Schoolteacher Sam Kelway was thrown in the deep end when he was crowned the winner of MTV’s VJ search, “Pick Me MTV”, but he definitely proved he’s got what it takes, reporting from the red carpet at the 2010 EMA Awards, and scoring interviews with the likes of Kings of Leon, Miley Cyrus and Dizzee Rascal.  We chat to Sam about what the whirlwind’s been like so far!

What’s life been like since you won Pick Me MTV?
Life has been really good; we mentioned we were from MTV to Michele the concierge working the LA to London route. She then booted us up to premium business on the way back, made me feel pretty good. But other than that keeping my feet firmly on the ground, and taking every opportunity that comes my way. 

What did you learn from the experience?
Gosh where do I start! I have been given the best job, and have learnt a lot about the industry and how to think on my feet. The biggest lesson is trying to clear your head and come across clearly, delivering specific detail. I tend to ramble a bit, so coming across strongly is really important. It has also shown me that if you want something bad enough, go for it! This has been something that has been in the back burner for a while now, and this little experience was the oxygen that I needed.

How was the experience of being on the red carpet at the MTV Europe Music Awards, were you nervous?
The red carpet was incredible, Jay’s prep talk was: “Don’t stuff this up”, so there was a bit of pressure to perform. However, I think having a mic in your hand is a bit like getting over that six beer hump, and you get a huge amount of adrenaline racing through your veins. In saying that, I was literally having a heart palpitation the whole time, and I don’t remember what I was saying, I just opened my mouth and stuff came out.

Who was your favourite celeb you got to interview?
KOL was massive, I couldn’t believe I firstly got their attention, but secondly had a really good chat. Miley Cyrus also really impressed me. She comes across a bit racy in all those video clips, and Hannah Montana drives me nuts, BUT she was super glamorous on the carpet, really friendly and had a really warm disposition.

How did your friends/family react when you won the competition?
My parents were really thrilled mum was ringing all the time asking about what I was up to and what was coming next. I have had so much amazing feedback, and everyone is really excited.

Who are your favourite bands/artists? Are there any celebrities you’d love to meet?
My favourite bands at the moment are Kings of Leon, Arcade Fire, Florence and the Machine, Mike Snow, Plan B. I have said this heaps before but meeting Snoop would be up there on the list, however you get really surprised by some artists when you chat to them like Miley Cyrus, she was really neat in the flesh!

Can you tell our readers what you’ll be up to in the next few months?
I am getting my itinerary on Monday, but heard through the grapevine that I will be presenting news for the next three months, covering Rhythm and Vines over the New Year period, and to-ing and fro-ing between Australia and New Zealand over the December and January period. So it’s a busy little schedule but it’s bound to be a box of laughs and a few late nights chucked into the mix.

Sam interviews Dizzee Rascal

Interviewing Miley Cyrus

Pauly D and Snooki

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