After making it to the final five onThe X Factor NZ, Invercargill teacher Steve Broad was eliminated from the hit TV3 reality series last night. The 29-year-old talks to Woman’s Day about choking on stage, his friendship with mentor Melanie Blatt, his crush from The Bachelor NZ and how his time on NZ Idol almost made him give up music.
How are you feeling after last night’s elimination?
Steve: All good! I’m really proud of how I performed last night. I ended it on a high note. It was obvious I wasn’t going to beat [Stevie] Tonks, so I knew it would be the last time I sang on that stage and I really feel I did myself proud. I feel I smashed it out of the park. It’s the perfect end to it. Mel and I left on a real high.
There has been talk that you weren’t trying in recent weeks. Had you given up?
Steve: The most disappointing thing is when people say I’d given up. It’s not in my nature to give up. I was giving it everything I had. There was a frustration that I knew I wasn’t delivering what I truly knew I could. But there was a realisation that the X Factor forum wasn’t necessarily a forum in which I could deliver my best work. I came to a real peace about the fact that my personality type and the way that I perform meant I was never going to be at my absolute best on the show. I wasn’t feeling defeated, but I was feeling deflated getting up each week to take the hit from the judges.
What were the best and worst things about your time on The X Factor?
Steve: There were so many good things! Performing at Vector Arena – that was my favourite performance by far. Going to Thailand. Meeting Ed Sheeran and Demi Lovato. The people were everything – the contestants, the crew and the judges. The experience has been an absolute blast, even if it didn’t go exactly to plan the whole time. I wouldn’t change a thing, except maybe that time I had severe diarrhoea backstage. That was pretty violent.
How did The X Factor NZ compare to NZ Idol?
Steve: Sadly, there were moments this time when those old negative thoughts crept back on my shoulder. I’d think, “This is the same journey, man. You started out good and now you’re choking.” But the difference is self-belief. I’ve come away extremely proud of myself. This experience was far more brutal, but I was far more experienced to deal with it. It showed me how much I’ve grown not just as a performer but as a person.
You came third on NZ Idol back in 2005. How do you look back on that time?
Steve: I was a fresh, raw 19-year-old. Those two minutes on stage each week were crippling for me. I didn’t know what I was doing. I wasn’t raised in a musical family and my seventh-form production was the first time anyone had ever heard me singing. I was quite a naïve, young thing and I was just giving it a go on NZ Idol. I didn’t expect to make it past the first couple of rounds and then it snowballed – I was standing in front of the whole country, being told week after week that I needed to leave, that I wasn’t good enough to be there.
How did that constant criticism feel?
Steve: It was a huge shock to the system. I was doing it because I loved to sing and then to be slagged off … Each week, I’d get up there to try to redeem myself and I would choke again. It was a self-fulfilling prophecy. But I don’t regret any of it. I grew up really quick and I met some amazing people. I learnt so much about my work and who I was as a person – what I was good at, what I was not so good at and what kind of talent I had – but it was hard kind of figuring that out in front a million people.
Did your experience on Idol put you off showbiz?
Steve: Yeah. There was a lot of work that came after Idol, like festivals, corporate stuff and church gigs. But every performance was about trying to redeem myself, trying to prove I could sing, so there was no enjoyment in it, no passion. It was a fight constantly to trying to convince people I did have a voice and a talent. Eventually I got asked to do Christchurch’s Christmas in the Park in 2007 and that had always been a bucket-list thing for me. I decided that was going to be a cool moment to throw it in the can. From there, I moved to Auckland and got back into studying. After five years, I moved back to Invercargill to finish off my teaching degree and I got a great job at a great school.
So what made you audition for The X Factor NZ?
Steve: Over the last two years, I’ve just kind of gotten back into music. I got asked to audition for Grease and I said, “Nah, not a chance,” but a great director inspired me to give it a go. I left that show really proud of myself. When X Factor came along, I trusted myself and my voice enough to stand on the stage and deliver what I knew I could. It was a massive risk getting back on the stage. I knew I could repeat Idol and absolutely choke again. It took massive guts to stand up on stage again. I knew that people were going to go, “He’s been on Idol– he’s had his shot!” but I had to take that risk. It was probably the scariest moment of my life, but I knew that I had to do it.
Will we see you on the next reality singing competition too?
Steve: No! I came back to redeem myself after 10 years. I truly don’t think there’s anything left for me to prove. No, I wouldn’t do Dancing with the Stars. You’ve seen me dance on TV – that’s not going to happen! I’m just going to take what the show’s given me, the platform and the exposure, and see what I can do with it. Music is what I love to do. I’ve always loved teaching, but the next six months are really important for me as an artist. I’ve got to make the most of it.
Will you keep in touch with Mel?
Steve: I’ll always have some good banter with the Blatt! You could see on the show that we have very different tastes in music and Mel couldn’t always see the artist I wanted to be, so I don’t know what part she’ll play in my future singing career. But she’s been a great friend and supportive, so we’ll stay in touch on that level. I’ll absolutely go party with her in Ibiza one day. If she’s doing a sweet DJ set, I’ll be on a table dancing next to her.
How’s the love life?
Steve: Didn’t you see I got engaged to Mel on the show last night?! Nah, I’m single. I’m looking for someone who knows who they are and has a strong sense of self. Someone that I can connect with. I’m very relaxed about it. It will happen when it happens. Music is my focus at the moment.
Are you romantic?
Steve: I write love songs. I’m a beautiful writer. Once I had a girl that loved this song, “Your Song by Elton John, so I did a recording of it on the piano and gave it to her. It was her song.
Which girl from The Bachelor NZ is your favourite?
Steve: I feel awful about it. Alysha’s from Invercargill and she’s great – I wish her all the best. And Dani seems like a cool girl, a real firecracker – I love a sense of humour. But I’m Team Matilda all the way. She’s my homegirl! She stole my heart.
