LIKE so many Aussies, Ash Edelman was expecting to pick up some casual work when he ventured to the UK on a two year visa.
Instead he’s ended up working as a male stripper and appears in a YouTube video that’s been seen by nearly nine million people.
“I never saw myself in this spot,” the 25-year-old said, adding of his dancing ability when he started with British male group, Forbidden Nights: “I’d trip over my own two feet. Now I pick everything up and it seems to be going well.”
Edelman, who grew up in Manly, moved to the UK at the end of last year and first landed a job as a host before becoming a full time member of the troupe, where his speciality is fire twirling.
The group appeared as contestants on Britain’s Got Talent last month in front of judges Simon Cowell, David Walliams, Alesha Dixon and Amanda Holden. The clip has had 8.75 million views on Youtube.
“It’s Magic Mike meets Cirque du Soleil,” explained Edelman, who works out twice a day and is also a boot camp personal trainer in Birmingham. “We’ve stepped away from the traditional male strippers. We show our arse but not the front. Basically most of our show is around our talent and our skill and the bonus to it is we are good looking lads who have good bodies.”
Forbidden Nights, which consists of four other chiselled blokes, are planning an Australian tour later this year.
“I think it’s time for a change and people are excited for it,” he said.For a record, Edelman has a girlfriend.
“She loves the job and loves the fact that I do what I do,” he said. The attention side of things can get a bit much at times. What keeps us strong is that we manage to separate personal life from this.”
Of attention from admirers, male and female, he said: “Once they get a bit of sauce in them, they do get a bit handsy. At the end of the day, male or female, gay or straight, black or white, we do the job because we love entertaining.”
