David Correos has always had a love for chaos. Known for his outrageous comedy and fearless performance, the 33-year-old built his career by pushing boundaries. It’s an approach to life that, as a child, made him feel like an outsider.
“Now I realise I was just trying to connect with people,” he reflects.
“My biggest challenge is trying to become more comfortable with who I am. I was really sensitive growing up – I took a lot of things personally in terms of bullying and it made me feel like I didn’t fit in. “It wasn’t until I found stand-up that I had that twinkling of, ‘I actually love this.’”
The performances in his early years were alcohol-fuelled antics, with his stunts becoming more and more outlandish.
“I had reached this point of extremes with chaos,” he explains.
“When you’re in that place, you don’t know where to take it next – you have to look yourself in the eyes and say, ‘What’s actually going on here?’”
When drinking started to impact his craft
He toned down his act, but didn’t cut the alcohol, and admits that he would often slur his words and “didn’t know how to keep on topic”.
His reckoning came in 2019 while performing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, when he realised his relationship with drinking was hurting, not helping him. While David is a silly man by nature, he is deadly serious when it comes to his art and eventually the pressure of feeling that he wasn’t giving his best became too much.
“I ended up having a breakdown on stage while one of the biggest reviewers of the festival was in the audience,” he recalls.
“The show was supposed to be an hour, but at 27 minutes, it ended with me saying, ‘I’m so sorry about the show – this is so bad.’”
The night everything unravelled on stage
As expected, he received a one-star review, but the surprisingly positive write-up was the turning point that saw him ban booze.
“The review read like a pat on the back and a pick-me-up – she really liked me,” he tells.
“She is a savage reviewer, so it made me think, ‘There’s something here.’ “I realised I needed to go on a journey to figure out who I am. Now I don’t drink and I’m a massive nerd for stand-up.”
Stepping into the world of reality TV
This path of self-discovery has led him to a place he’d never imagined he would venture: competing on the new season of Celebrity Treasure Island. In the past, David had never considered appearing on any reality TV show, as the prospect of showing his serious side was too daunting. Now, though, he’s ready for the challenge.
“I’m a lot more comfortable with who I am to be able to play a game like this,” he says.
“But I’m very scared about leaning into the drama and seeing where I fit into that because that’s a very mysterious place for me. Knowing there are going to be mics and the camera on the whole time,
it’s very scary.”
Facing fears beyond the stage
As a former weightlifter, David is prepared for the gruelling physical challenges. But his greatest asset will be his ability to consume whatever bland or disgusting foods he needs to win.
“I eat a lot of stuff on stage,” he confides.
“I did this bit recently where I reviewed pet food.”
It will put him in good standing to take out the $100,000 charity prize. As a proud Garden City boy, David’s fight for the Christchurch City Missionis personal.
“I’m from Christchurch and I wanted to pick a charity where I could give back to my community. To know that I’m making an impact somewhere, that means a lot to me,” he says.
Celebrity Treasure Island screens Monday-Wednesday at 7.30pm on TVNZ 2 and TVNZ +.
