This week, for the very first time, the cast from the hit show iCarly meets the cast from the all-singing and all-dancing Victorious for a one-off TV special. We caught up with Victorious star Ariana Grande to find out more about iParty with Victorious.

Tell us a bit about iParty with Victorious!

Well, it is very exciting because of both the iCarly and Victorious cast coming together but, also, because it was a really fun time. We had to shoot it in a period of three weeks and it was really fun. I loved the iCarly kids before. I was already really good friends with Jeannette and Miranda and I love Jerry Trainor so much. So, just getting to spend all that time together in a big group was amazing. It was the most fun I’ve had in my whole life.

What was it like blending the two Nick shows?

It wasn’t difficult blending the shows. It was difficult paying attention to anything! Everyone was so funny. I had never worked with Jerry Trainor before and just watching him work was so much fun. I was, like, how are they doing it? How are they possibly staying in character? He is, actually, the funniest person I have ever encountered in my entire life.

What is Cat’s role in the show?

Cat has lost her voice in the show, kind of like I have today, although hers is a bit more severe. She has vocal nodules in the show and she uses a head band with a speaker on it to talk and an iPhone app to say everything she wants to say. It’s pretty funny. It was certainly a very different way to act.

You’ve played Cat since Victorious started – how has she changed?

In season two, which you guys have now, she is a little bit different but I still think Cat is always the same at heart. I think the beautiful thing about Cat is she doesn’t judge anyone and she is not afraid of being judged. She’s just very optimistic and childlike and I love playing that. I love playing her because I get to feel free. It’s like my escape playing her.

What elements of yourself do you put into Cat?

Whenever I am at the Nickelodeon studios I am pretty much always Cat. I always try to stay in the realm of Cat. I usually try to honour that I’m kind of outgoing and fun and whenever I am about to play Cat or film anything I try to act like her, but a little bit like myself as well.

What advice would you give to kids who want to be an actor?

I would say to not be discouraged by any of the bad feedback you may get from casting directors or anyone. There are such silly reasons why you won’t get cast for roles. I mean, if you audition for something and don’t get the part, the worst thing you could do is take it personally or give up on yourself. There was a role I went for that was a cartoon and they said the character needs to have a voice like Christina Aguilera and has red hair and is funny and silly, and I didn’t get it because I was too short or something silly like that. Often it’s the most ridiculous thing in the world and you can’t take it too seriously. That’s the best thing I have learned. I used to get a little upset and take it personally, but you just can’t.