just you were great? You weren't
just good like But you know me, I'm a little
harsh sometimes those but honest, like you know, I'm honest.
I'm not going to just bullshit anyone and say, oh

(19:49):
they're great when they sucked, like you were good.

Speaker 2 (19:53):
Thank you. That makes me feel really good. I can't
I'm not I can't watch it and I can't tell
like that's really.

Speaker 1 (19:58):
Like he had you doing shit that was not that's
not an amateur routine, like it's not a student and
professional routine. Like there are certain moments in your pasta
del Blay, I mean it was hard, and then you
had to travel and your equilibrium was off most likely
like it was for me at least, whenever I would
get off a plane, I'd be like, I can't do camera.
I can't do this, Like I can't even spin without

(20:19):
falling over.

Speaker 2 (20:21):
Yeah, well thank you. By the way, that like I
don't know that means lets me. I appreciate that. It
really does. Like, you know, I thought I did pretty well.
My first dance was like I looked like I was
going through the offense of like my basketball, Like it
was a very very step.

Speaker 1 (20:38):
The first dance was the chacha.

Speaker 2 (20:41):
No, it was first dance was fun, it was amazing.
Well that's that's generous. But I think I got a
lot better. I mean I did okay. First week but
then I got a lot better and I was. I mean,
I remember when I had my first rehearsal with Editor.
I was at it like a little place that we
rented for the summer in New York, upstate New York,

(21:03):
and my mom and dad were there and they watched
my first rehearsal through the window, you know, trying to
stay away, and they were like this this is not
good like, this is this is not going to go
this is not going to be good like and so
I really I feel like I really improved. And so
were your.

Speaker 1 (21:19):
Parents very like were they involved? Like they loved the show?
Were they fans?

Speaker 2 (21:23):
They did? They they loved the show. They watched every week.
But they you know, the local news came to their
house and watched them watch me and and you know
they came into the ballroom. But you know, they were
living in Florida at the time. But it was it
was a really yeah, it was. It was a fun time.
Like we said, it was a big show at that time,
like super, super huge show.

Speaker 1 (21:43):
What were your first impressions of Editor?

Speaker 2 (21:47):
Well, I knew her already. I watched the show, so
I knew Editor, and I mean, you know, very beautiful woman.
And I literally this is I don't even know if
editor knows this. I don't know if editor knows this.
I actually called Dina Katz, who is my dear friend now,

(22:08):
who's the time was casting director. I know she's the
next executive producer now. And I called her and I said, listen,
I'm so happy that you've offered me the show. I
can't wait. I'm in. Just do me a favor, I'll take.
Please put me with anybody but editor. But because because
I knew my wife and I, you know, we were

(22:30):
going through a little bit of a challenge at that time. Yes,
and I she just edited didn't wear a lot of clothes.

Speaker 1 (22:37):
No, it was she was. She did keep her ankles warm.

Speaker 2 (22:41):
She kept her ankles warm. And that's about it. And
my god, I love editor to death. And but she
I don't know if she knows. I think she probably does.
I'm sure I would have told her no reason.

Speaker 1 (22:51):
We became very I think she would find it funny
on it. I just had her on the podcast.

Speaker 2 (22:56):
She's great, but she's amazing. I knew that the editor
was the one that her spidery senses were up with,
you know, like just don't and I wonder.

Speaker 1 (23:07):
And a bunch of other wives that were part of
this journey, and I.

Speaker 2 (23:10):
Wonder if Dina, like we we gotta ask Dina, We
got to find out, like if a phone call like that,
why didn't she literally tells them? Yeah no, But maybe
that's like, you know, because these shows they want trauma,
and I get it, they know not like that. No, Okay, well,
I mean I don't know.

Speaker 1 (23:27):
I sometimes I wonder, but.

Speaker 2 (23:29):
I mean we we did. We were the right height.
I was like editors a little bit. I mean from
six to two. We kind of vibe together. We look good,
you know, as a couple of so.

Speaker 1 (23:37):
That look great together.

Speaker 2 (23:38):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (23:39):
So I mean, like, honestly, who else would you have
dance with? I'm five four. I mean I'm not like
we don't have like huge high difference, but like, honestly,
at it ten you. I mean, it would have been
dumb if they didn't pay you with editor just on
an aesthetic look, right, like if you're just looking at
the couples, like it would be the same thing like
if editid was with Emmett, that would have made no sense.
Like it just even though technically shorter, but just you know,

(24:00):
it is really about the aesthetic ballroom is like it's
just right right. Was Editor prepped for her schedule, her
upcoming schedule of you guys flying back and forth?

Speaker 2 (24:11):
You know, Editor was like unflapped man like, Yeah, I
don't know, maybe she wasn't, but she sure seemed like it,
Like she was just like this is what we're doing.
You know, I don't think she was happy about it.
Never complained. She literally never complained. She was like, you know,
just kind of doing her thing. Never seemed phased, always
sort of focused, chill. She never really kind of got

(24:34):
super hot or super excited. She was just very very
kind of like a really nice, stable, kind of neutral attitude.
And you know I was always like jacked or like
crashed or like like bouncing all over you know what
I mean. Like Edit, it was just you know, the
very very stable and kept me kind of like sane
and grounded and yeah, an amazing, amazing thing. Yeah for sure.

(24:57):
I mean I was you know, I was pounding coffee
and traveling back and forth, and you know, I don't
I honestly I don't know how I did it. I
ate it.

Speaker 1 (25:08):
I had Aiden Turner on the podcast and he straight
up said, like straight up. Didn't even say can we
delete it? He said I. I said, do you have
any regrets, you know, during your time on the show,
And he goes, I regret not having sex with it.

Speaker 2 (25:25):
Oh my god, I.

Speaker 1 (25:29):
Don't. It's not it's not quote. It's not like, you know,
that's not the official quote. But he definitely said that.
His mom, his dad and brother was like, oh, you're
definitely shagging her. And he goes, no, we're not, like,
we're not actually doing that, and like, oh, if you're not,
you will and he's like, no, no, like and he was,
you know, he's engaged and like and editors with but like,

(25:49):
you know, he goes, that's the one thing I do
regret was that, Like, you know, now that I'm about
to get married, he goes, I should have just done it.
He should have done it. I'm like, oh my.

Speaker 2 (25:57):
God, so funny that he would say that. Yeah, I
forgot that they were partners. Yea, yeah, we were. For
people at home, we were on the same show again,
he was on All My Children.

Speaker 1 (26:06):
As we talked about Yeah, so why is ballroom dancing
and dancing with the stars and so intimate? And you know,
I did recently say on this podcast too. You know,
don't be married and do Dancing with the Stars. I mean,
like though it was a joke, but it's it would
make your life a lot easier, right.

Speaker 2 (26:26):
Well, you asked about my challenges on the show, and
I was saying the logistics were one of the challenges,
but one of the other big challenges was just that
it was like Vanessa, uh was a trooper. We've been,
we've we've sort of recently gone through a bunch of
stuff and you know, it wasn't great timing. And I was,
you know, off in La spending time with this beautiful woman,

(26:48):
pressed up against her, sweating with her five hours a
day rehearsing, and then you know, doing all the press
and touring and stuff together, and it was it was
really hard, like it was. And I tried to every
thing in my power to you know, to make that
as easy for her as possible. But it's it just
is what it is. Yeah, So I I mean, you

(27:11):
can be married and do the show, obviously, but it
can be depending on the circumstances and total I think
if you all lived in La or whatever. But I was,
you know, being on a plane and traveling and hotels
and the whole thing. I think it's just it's just
really hard.

Speaker 1 (27:25):
And then you're with this person seven days of like
you can't dance without your partner.

Speaker 2 (27:29):
So no, exactly right, Like you're literally and so why
is it so intimate? Coming back to your question, I
think in my experience anyway, I think it's because there's
a heighten You're in this pressure cooker and people probably
wouldn't realize, but especially back then, man, especially when the
whole country was watching, it was like so much pressure.

Speaker 1 (27:51):
Super Bowl ratings, yes, like.

Speaker 2 (27:53):
Literally super Bowl ratings every.

Speaker 1 (27:55):
Week, twice a week, Yeah, twice a.

Speaker 2 (27:58):
Week, and and you're like you're in the trenches together.
You're obviously physically close and stress like you know, sweating
and doing it and working and again and again and
again and sometimes arguing and sometimes like being there for
each other and confiding in each other. And it becomes
like in a very short period of time, you know

(28:19):
you're liking it to doing a movie with over like
let's say a couple month period where you're with a
co star and you've got to be with them and
you've got to be you know, you got to like
be in love with them when you're shooting, and you've
got to like be convinced and have those all those
little idiosyncrasies in the same way on the dance floor
when you're doing the room, the way you're doing whatever

(28:40):
dance it is. You've got to have that connection. If
you don't have I mean, you know better than I know.
But if you don't have that connection, people can sense it.

Speaker 1 (28:46):
It just seems you can't.

Speaker 2 (28:48):
You can't think that. So you become really close and
it works for the show, and it works for the
people that are watching the show, but it doesn't work
for the family at home.

Speaker 1 (28:58):
No, it doesn't. And I have to say, two, do
you believe that? I think there's a little more to
what you're saying if I really dissect it, which I
have a lot. Right, the people coming on the celebrities
have to be vulnerable, and you have to be vulnerable
and trust your partner as soon as possible. There's no
time to like develop or earn someone's trust, like in

(29:20):
order to succeed on Dancing with the Stars. The celebrities
coming in not knowing a clue on what looks good,
what doesn't look good, costumes, the way they need to
present themselves, how to ask a woman how to dance
because it is old school. Ballroom is old school in
that sense, but it's the beauty of what the sport is, right,
and you have to be sensitive to the touch. So

(29:41):
in a way, I think it's even getting a little
deeper than if you were on a movie set because
you're in editor's arms actually, like she is guiding you,
and you have to let your ego down. You just
have to any man, any woman. You know, there is
no like we're your coach, but we're also your therapis fist,
and we're also like there for moral support. We're your backbone.

Speaker 2 (30:04):
Right as you sort of were laying out all those
different aspects of what happens when you're on the show,
you're one hundred percent right. You literally have to give
yourself over. I think I love the word vulnerable. You
have to be open and vulnerable and allow like relinquished control,
you know, for those guys that really like to be

(30:24):
in control of everything. Guess what you're not.

Speaker 1 (30:28):
And you're going to go home like yeah.

Speaker 2 (30:31):
Yeah, it was. It's it's very very, very true. And
and you're right right off right like out of the gate,
you got to be You're just like in this person's
hands and you're like, oh my gosh, please help.

Speaker 1 (30:43):
Me, and something that you may have never shown your
spouse by the way.

Speaker 2 (30:48):
Right, I mean we, you know, Vanessa and I tried
to go dancing after Dancing the Stars. You know, I
finish we you know, it was it was a really
nice idea, and you know, she wanted to ballroom down
even before Dancing with the Stars, Like there was a
whole thing. So the fact that I ended up balling
dancing with like, you know, a complete stranger, it wasn't
great either, No, but so we tried after but after that,

(31:10):
as you know, at the time the show was so popular,
I'd go to these we'd go to these dance halls
and there and it was whatever it was where it
was like a let's say, a Tuesday night tango where
it was all just social and you learn the tango
and you're in the circles and the circles kind of turn.
But I've been dancing with that.

Speaker 1 (31:26):
I was like, like, can you learn my quick step routine?

Speaker 2 (31:29):
Like it was, but also like people just wanted photos
and they were it was it was like a whole thing,
and there was nothing intimate between you know Vanessa and I,
so we stop doing that too, and so we tried.

Speaker 1 (31:42):
It's interesting because like a lot of people are like, oh,
why are you doing the show because my wife has
always wanted to learn unless you learn their routines, like
Emmett couldn't go salsa dancing socially, like he could do
his salsa routine.

Speaker 2 (31:54):
No way, no way. People weddings. The worst thing is
that you go and dance with the stars and you
go to a wedding like the next few years after
everybody's oh my god, you're a dancer, Come dance with
me the waltz, and I'm like, I don't want to dance.

Speaker 1 (32:04):
Dance, monkey dance. It's like the.

Speaker 2 (32:05):
Worst, Like I'm like, I don't know what do you
want me to do.

Speaker 1 (32:17):
What was the biggest lesson that you learned on the
show during your time there, Well.

Speaker 2 (32:23):
For sure, the biggest lesson was that the seemingly impossible,
you know what, you can put your mind to what
like you honestly if you just kind of go one
step at a time and conquer this next thing and
then conquer the next thing and then conquer the next thing.
The schedule was so ridiculous for me as we talked
about that. I I honestly didn't know. I thought I

(32:44):
was gonna quit after like week two.

Speaker 1 (32:47):
Oh really it was.

Speaker 2 (32:48):
Yeah, Like I literally edited I talked about I was like,
I don't know if I can do this. It was
so crazy, memorizing in one hundred and sixty pages of dialogue,
flying back and forth across the country, plus the press,
plus trying to even considering I was doing that. I
logged more rehearsal hours than anybody else in that season.

Speaker 1 (33:06):
Of course you did, and I was out.

Speaker 2 (33:08):
In week ten, so I logged more than even like
the next two weeks, like we rehearsed like crazy. So
I was like, I don't know if I could do it.
I don't know if it's fair to my family. I
don't know if I can handle it. An editor, if
I remember, like obviously, editor was like, you got to
make this decision. You know, I totally get it. It

(33:28):
was a pretty quick it was a pretty quick moment
of doubt that I was thinking that. But it was
just super challenging. But I knew so that that opportunity
if I were to walk away from something like that,
I don't remember anybody ever walking away and I didn't
want to be there there Evans, Oh, she did, Sarah
Evans did. It was really a conversation with me and Vanessa,

(33:51):
and then I mentioned it to edit a probably quickly,
but then we just kind of moved on and just
did one more week. And then we just did one
more week, and then the fourth week was it was
the Pasa Doble like you alluded to, and that was
good one. That was my big kind of felling out
dance super Bain.

Speaker 1 (34:06):
What are the politics like behind the show?

Speaker 2 (34:09):
There was a lot of that that was very confusing
to me. You know, here's the deal though, Like I'll
say this from my own side for real, I felt like,
you know, there were times where I was underscored, right,
uh huh, But I would I also sort of chalk
that up to me thinking that I was better than
I was, Like you know, like I don't really know

(34:31):
if I was underscored. And if you know, it's a
television show, right, it's it's it's a television show for
entertainment purposes. And I'm sure they got to do what
they got to do. But I feel like a lot
of us, as competitors, you know, justify certain scores and things,
and truthfully, there were times where I was very surprised

(34:52):
at the scores.

Speaker 1 (34:54):
You had to be discouraged, though, Cameron, with all the
hard work, like you said, you were the one rehearsing
so many hours. The fact that you got seven's for that,
that had to be frustrating.

Speaker 2 (35:04):
I feel like once I kind of got going, I
was doing pretty well and people that kind of were
that lasted for longer than me, certain people in my season,
I was a little surprised.

Speaker 1 (35:15):
Like, who was it? Who was it?

Speaker 2 (35:17):
Well?

Speaker 1 (35:19):
Who is the top four?

Speaker 2 (35:21):
Okay, the top four were Marie Osmond, oh l e
O Castronevez Melby.

Speaker 1 (35:29):
Oh, well she's good.

Speaker 2 (35:29):
It was awesome. Yeah, absolutely, and Jenny Garth, who was
also really good.

Speaker 1 (35:36):
Your cancer battle you are now no longer a battle,
right like your cancer Frea, congratulations.

Speaker 2 (35:42):
Thank you, thank you. I've been in remission now like
no cancer for almost coming up to five years this September.

Speaker 1 (35:48):
Whoa.

Speaker 2 (35:49):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (35:49):
And I've heard so many different stories coming from you know,
different interviews I've seen of have you written a book yet?

Speaker 2 (35:57):
I have not written a book.

Speaker 1 (35:58):
No helped me to it. Yes, it's so therapeutic. You
should first of all just for your for selfish reasons,
but also for your fans. You've got a lot of
fans that would love to hear about your story.

Speaker 2 (36:10):
Oh I've thought about it. I've really thought about it,
but I would only do it. I mean, I would
really want to do it with you know, helping people
kind of like motivate them. And what I've learned you are,
you know, that's that's what Instead of just being like,
you know, here's another thing about me, you.

Speaker 1 (36:27):
Would tell you this whole look at the different layers
we've peeled. And we only talked for fifty minutes, you know,
it feels like five, But can you talk to me?
I hate doctors and it's like it's I'm not coming
to the I have a mammogram scheduled on Monday and
I would love to cancel it.

Speaker 2 (36:45):
Don't do it. Stick with it.

Speaker 1 (36:46):
But for people who are so scared right like and
as it's just human nature to be scared of the
word cancer and all of it, how were you so
in tune with your body that you knew to do
and for an amri, like, I've always said that that
should be part of a physical but I know it's expensive,
but it's like it's crazy.

Speaker 2 (37:08):
Yeah, it's a good question. And definitely, you know, I
tell this story that I've been into health and fitness
for a long time and I and I I'm the
kind of guy. I do blood work and I you know,
test my hormones and I do gut tests, and I
do these things to try to keep myself you know,
in these in these ranges. But there were certain things
that were coming back that didn't make sense, and you know,

(37:29):
white blood cell counting one of them, and other markers
that could potentially be an indicator for cancer. And I
asked my doctor at the time, I said, listen, you know,
I know something's off. I can feel that things aren't
functioning the way I'm doing everything right, but it's not
not getting the results. And he's like, no, no, no,
you're fine. Let's just try this for a while. And
so for another two years I started, you know, I
kept going at it and you know, eating well and

(37:49):
doing this and doing that and exercises and using all
these you know hacks and and still and then I
get another blood test and then the blood numbers were worse,
and he was like, all right, yeahbe we do need
an MRI. Really, and I really kind of insisted upon it,
and it was just and I thought it was in
my gut because I had a lot of sort of

(38:10):
gut issues and I thought it was sort of gut related,
And it turns out that it wasn't. It was in
my kidney. It was I had a partial and effract
to me, which means part of my right kidney was
taken out. So I got really really lucky it hadn't spread,
they think, and I like to think that because I
lived such a healthy lifestyle that it didn't have the
energy to spread, because it'd been growing in me for
about eight to twelve years.

Speaker 1 (38:31):
Just by the size of it, a long time.

Speaker 2 (38:33):
Yeah, But yeah, that's because it's a slow growing tumor
and usually over that time it would have energy to
spread into your lungs and in your lymph nodes, and
then it would be a very very different diagnosis, as
unfortunately many people know. And so luckily it was contained
in my kidney and we did a partial effected me

(38:55):
and I've been doing great ever since. But yeah, to
answer your question, I just I just knew something was off,
Like I just really pay attention to my body again.
I do a lot of the testing, which helps a lot,
but thank god I did, because it saved my life.

Speaker 1 (39:09):
Do you recommend people just get an MRI? Like as
soon as I've I even said this to my obgi
N a couple of weeks ago, I'm like, can I
just get an MRI so that we just know, like whatever,
just because like it'd be great just to have that
peace of mind, you know.

Speaker 2 (39:25):
Yeah, I mean, here's the deal is that I wouldn't
be that guy who wants to run out and get
an MRI every time, you know, something feels a little off. No, really,
I mean, if you can afford it, why not.

Speaker 1 (39:35):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (39:35):
However, and this is not an AD, and I'm just saying,
there's a company called pre Nouvo p r E and
u v O if I spilt that right, that does
full body MRI scans and tests for fifty different types
of cancer and skeletal issues and other circulatory issues and
respiratory issues that I did recently. It's out of pocket.

(39:57):
Insurance doesn't cover it. It's it's not cheap, but it's
not crazy expensive. It's twenty five hundred bucks if it
you know, for checking your body for cancer. And I
just did that so so that's if you want to,
you know, maybe save up for that or if you don't.

Speaker 1 (40:14):
Know it's worth it. Though it sounds like it.

Speaker 2 (40:16):
You know, for me it was worth it. It's it
really gives you an idea of what's going on in
your body from that scan. If something comes up, you
probably want to get a more intensive, detailed scan if
something is of concern, but it's a great overall picture
and something for you to take. Again, this sounds like
an AD. It's really not.

Speaker 1 (40:36):
No, no, no, no, I know a lot of people that
do this.

Speaker 2 (40:38):
Yeah, maybe other companies too. It has nothing to do
with that. I just mean that's an option, yeah, or
if you have insurance then you just get an MRI
in your problem area as well. The problem with the
regular MRI is it's very it's very localized, right, it's
not a whole.

Speaker 1 (40:51):
I've never gotten one, but like, yeah, it's I mean,
I'm the one that asked questions. So guys, it's not
an AD, but yeah, I think it for Yeah, it's
just help. I think if people could save up. I
hope one day insurance covers it because it's you know,
it's something they should I think cover, especially if needed,
but I'm happy you're cancer free. Congratulations again.

Speaker 2 (41:13):
I'm happy you're going for your mamogram on Monday. I'm
going to call you to make sure I would be
like your share.

Speaker 1 (41:17):
We don't want to, did you go?

Speaker 2 (41:19):
You're going? I'm going to text you in the morning.

Speaker 1 (41:21):
Yeah, I'm lying to you as I'm like just laying
out in the sun. So I'm a Macha girl. Sure, Okay,
So mental health quickly, because I'm a mental health advocate
though we talked a lot about it already, but with
just life, right, like the as we evolve and as

(41:43):
life changes, you either fight it or you don't fight it.
You seem to have a really good sense of evolving
and if one thing doesn't work out as far as
like a job goes, for example, like when home and
family got canceled, like you are. So you're positive, but
not in like a fake positive way like I'm happy

(42:04):
when like you can feel from the person that they're
not but like you really move forward. For those people
who may feel like they're not as I guess hopeful
about their lives or they want to make big changes,
but they're living in fear and decide just to stay
you know, with what they're comfortable with. What advice do

(42:24):
you have?

Speaker 2 (42:25):
Yeah, I think it's great that you hit on this
with you know, so many people the mental health aspects.
So as far hard as I work on my body,
and as hard as I work on my health and
the MRIs and the whatever, you've got nothing if you
don't have your mental health. You've got nothing, if you
don't have your peace of mind. I work far harder
through meditation, practice and using like Budha psychology and philosophies

(42:47):
and training in strengthening you know, my my inner qualities
way more than on other stuff like body and stuff.
So I'm so happy you're asking. So yeah, I really try.
Uh it's not try, it's it's like it's it's it's
a practice, and it's you know, it's training to to

(43:09):
work on transforming adversities and challenges into inner growth and
strength and and new opportunities. And I literally just got
back an hour before I got I was in Arizona
with my kids on a series and a meditation series
in Arizona on transforming adverse conditions into the spiritual path

(43:34):
or on inner growth and development. So my kids are
going off to college in the fall, and I really
and they're into this and and we were there together
and it was an incredible week of teachings and meditations.
And the whole point about it is.

Speaker 1 (43:46):
I want to hear more later, Like I'm into all
this too, So it was amazing. I would love to
pick your brain about that.

Speaker 2 (43:52):
Yeah, it's a big part of my life and what
I try to do. But yeah, when things I mean,
obviously the nature of uh, you know, our life is
going to be you know, change and challenges and difficulties
and good things and not things forever. And the more
we grasp and need and want things to stay the same,
it's the more painful will be when they kind of
they're going to change and things evolve and relationships end

(44:15):
and begin, and jobs come and they go, and and
you have you know, sickness and then you have health
and then things are great. So there's all this fox
and change, And for me, mental stability is like the
most important thing. So practicing things like deep deep acceptance,
patient acceptance, like really accepting challenges as they come helps

(44:36):
me be more solution oriented. So it doesn't like it's
that rejecting mind. I can't believe this is happening. This
can't be happening. How did this happen? Home and family
ended with the best ratings it ever had. Doesn't make
it any sense. I could dwell on that in spiral
and that doesn't do anybody any good. Or I could
just be like, all right, here we go, another challenge,
another opportunity for growth. Just really accept and from that

(44:58):
place of acceptance, it's very solution oriented. It widens your
scope of like what I can do now versus that
tight mind of rejection and like disbelief. We've got to
believe it. It's happening, accepted. So acceptance is a big
is a big beautiful but with a patient mind, like
a real, true, deep patient acceptance is what I practice.

Speaker 1 (45:18):
Do you still feel the pain though? Do you still
are you open to feeling the sadness and maybe rejection
or do you go straight to the solution.

Speaker 2 (45:27):
Well, I think it's a really good point that I
think people you know, like me and maybe a lot
of other people would tend to not really spend time
with the feeling. Like in other words, it's important to
notice it. All right, here we go. I've got like
that attachment, I've got that frustration, that disbelief, that fear,
that anxiety arising in my mind. It's just like a

(45:49):
cloud arising in the sky. In my mind, I realize
it comes and it can dissipate. It's there. I notice it,
you know, I spend time with it. I don't dwell
and let it grow. It's not like I say, sit
in it and like contemplate it and let it spiral.
But I know, I like, I definitely spend time being
aware like anger coming up in my mind, or like
craving attachment or whatever it is. Like you know, Mike

(46:12):
had some addictions and things like so I just like
I notice it, but I also know that it's separate
from me. It's just like I like, I love the
analogy of like a cloud arising in the skate in
my mind, clouds arise in the sky and they dissipate again.
Let it, let you know, let it be there. But
then I start to apply the opponent, like acceptance or
training in love and caring about others, getting my attention

(46:32):
on others.

Speaker 1 (46:33):
This is great. I have also suffered from addictions. If
you feel comfortable enough, this is a safe space. But
I'm approaching my six year sober birthday here on Tuesday.

Speaker 2 (46:53):
And congratulations, congratulations.

Speaker 1 (46:56):
Thank you. And it has been fucking tough, especially the
last couple of years of change in my life, of
a huge change. How long have you been sober? Would
you say you were an addict or.

Speaker 2 (47:09):
Yeah, you know, I I say that. I definitely say
that I have addictive personality and I definitely was addicted
to certain behaviors and substances back in the day. It's
a very gray area for me. Sometimes people get different
connotations of it. Yeah, for me, For me, it works.
I don't, I you know, I don't. I don't care

(47:29):
one way or the other if people can stayed that
or not. It's a dependency. We're going outside of ourselves
to try to make us feel better, and we go
when we get a little blip of relief or a
little blip of enjoyment, and it goes away, so we
go back to it for more, and then we go
back to it for more, and we go back and
it becomes like this dependency in this habit. So whatever

(47:51):
you want to call it, you can call it that.
It became unhealthy. And luckily it wasn't a huge deal
for me to stop, So I don't know if it
was really an addiction. I don't mind calling it one,
but uh yeah it's been it will be uh nineteen
years in September.

Speaker 1 (48:08):
Who yeah, yeah, like gradual relations.

Speaker 2 (48:12):
Thank you very much. Like it was actually the year
before I did Dancing with the Stars that I stopped
all mood altering substances and certain certain behaviors that were,
you know, not great.

Speaker 1 (48:27):
And I'm sure it was tempting though, right like when
you were in the height of stress to maybe I
mean for me at least when I'm really stressed, Like
of course, the first thing I turned to is how
can I numb? And right now it's productivity.

Speaker 2 (48:40):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, no exactly, And there's a million things
where people work out, you know, I you know, for me,
I you know, it's funny we're talking. So coffee is
something that I'm I'm definitely addicted to.

Speaker 1 (48:53):
Okay, that's socially acceptable.

Speaker 2 (48:55):
It's so successful and it's not going to ruin your
life most.

Speaker 1 (48:58):
Likely, no, reject it, but I don't think that's possible.

Speaker 2 (49:02):
Yeah, or snorted or something which would do the next level.
Who knows, but I I but I take breaks, like tomorrow,
Tomorrow morning is my first day for hopefully for sure,
two weeks, maybe longer. We'll be caffeine free for first
stretch because I I just like to balance my hormones,
do a reset. Also, just watch, you know, like like

(49:24):
we do in our journey of self growth. I like
to watch my mind watch my cravings. Just be able
to get through these cravings. We're not having to act
on them. For me, that's really empowering. I like to
do that. It's not going to be easy the first
couple of days.

Speaker 1 (49:37):
But have you ever done that?

Speaker 2 (49:39):
Okay, this is my last espression. I just finished.

Speaker 1 (49:42):
That's so sad. I'm sad for you.

Speaker 2 (49:44):
Thank you. Yeah, I'm sad.

Speaker 1 (49:46):
I mean you should just go buck wild and just
drink another one like tonight.

Speaker 2 (49:50):
Kidding by eleven pm.

Speaker 1 (49:55):
Yeah okay, Rapid Fire, are you ready?

Speaker 2 (49:57):
Yeah, let's hear it.

Speaker 1 (49:58):
You had a lot of fan questions as well. Okay,
who falls in love first? The pro dancer or the celebrity?
The celebrity is the voting system? Fair?

Speaker 2 (50:09):
I is the voting system fair?

Speaker 1 (50:12):
Rapid Fire? Yeah?

Speaker 2 (50:14):
You know, probably not? Probably not? Probably not?

Speaker 1 (50:18):
Yeah? Okay, Rapid Fire DWTS Fan Edition, Who would your
dream dancing partner be?

Speaker 2 (50:25):
Like?

Speaker 1 (50:25):
In general? Just anyone, oh, anyone in the world.

Speaker 2 (50:29):
Yeah, I'm just gonna go with this person that came
on this as what Ali Monica.

Speaker 1 (50:34):
Oh my god, you guys should do based on gh Yeah,
you should definitely do that. Okay, if you didn't get
edit to which pro would you want? Choose one? Karina Smirnov,
Cheryl Burke, Julianne Huff, Anna Trebunskaya, Kim Johnson aka Hershebek.

Speaker 2 (50:52):
Those are my choices, correct, Sorry.

Speaker 1 (50:56):
Karina, Cheryl, Julianne, Anya, Kim, you sure, yes, don't from
your fans. This is from your fans for you for sure? No,
I think you. No, you don't need to say that
because you're just talking to me.

Speaker 2 (51:10):
You're ridiculous. Here's the reasons why. Here's the reasons why.
I feel like our personalities job. I think we have
like very similar energy. We like also take it serious,
but not too serious totally. We've always had a good
time in it, like for sure, you, I mean, and
everybody else on that list I love. Don't get me wrong,
I really do. But if I were to fix somebody,

(51:31):
I pick you for sure, whether you're doing the interviewing
or not.

Speaker 1 (51:34):
Thank you. I'm flattered. Do you like the storyline between
Nina and Drew.

Speaker 2 (51:40):
I do so. Nina is a character on General Hospital.
For those that don't watch, we hate each other where
we like, we're absolute like enemies, and we have hate
sex and it's been fantastic.

Speaker 1 (51:51):
You may hate sex.

Speaker 2 (51:52):
It's just it's just like we don't like each other,
and then like whenever we start making out and then
have sex under the table, and then and now that
and now and now my character Drew is making out
with her daughter too, So I'm having sex with the
mom and making out with her daughter.

Speaker 1 (52:07):
And I think it's people hate me, crazy people. It's crazy.

Speaker 2 (52:12):
Yeah, I'm here for it. I'm all for it.

Speaker 1 (52:14):
I think it's fun.

Speaker 2 (52:16):
Stuff like that never in. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (52:20):
Do you like the storyline between Drew and Willow though
you meant Willow?

Speaker 2 (52:24):
Yeah, I love it. I think it's amazing. People around
the country are sending me hate messages on social media.
I'm going to have apples thrown at me in the supermarket,
and I think it's great. I love having a reaction.
I think Drew and Willow have a really cool dynamic.
Did I see it getting romantic? Not really. I love
that it has I think it's going to cause a

(52:46):
lot of drama and.

Speaker 1 (52:48):
People are throwing apples at you.

Speaker 2 (52:51):
Oh, I've had I've had some crazy stuff happened.

Speaker 1 (52:53):
Are you serious, Cameron.

Speaker 2 (52:54):
I've had I've had a bus in Columbus Avenue in
Manhattan pull across traffic, block traffic. The bus driver got
out and started yelling at me for my storyline.

Speaker 1 (53:03):
Stop and stop.

Speaker 2 (53:04):
That was not all my children. But yeah, I've had
question it. I've had people scream at me the top
of the lungs in a department store where the whole
place stops and looks at me, and like, I've had
like crazy stuff happen. Yeah, and that's happen.

Speaker 1 (53:18):
This is not real. It's not a reality show.

Speaker 2 (53:21):
Yeah, it's they take they think it's real, and that's
why we do it, and we love it. It's their
escape from realities. And I love that they're passionate about
this storyline. And just know Drew's a good guy. He's
just getting kind of caught up in the lust of
it all and the time.

Speaker 1 (53:36):
Yeah, I mean, I would definitely never go to a
grocery store with you. Okay, how many more years are
you doing? General Hospital?

Speaker 2 (53:45):
I just recently I think I can announce this. It's
just like weeks old. I signed for another three years
on General Hospital.

Speaker 1 (53:51):
Super good.

Speaker 2 (53:52):
Thank you so much.

Speaker 1 (53:53):
That's awesome. So who's the voice of the Bridge? Unbeat
the Bridge or new game show?

Speaker 2 (53:58):
One of the producers. That's so fantastic. You asked that,
and I got to remember her name. Oh my god,
I'm blanking. She's amazing. She's a great actress and comedian
and one of the producers a game show network. And
I think I don't know if they intended, but she
just started like putting her voice down as the voice
of the Bridge, and then they just kind of hired
her and later like laid it down in a sound booth,

(54:20):
and she's.

Speaker 1 (54:21):
To get paid for that voice. Do you know me
an Editor's neck of the woods? Like Editor lives there.
I'm from the Bay Area.

Speaker 2 (54:29):
Oh really? When I was there to do you know?

Speaker 1 (54:32):
I mean I live, I mean my family lists in
the Bay Area. Editor lives in the bar area. Did
you know that?

Speaker 2 (54:38):
I didn't know that. I was only up in the
Bay Area just for a little promo shoot, Like I
got it.

Speaker 1 (54:42):
So you don't really you don't shoot the show there?

Speaker 2 (54:45):
No, we shot it at CBS Radford.

Speaker 1 (54:48):
The power of the edit in green screens? What a
pop out? Okay?

Speaker 2 (54:51):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 (54:53):
Which one of the five kids from Wiliwonka do you
identify with? Most?

Speaker 2 (54:57):
Can I have their names?

Speaker 1 (54:58):
I don't even know how about uh, I've never seen it.

Speaker 2 (55:02):
Probably probably the one who just can't stop eating everything.

Speaker 1 (55:08):
Sure, we'll go with that one.

Speaker 2 (55:10):
Violent Beauregard or whatever her name is.

Speaker 1 (55:12):
WHOA Okay, why did all my children in General Hospital
miss the opportunity for Ryan Lavery to be Duke Lavery's son.

Speaker 2 (55:20):
Yeah, that's a good question. I always wanted that to
happen back in the day. I think, you know, the
different shows have different writers, right, and the different writers
create their own characters, and I think, I make up
this is my own strategy of philosophy. I think it's
hard for them to allow like a crossover between their
baby and have them actually be related to somebody else's baby.

(55:44):
And it's like they got to have control and possession
of their own kind of like interesting. I wonder if
that's it. I always thought it would be kind of cool.

Speaker 1 (55:52):
The writers have a lot of power actually, now that
I think about it, oh my god.

Speaker 2 (55:56):
Yeah, they they have a lot of power.

Speaker 1 (55:58):
Wow. Okay, a couple more. How did your family react
to your cancer scare?

Speaker 2 (56:05):
Yeah, it was really scary. It was the scariest, toughest
conversation that I've ever had to have with the kids.
And we we really prepared and I didn't, you know,
I didn't want to get emotional and scare of them
anymore than I waited till I had a lot of
information before I even told the kids. It was really
really hard and even remembering it sort of bringing up

(56:26):
emotions for me, just be seeing their faces, you know.
But you know, these conversations, you know, as I mentioned earlier,
I think about other families and other people having these
conversations and far worse, and they happen every day, multiple
times a day around the world. And it's just gott
to like send love and support for because it's a
horrible thing. It's a horrible, horrible, horrible thing to have

(56:47):
to do.

Speaker 1 (56:47):
Oh, I can't imagine. I can't imagine. Cameron, You're the best.
This was so fun. Please tell me about this Hallmark
Christmas movie that you've just finished shooting with Candace Cameron.

Speaker 2 (57:00):
Dancing with the Stars. Yeah, we haven't started shooting. We
start shooting at the end of August. We're busy August nineteen,
I got to keep a you know show, we're more
hustling out here.

Speaker 1 (57:10):
Oh my god, you're like the Lisa Renna but male version.
You're hus split. Like I just this is admirable, Like
I seriously, it is really thank you crazy.

Speaker 2 (57:23):
I really, I mean, I've been really lucky. The hosting
side of things and the acting side of things has
kept me very busy through the years. And yeah, I've
got another a great movie with great American family coming
up with Candace. She and I have known each other
a long time and we've talked about doing a movie
together for Oh you've never done one, never done one together,
and it'll be our first and that's it'll be great.
It's it sort of like merges two of people that

(57:46):
love these Christmas movies, the favorite concepts, and that is
weddings and Christmas. And it's really fun script. Candas has
got a really fun character and so do I and
I can't I can't wait for people to see it.

Speaker 1 (58:00):
Wow. Well, and then when does your game show or
it has premiered already, right.

Speaker 2 (58:05):
The game shows premiered on Game Show Network. It's going
through the whole summer week nights at eight or not.

Speaker 1 (58:12):
You love it?

Speaker 2 (58:12):
I love it. I love that show. I love I
love being a game show host. It's so me, I
mean from what you know of me, Like I'm always
like I'm just bammed. It's me get It's not like
one team pitted against the other. Now it's called beat
the Bridge, everybody. I hope you check it out. It's
just one team trying to accumulate as much money as
they can. So them all in with this team, you know,
just cheering them on. It's fun. It's the questions are

(58:35):
challenging but also relatable so people at home can play along.
And it's just a perfect fit for me. So it's
been really fun.

Speaker 1 (58:44):
I think it's probably also maybe refreshing out to have
to talk about like your fellow celebrity friends too, like
on et or something, you know what I mean, Like
it's this is it seems to be definitely a fit
for sure. Congratulations.

Speaker 2 (58:57):
I don't have to like interview you and ask you
about your divorce or about your personal issues.

Speaker 1 (59:05):
You know, yeah, like I have even me asking about
your life, Like it's just so hard because like it's
not normal. This is not normal, like we would be
catching up like friends, but instead I'm putting you on
blast like hello, listen.

Speaker 2 (59:21):
It's you do a great job, by the way, it
really is. It's part of the game. It's part of
the game. It's up to us what we want to
say and don't say.

Speaker 1 (59:27):
So there you. Thank you, great to see you, good
to see you, my friend, Thank you, bye bye. Thanks
so much for tuning in. You guys, please rate and
review this episode wherever you're listening, as it's essential for
keeping the podcast going strong. Your continued support is greatly appreciated,
and don't forget We're now releasing three episodes each week
on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Be sure to check out

(59:49):
the upcoming rewatch episode this Wednesday. Until next time, love
you all, Bye bye.