CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte local Dasja Johnson is a woman who wears many hats - a former Carolina Panthers cheerleader, a data processing specialist and a part-time Charlotte Hornets cheerleader - among other hobbies and side gigs.
"I've done a lot and so much variety. I love being busy," Johnson told WCNC Charlotte.
Now, 27-year-old Johnson has another hat to wear...or, more like a claim to fame - as a cast member on Love Island USA. Set in Fiji, the show brings a group of singles searching for love together in a tropical villa. What follows is temptations, challenges and competition.
Fans of the popular dating competition show should be quite familiar with the week of "Casa Amor," when the show really mixes things, and people, up, forcing the islanders to split up and testing the new couples' loyalty.
Johnson joined Peacock's Love Island USA a few weeks ago as one of the 12 "bombshells" during the week of "Casa Amor."
Johnson was born in Harrells, North Carolina but now lives in Charlotte. She has been a successful cheerleader since she was very young and still cheers for the Charlotte Hornets.
WCNC Charlotte spoke with Johnson about her experience on Love Island USA.
Already a fan of the show, Johnson applied for the new season because she said she had nothing to lose.
"I am single and I love to have a good time...So I applied," Johnson said.
What is the selection process for Love Island USA?
The application process is both long and uncertain. If you aren't an "OG" cast member, it can turn into a waiting game.
Johnson said that she had to go through six interviews over the course of several months. She found out a few weeks before the show that she would be on it, but did not know when or what her role would be until a few days before she left for Fiji.
The unknown didn't stop Johnson from planning! When the show's producers told her that she would be leaving for Fiji to be on the show in a matter of days, Johnson was ready. She had three suitcases already packed with enough clothes (especially swimwear) to last her six weeks.
Were you excited to be on the show and have that experience?
"I was super excited," Johnson said. "It felt like a dream. And honestly, I'm just so happy that it happened the way it did. I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. And I stay true to God's timing. So I was happy
with everything."
Although Johnson's time on Love Island USA wasn't as long as she would have liked, she only has positive things to say about the experience, mainly the instant connections that she made with other female cast members.
"I love those girls to death," Johnson said. "And they will forever be there in my life."
As a "bombshell" in the Casa Amor episodes, did you go into the villa with your eye on a particular guy?
Since Johnson had already been watching Love Island USA in almost real-time, she made a "list" of guys who she would want to get to know as a new cast member. She was mainly interested in Mike and Jonah, but she kept the list to herself and went in with an open mind.
"Whenever I first walked in there, you know, you kind of gotta give it some little air room because you just never know what's gonna happen," said Johnson. "But yes, Mike was on my list. And then I had Jonah on my list as well, because Johan
has an amazing personality. And Mike, he's this, you know, very, he's really good with his with communicating how he feels. And I love that about him. And we just have so much in common."
Were you surprised when Mike didn't pick you at the Casa Amor recoupling?
Johnson approached the Casa Amor recoupling with a pragmatic outlook. She knew that there was a decent chance that Mike would pick her, but also understood that he was interested in another cast member.
"Honestly, I kind of had an idea...our fate was decent, 50%. I kind of felt like he was, but
then again, I kind of felt like he wasn't because that day of the recoupling, we didn't really
speak much," Johnson said.
Do you like how the show plays out in almost real-time, with one or two days between filming and airing?
"I personally think that it was the best, like the way they have it."
"Because you get to see like, our personalities, you really get to see who we truly are because it is not scripted," Johnson added. "These conversations actually happen, you know, and those feelings, that your feelings or person are actually there. "
Johnson's time may not have been as long as she would have liked, but she feels like she found her "niche" from the experience.
We have a feeling that we will be seeing much more of this charming Charlottean in the near future!