Billie Kay was interview this week by Chris Van Vliet. She talked about The IIconics breaking up, pursuing a singles career, how a classic movie inspired the IIconic pose, why meeting The Rock meant so much to her and more. Thanks to Chris Van Vliet for the transcription.
On The IIconics splitting up and pursuing a singles career: “I think we eventually do want to do some sort of singles career. I think that just all comes down to evolving as who we are, as Billie and Peyton and as The IIconics. So when that happens I think that we’ll both have so much fun doing that.”
How a classic movie influenced their IIconic pose: “It’s a funny story. Peyton and I always get inspired by stuff that we do in our real lives, movies that we’ve seen, inside jokes that we have or when we’re traveling together if something funny happens we always try to bring it into what we’re doing on TV just to make it more relatable and we love to make each other laugh. So we had be talking about the movie “10 Things I Hate About You” and when they’re at the party, I can’t remember his name but the model guy he puts his cup on the thing and does that pose. We were just joking about that and then one time we were at a live event and we used to always wear our merch shirts out to perform and we would cut them in funny way to make each other laugh. One time, Peyton cut it right up middle, so I cut hers right up the middle too. And then at the next TV taping, we had a promo that was playing on the TV and it came back to us and we did that pose. But we kind of did it subtly in our minds and when we got backstage Xavier Woods was like ‘no, you have to make this a thing! You should open up your shirts and pop your shoulders and hold it and everyone will love it’ and we were like ‘oh my goodness, yeah!’. So that’s how it started and it’s just become more obscene since then.”
Her opinion of Shawn Spears when he and Peyton Royce first started dating: “He’s an absolute sweetheart, and absolutely gem in my mind. We used to all travel together, it used to be us three. Same car and everything. He’s like my family too. They are just absolutely perfect for each other. I love them both with all my heart. He’s just an absolute sweetheart, I can’t talk highly enough about him.”
How she came up with the name “Billie Kay”: “Billie was always my number one name. When I was young, I want to say about 18, I wrote a list of names down that I wanted if I ever made it to WWE and Billie was always the first one. I loved it. I wanted a gender neutral name and Billie Piper from the UK, she’s a singer, made me love the name Billie for a girl. That was always my number one pick and I’m so thankful that they let me have that and even the spelling, the “I-E” at the end is exactly what I wanted. And for the last name, I think I suggested a couple but I’m glad that I got “Kay” because it is so close to my real last name.”
Check out the full interview below: