While gearing up for Dancing With The Stars back in April, software developer and reality star Alex Vaz told Woman’s Day, “Hopefully I can woo girls with lovely dance moves one day!”
The 28-year-old South African-born Kiwi was feeling “love burnout” following two mentally taxing attempts at finding “the one” on Heartbreak Island and then The Bachelorette NZ, so while he joked about tangoing his way into women’s hearts, romance wasn’t on his radar.
Yet when he woke up the morning after being eliminated and knew he wouldn’t be seeing dance partner Brittany Coleman that day, Vaz grasped what a spellbinding bond dance had brought into his life.
“Realising we no longer had excuses to hang out was the hardest part of the show,” Vaz reflects.
“Without rehearsals after work, I suddenly stopped seeing Brittany. All of a sudden, I realised how much I’d miss her. After work, all I wanted was to dance with her.”
The pair couldn’t deny their DWTS chemistry.
Luckily, he got his wish – the pair were brought back into the series after fellow competitor Eric Murray dropped out after catching COVID.
Finishing in fourth place was a high for both Vaz and Whangaparāoa babe Brittany, who began dancing at four, then competing with older brother Brad at eight.
Seventeen years later, the siblings continue competing together and both joined DWTS, with Brad winning the latest season alongside influencer Jazz Thornton.
It was Brad who brought Vaz and Brittany closer together. “Straightaway, Alex got on really well with my brother,” recalls Brittany, 24.
Brittany’s bro Brad (left) approves)
While Vaz instantly found Brittany attractive and confesses that rehearsing with her grew to become the highlight of his day, romance didn’t cross his mind since she had a boyfriend.
“And we got into dancing so quickly that I didn’t lookat her in that light, particularly because she was teaching me,” he says. “I was so focused and didn’t have time to think, ‘Would she go on a date with me if she was single?’
“But we did bond over the pressure we were under. My DWTS ride wasn’t easy. We were in the bottom two every week, so we really had to build each other up. She became a good friend while we supported each other through ups and downs. Like I said on the show, she’s like a sister or best friend.”
And while everyone from Vaz’s barber noticed a spark and DWTS fans created an Instagram account dedicated to the pair’s suspected romance, there were moments when the thought couldn’t have been further from their minds.
“We went through a period where I was definitely not interested in Brit,” Vaz laughs. “We came off doing what I thought was our best dance yet and she goes, ‘Why did you forget that move?’ I was so upset she didn’t say, ‘Well done’, and left without saying goodbye.
“But we talked the next day and she apologised. She said, ‘I’ve been too competitive. I see you like I see Brad and that’s what I would’ve said to him.'”
Despite the hiccup, it was Brittany who helped Vaz avoid the mental turmoil he faced with Heartbreak Island – having no one to confide in, getting his heart broken, then experiencing post-show blues.
He explains, “I enjoyed this more because as difficult as it was with self-doubt creeping in before each dance, once I was out there, it was one of the most magical things I’ve done in my life. Training every day after work was difficult, but Brit made it fun.
“And when we were brought back, I appreciated everything worlds more than before. I still didn’t think I like-liked her, but I knew I had a best friend I really cared about. Then we made it to the finale and that dance meant so much to me. I realised I really, really liked this girl!”
Given the heartbreak he’d faced following previous reality TV stints, Vaz didn’t want to rush in. “I wanted to make sure it wasn’t just the high from the show telling us we had this great bond that wasn’t there when the cameras and lights went away.
“The difference with DWTS was we went home, lived our lives, then came back, so we weren’t having a fake story choreographed around us. It was everyday life. We saw the good and bad with each other – a contrast to dating shows.”
“At one point, I went in terribly sick with no makeup and half a tan coming off,” adds Brittany, who’s also a school teacher. “I figured if he still likes me after that, I must be alright!”
Meanwhile, Brittany’s relationship with her ex, which began breaking down earlier in the year, officially ended.
“Before the show even started, we sold our home because our relationship wasn’t working,” she shares. “I knew spending time away from him during the show would either help or end our relationship and, by the end, we both realised it still wasn’t working.”
New love was the last thing Brittany was looking for post-split. However, as Vaz and Brad continued their “bromance” following DWTS, she increasingly tagged along. Vaz also dragged her to the gym and they continued dancing.
Within weeks, Brittany realised she had developed romantic feelings for Vaz and the pair enjoyed a fancy $300 dinner date. But the two don’t recall when they officially became an item, noting they’ve been dating for several months and have still never “slapped a label” on their status.
As for what Brad thinks about his sister and buddy becoming an item, Brittany says he’s simply “glad his sister’s with someone awesome”.
The time the trio spent together post-DWTS also helped Vaz avoid the lows he battled following previous reality shows. He tells, “There’s usually this void to fill, but hanging with Brad and Brit helped me readjust to life.”
The couple continue dancing together, have enjoyed a fun escape to Kerre Woodham’s Opononi retreat and also travel to Brittany’s dance competitions, like the recent 2022 NZ Open Dance Championship, where she and Brad placed second in two divisions.
The DWTS siblings still compete together.
While they don’t rule out marriage, for now, they’re taking things as they come.
“I truly love the girl!” gushes Vaz. “I’ve never gotten along with someone so well. I’m not like, ‘I’m gonna marry her’, but we laugh about it and have no plans of ending this in the next 100 years. It’s funny – you can try twice on dating shows and get nowhere, then join a dancing show and find the love of your life!”
