“THIS IS MY JUNE!” — Elvis Presley’s Secret Reaction to a “Win a Date With Elvis” Contest Left Everyone Stunned
What happens when the most desirable man in America is suddenly told he has to go on a date with a woman he never chose?
According to June Juanico’s account in Elvis and June, Elvis Presley was reportedly furious when he discovered that Colonel Tom Parker had approved a promotional “Win a Date With Elvis” contest without telling him until the very last moment. What followed was supposed to be a glamorous publicity event — but instead, it became an unforgettable night involving jealousy, reporters, cameras, a starving Elvis, a fainting fan, an unexpected friendship, and one revealing introduction that may say more about Elvis’s feelings than any carefully staged photograph ever could.
The contest was sponsored by an Atlanta radio station and a movie magazine. The lucky winner, Andrea June Stevens — known simply as June — was flown into watch Elvis perform from the wings. After the show, she was supposed to enjoy a romantic dinner with the King of Rock ’n’ Roll.
On paper, it sounded like every fan’s ultimate fantasy.
But Elvis apparently had a very different reaction.
As June’s account tells it, Elvis immediately worried about what kind of woman he was expected to meet. He had not agreed to the idea himself, and the sudden publicity surrounding the event reportedly irritated him.
And there was another person watching everything very closely.
June Juanico.
Rather than simply wondering who the contest winner was, June wanted to see Elvis’s reaction when he finally met her. She knew exactly how extraordinary Elvis’s position was. He was young, famous, handsome and arguably one of the most desired entertainers in America. How could anyone around him feel completely secure?
Then came the performance.
Because of the controversy surrounding Elvis’s stage movements, cameras and reporters were everywhere. Elvis reportedly restrained his famous movements and performed with considerably more control than usual. Yet according to June’s recollection, something happened near the end of the show that became a private joke among Elvis’s inner circle.
She believed she heard Elvis deliberately alter his famous “Thank you very much” into something much more provocative while looking toward the judge’s section.
Was it really what she thought she heard?
Or was it simply muffled sound, youthful rebellion and a little creative interpretation years later?
That question remains one of the most fascinating parts of the story.
But the night was far from over.
By the time Elvis and his date were finally ready for dinner, it was after midnight. The hotel dining room had already closed. Hungry and exhausted, Elvis reportedly ended up at a small 24-hour diner with his date, friends, photographers and reporters.
Instead of a glamorous candlelit meal, the supposed dream date watched Elvis devour two bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches while reading a newspaper left behind by another customer.
Hollywood romance?
Not exactly.
And then something happened that changed the entire atmosphere.
Elvis encountered a young female fan who became overwhelmed upon seeing him and fainted. According to June’s account, Elvis immediately stopped and carried the girl to a nearby sofa, staying with her and holding her hand until she recovered.
That moment showed a completely different side of the superstar: not the rebellious performer, not the controversial celebrity, but the gentleman his friends remembered.
Eventually, Elvis tried to make up for the disastrous dinner by inviting everyone to a party in the hotel lounge.
And this is where the story takes its most intriguing turn.
June Juanico had decided to stay behind.
She apparently didn’t want to interfere with Elvis’s publicity date. But Elvis noticed her absence.
He called her room.
And his message was unmistakable: Come downstairs.
According to the memoir account, Elvis told her that his date wanted to meet her and even emphasized that the Colonel and reporters were no longer around.
When June finally arrived, Elvis personally met her at the lounge door and took her by the hand.
Then he introduced the two women.
“This is my June.”
Those four words became the emotional centerpiece of the entire story.
Because Andrea June Stevens reportedly understood something immediately.
She had spent the evening with Elvis. She had seen the cameras, the attention and the publicity. But she had also heard Elvis talk about June Juanico.
And what she reportedly told June Juanico was extraordinary: she believed Elvis was in love with her.
June tried to dismiss it, insisting that she and Elvis were simply close friends.
But Andrea allegedly wasn’t convinced.
She told June that Elvis had spoken about her beauty — but not merely her physical appearance. According to the account, he had described June as beautiful on the inside as well.
That detail is especially powerful because it suggests something beyond the superficial world surrounding Elvis Presley.
For one night, the “Win a Date With Elvis” contest was supposed to create a fantasy for one lucky woman.
Instead, it may have unintentionally revealed who Elvis himself wanted beside him.
And Andrea June Stevens apparently wasn’t bitter.
Rather than becoming a rival, she and June Juanico reportedly became friends. They exchanged addresses and remained in contact for years.
But Elvis himself was apparently less than impressed with the entire experience.
After the party, exhausted from an intense run of performances, he reportedly vowed never to participate in another contest like it again.
The pressure of eight consecutive days of performances was beginning to show. He was exhausted, hungry and barely able to make it down the hotel hallway without stumbling.
Yet the next day, the mood had completely changed.
At lunch, Elvis was reportedly back to his playful self. When he saw the menu, he joked about being tired of eggs and ordered a club sandwich — along with an enormous assortment of ice cream.
The waitress reportedly said there were 28 flavors.
Elvis wanted all of them.
It was one of those bizarre, funny, very Elvis moments that could never have been scripted.
But the controversy surrounding the previous night’s performance wasn’t finished.
At his final show, Elvis reportedly decided to loosen up completely.
The rebellious performer came roaring back.
And once again, June remembered hearing a deliberately muffled version of his famous closing phrase.
Was Elvis really sending a hidden message to the judge?
Was it an act of defiance?
Was it simply a private joke shared among his closest friends?
Or has the story become larger with every retelling?
That is the question Elvis fans are still debating.
What makes this story so fascinating isn’t merely the supposed “F-you very much” moment.
It is the contrast.
Onstage, Elvis was the controversial young rebel who could provoke an entire audience with a single movement.
Offstage, he was apparently exhausted, playful, protective of his friends, kind toward a fainting fan — and deeply interested in making sure June Juanico was part of the night.
And perhaps the most revealing moment wasn’t onstage at all.
It was when Elvis looked around the crowded lounge and asked:
“Where’s June?”
Then he called her.
He wanted her there.
And when she arrived, he proudly introduced her as “my June.”
For Elvis fans, that simple phrase may be more memorable than any publicity stunt.
Because sometimes, the most revealing moments in the Presley story aren’t the ones captured by cameras.
They’re the moments that happened when the cameras weren’t supposed to be watching.
So now comes the question:
Did Elvis really make that rebellious gesture toward the judge — or was the story embellished over time?
And even more importantly…
When Elvis called June and insisted that she come downstairs, was he simply inviting a close friend — or was Andrea June Stevens right when she concluded that Elvis Presley was in love with “his June”?
The answer may depend on how much weight you place on one person’s recollection.
But one thing is certain: this extraordinary night turned a publicity stunt into a story about jealousy, friendship, exhaustion, rebellion — and perhaps a glimpse of the private Elvis that the public rarely saw.
