American So You Think You Can Dance judge Mary Murphy is taking time out from auditioning season four of the US comp with the show's executive producer Nigel Lythgoe, to fly in for a big weekend in Sydney, guest-judging our top 16 and enjoying the Mardi Gras festivities. Just don't expect her to go bungee jumping, as she told Deb Grunfeld.

I hear you're coming here!
I know, I can't wait. I'm crossing my fingers that I'm not going to be too jet-lagged because I do have a few days off and it's Mardi Gras. I mean, it's going to be crazy! I might have to break down and drink coffee for the first time in my life. People think that I do drink coffee because I'm always, you know, kind of up but trust me, I don't need caffeine in my life. I haven't been to Australia in, geez, 10 years. I went to the Gold Coast. Of course I was a little crazy and did my first and only bungee jump. They misjudged. I was over the ocean. I wasn't supposed to hit the water but I hit full blast and got two black eyes [laughs]. It's those kind of things that give you the stories of your life [laughs].

So there's no artificial stimulants? You're just naturally like that?
Honestly I think that's part of the reason I do have such get up and go is because I never got addicted to any coffee or tea or anything like that. Some of my friends, you can't even talk to them till it's 12 noon.

Have you always been a screamer?
I don't know if I've always been a screamer but I've had this laugh my entire life. I have my mother's laugh. And growing up, I'm a very big football fan and so I scream bloody murder at games. I do have the kind of voice that seems to just pierce through air [laughs].

Have you been reported to the RSPCA for causing dogs pain?
[laughs] I don't know but I have a feeling Nigel's going to be suffering in the near future from hearing loss. This last weekend, in Washington DC, he was covering his ears up and I took his hand off his ear and screamed right in it. He'll be without hearing pretty soon.

Will we see you dance on the show?
I was kind of up for it last year but I had some health issues. I was very close to the fires in San Diego and I now have asthma. Last week I had a serious attack, I thought I was having a heart attack [laughs] but it turns out I was having an asthma attack and I've never had one before. When I evacuated from the San Diego fires, fine ash was falling inside my house. I couldn't even breathe. I got in my car and I drove to my manager's house in Los Angeles. If you live in the US that's weird if you're going to LA for fresh air [laughs].

Are you an always made-up kind of girl or trakkie daks at home?
When I'm at home I'm usually running around in Ohio State [American football team] colours. All red with an Ohio State T-shirt [laughs]. My dad graduated from Ohio State. When I go out I try to look nice. I'd rather my fans walk away saying, "Man, she looks better in person, doesn't she?" I'd hate to have anybody say, "Man, she doesn't look as good as she does on TV."

Who has been your favourite dancer on the US series?
Out of all three years? That's a tough one. I have to say, not that he's the best dancer, but the kid I fell in love with the most was Ivan. When we had the discussion about who is going in our top 20 I was adamant against Ivan, I thought he would be knocked out first round ... I think it was the fourth week he did a contemporary with Alison and it's the first time a performance made me cry. That's why I called him Seabiscuit because he was like a horse that was never gonna make it but just keeps coming back. He turned me all the way around.

Pets?
I lost probably the biggest love of my life last year. I had my dog, Cha Cha, for 16 and a half years. She was a black and white mini schnauzer and she's still on my MySpace. And even now when I come home I still think I'm going to see her. She went to the dance studio with me every single day. So it was a tough year last year. She was so cute.

Your weaknesses?
I am one strange bird up there in Hollywood. You know, my mother was born in Dublin. I'm an Irish Catholic, I've been having meat and potatoes my whole life. I try to stay away from desserts, I have such a sweet tooth, oh my gosh, I can hardly pass a choc chip cookie. If they're hot, look out. There's no way I can say "no." You never know what's going to happen in your life, so if the cookie happens to come by my face, I'm going to enjoy [laughs]. I'm certainly not Hollywood thin, that's for sure, they're all like size 0 and 2. It's hard for me to even find clothes in Los Angeles [laughs].

It's not a real world is it?
It's not, it's really not. Of course television puts 10 or 15 pounds on you so if you see some of those girls up close you'd say, "Oh my word. If I sat on you I'd probably kill ya."