New Zealand comedian James Mustapic Photo: Dean Purcell
Kiwi comedian James Mustapic is feeling quite chuffed with the "lovely" tan he's acquired this summer (while wearing SPF50+ sunscreen).
"Those people who are like 'I actually prefer winter', you're not quirky, okay, you're just annoying," the Celebrity Treasure Island winner tells Susana Lei'ataua.
For James, the song that most says 'summer' is 'Dreams in My Head' by Anika Moa.
"When I was a kid, I was a big, big fan of NZ music ... and my mum got me the Anika Moa In Swings The Tide CD for Christmas. We always played on car trips and things like that so it just reminds me of summer.
"Beautiful talent, such a good album. I highly recommend anyone go and listen to it."
This summer, over New Year's Eve, he and his mum Janet visited his uncle in Northland's Taipa Bay.
For the three-day trip, he says she packed five pairs of "standard black shoes" while he brought a 23kg suitcase.
"I've got to have some extravagant outfits because I'm the most flamboyant one in the family so I've got to go to delight, got to surprise.
"On New Years, it was a sparkly outfit – a two-piece – and then a necklace, as well."
James says he's taken to shopping in the women's section since last year when he had to find cool clothes in the colour purple – his team colour on the most recent series of Celebrity Treasure Island.
"After I got back from the island I started thinking well, I can pull these off, these are fun to wear. That kind of started me on my journey of exploring fashion. I haven't gotten to heels or dresses but you never know what 2024 might bring."
This March, he and his mum will star in the TVNZ show James Must-a-Pic His Mum A New Man (which is about finding her a boyfriend) and ahead of that he'll perform a few live comedy shows around Aotearoa.
"It's quite good because then I get a little trip away, stay in a hotel, get to relax but also the trip is tax-deductible 'cause it's for work so it's kind of a win-win situation."
