If there’s one thing you can be sure about Elvis Lopeti, it’s that he’s not shy about taking his shirt off – whether he’s on the beaches of Celebrity Treasure Island or anywhere else.
“Oh, yeah, I’m always top off,” he tells Woman’s Day, laughing. “I don’t care what I look like. I’m always being silly. Everyone’s like, ‘Elvis, oh, my gosh, you’re so confident!’ But I didn’t realise it was a thing to keep your shirt on. I thought this was normal!”
With a name like Elvis – yes, his mum named him after the legendary singer – the social media superstar and former member of Parris Goebel’s Royal Family dance crew was always destined for big things.
And while Elvis is winning fans the nation over for his bubbly personality, he admits he did think twice about appearing on Treasure Island for one very simple reason. “I mean, me, a celebrity?!” he chuckles. “I was shocked!”
But the 28-year-old was uniquely lucky in the sense that his best mate just happens to be CTI runner-up Lance Savali, so advice and tips were instantly on hand!
“He loved it,” says Elvis. “I watched the whole season with him in it and I was one of those people who was like, ‘This looks so easy – I can totally do that!’ I went in with confidence. It didn’t last long!
“But Lance just told me to have fun – and not to trust anyone! I went in with a strategy and pretty much instantly that was out the window because it’s chaos. I was just planning on being nice and cute!”
Lance, 30, who was pipped at the post in last year’s season by comedian Chris Parker, tells us that his advice to Elvis was to do what he needed to do to get through the tough conditions.
He says, “The new season is so different to ours, but I told Elvis, ‘Who gives a f**k? Just have fun and don’t be scared to throw people under a bus. At the end of the day, nobody will care.’ Watching him on the show is a crack-up. It’s funny hearing him being a bit catty in challenges. He’s spicy!”
It’s being nice and cute – and outrageously talented – that catapulted Elvis to TikTok stardom in 2020, when he and Lance lived together during lockdown.
“Before that, I was in the Royal Family for eight years and I took a lot of confidence from my time there. I even danced in Rihanna’s Fenty show in LA, which was incredible, and then I took that confidence to social media and made some funny videos on there. When lockdown hit, me and Lance did a series showing what we were up to – being silly, really – and that’s when things kind of took off.”
Lance says their friendship “popped off” while they were trapped in close quarters, but they are no longer flatmates. “Thank God!” he laughs. “I had to get him out of here! He’s the most annoying person in New Zealand. Nah, just joking!”
Although he’s full of positivity and confidence, and is often the one laughing loudest on Treasure Island, Elvis admits to some tough times on the show and says he even contemplated quitting.
“To be honest, I wanted to leave,” he confesses. “I just wanted to get off. There was so much backstabbing and lying going on. I understand it’s the game, but actually living it was so different.
“I don’t get treated like this at home. My friends and family don’t do this to me. I had to try to be a mean girl and that’s just not me. I struggled with that part of the show so much and it was getting too much for me.
“But then I remembered by reasons for being there – my charity Sisters United and for the representation. I had a little moment and then pushed through it. I knew I had to be there, so I had a little cry, wiped my tears away and said, ‘That’s enough now!'”
As for Elvis’ future post-Treasure Island, he says he’ll always return to his first love, dancing. He’s just left for an extended working trip to Europe and the US, where he’ll be until February next year.
“I’ll still be doing my videos and seeing how all of that goes,” he enthuses. “I had one dance that was viewed more than three million times, with people sharing it and copying the dance, which was so cool. I want to be something fun and positive on social media – and I just love dancing.” With or without a shirt.
“I was just planning on being nice and cute!”
But the 28-year-old was uniquely lucky in the sense that his best mate just happens to be CTI runner-up Lance Savali, so advice and tips were instantly on hand!
“He loved it,” says Elvis. “I watched the whole season with him in it and I was one of those people who was like, ‘This looks so easy – I can totally do that!’ I went in with confidence. It didn’t last long!
“But Lance just told me to have fun – and not to trust anyone! I went in with a strategy and pretty much instantly that was out the window because it’s chaos. I was just planning on being nice and cute!”
Lance, 30, who was pipped at the post in last year’s season by comedian Chris Parker, tells us that his advice to Elvis was to do what he needed to do to get through the tough conditions.
He says, “The new season is so different to ours, but I told Elvis, ‘Who gives a f**k? Just have fun and don’t be scared to throw people under a bus. At the end of the day, nobody will care.’ Watching him on the show is a crack-up. It’s funny hearing him being a bit catty in challenges. He’s spicy!”
With lockdown bestie Lance.
It’s being nice and cute – and outrageously talented – that catapulted Elvis to TikTok stardom in 2020, when he and Lance lived together during lockdown.
“Before that, I was in the Royal Family for eight years and I took a lot of confidence from my time there. I even danced in Rihanna’s Fenty show in LA, which was incredible, and then I took that confidence to social media and made some funny videos on there. When lockdown hit, me and Lance did a series showing what we were up to – being silly, really – and that’s when things kind of took off.”
Lance says their friendship “popped off” while they were trapped in close quarters, but they are no longer flatmates. “Thank God!” he laughs. “I had to get him out of here! He’s the most annoying person in New Zealand. Nah, just joking!”
Although he’s full of positivity and confidence, and is often the one laughing loudest on Treasure Island, Elvis admits to some tough times on the show and says he even contemplated quitting.
“I went in with confidence. It didn’t last long!”
“To be honest, I wanted to leave,” he confesses. “I just wanted to get off. There was so much backstabbing and lying going on. I understand it’s the game, but actually living it was so different.
“I don’t get treated like this at home. My friends and family don’t do this to me. I had to try to be a mean girl and that’s just not me. I struggled with that part of the show so much and it was getting too much for me.
“But then I remembered by reasons for being there – my charity Sisters United and for the representation. I had a little moment and then pushed through it. I knew I had to be there, so I had a little cry, wiped my tears away and said, ‘That’s enough now!'”
As for Elvis’ future post-Treasure Island, he says he’ll always return to his first love, dancing. He’s just left for an extended working trip to Europe and the US, where he’ll be until February next year.
Getting his groove on during a challenge.
“I’ll still be doing my videos and seeing how all of that goes,” he enthuses. “I had one dance that was viewed more than three million times, with people sharing it and copying the dance, which was so cool. I want to be something fun and positive on social media – and I just love dancing.” With or without a shirt.
