Everyone has that kooky aunt, the one who leaves lipstick smears on your cheek and five-dollar bills in your coat pocket. Everyone, it seems, including Pamela Anderson, who introduced the world to her hilarious Auntie Vie during her intro segment on Monday night’s Dancing With the Stars. “I started dancing when I was 3 years old and I still love to dance. I want Pamela to feel the same joy as I have,†Vie told the camera, doing a little twirl. We caught up with Auntie Vie in her home of Victoria, British Columbia, to talk more about her love of dancing and her influence on Pamela Anderson, the most downloaded woman in the world.
Did you ever think you’d be a celebrity in your own right?
No, never at my age, never in my lifetime!
Pamela said she was doing the show partly for you. How did that feel?
She’s very close to me. I had Pamela stay with me for a while after she graduated from high school, before she went to Hollywood. I’ve had all my nieces and nephews at one time stay with me. So that’s how it came about, sweetheart.
And did she get her love of dancing from you?
I love dancing, I used to lose five pounds a night dancing, but now I’ve got a heart condition and I can’t dance anymore. But I still just do it for fun in little bits.
What’s it like to be the aunt of someone so famous?
I’m very proud of her, I’ll tell you that, but I try not to treat her different from any of my other nieces and nephews. Some of them turned out to be air-traffic controllers, some are very well educated. And Pamela is just one. I’m like Jesus, I love them all.
Did you like how you looked on the show?
I think it turned out very nice, though I looked a little bit older on there than I do in person. They had such a close-up — oh my, nobody looks that good in a close-up.
How did you think Pamela did on Monday night?
I think she did wonderful. It was very sexy and very beautiful. I just loved her dancing, I could watch it all the time. That middle judge [Len Goodman], he is so mean. She worked so hard, her little feet were so swollen. You’d think that he could say something pleasant when she worked so hard. But the other judges, they were very nice, especially the girl.
Which of the other dancers did you enjoy?
Gee, honey, I didn’t know you were going to ask that question, so I didn’t prepare an answer.
That’s fine!
I had company in here, we were all watching it. We clapped our hands and gave Pamela a standing ovation in my living room! I did a little dance, too. I understand she’s going to be wearing a formal gown and her hair done up for next week. What channel is Jay Leno going to be on tonight, dear?
NBC.
Pamela is going to be on, and I have to watch. I liked the way her hair looked on Monday. One of the judges said her hair looked bushy, but I said, “That’s Pamela, that’s just the way she is!†I think she has a very cute personality, she’ll go a long way with this dancing.