NBCU’s streaming service Peacock might have perfected the ultimate “Real Housewives” show with “The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Ex-Wives Club.”
Technically the second season of “Girls Trip,” the newest installment stars former “Housewives” who famously exited their cities: “Atlanta’s” Phaedra Parks and Eva Marcille Sterling, “Beverly Hills’” “New York’s” Dorinda Medley and Jill Zarin, “Orange County’s” Vicki Guvulson and Tamra Judge, as well as “Beverly Hills’” Taylor Armstrong and Brandi Glanville.
Glanville is a fan of the franchise overall and she was excited to return to the family to take part in the current “Ex-Wives Club” season, telling TheWrap in a new interview that “it was just like what ‘Housewives’ used to feel like.”
In our Q&A with the reality star, Glanville also discussed how she felt going into a house with women she’d never met and her dream cast for a future installment.
TheWrap: You have appeared on ‘Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’ as a ‘friend of’ since your Season 5 departure. How did you feel about coming back as a ‘Housewife’ to a spinoff of the franchise?
Brandi Glanville: Well, I felt like [Bravo] had me back so much. I kind of feel like I almost never left. Every season since I did leave they had me come back for a few days here and there. So it was kind of like a side hustle a little bit. But when I got the call from Andy [Cohen] — I had a few missed calls because I was on a plane and I for sure thought I was in trouble. Typically he only calls when I’m in trouble for the most part. I was like ‘Uh-oh, what did I do now?’ And he was like ‘I have something for you’ and I was like ‘You do?’ He was like, ‘Would you want to do it? You know, eight days, mash-up like the ‘Ultimate Girls.’ You know, they did the first one. This is going to be similar, but it’s all girls who are not on the show anymore.’ Obviously after a year-and-a-half of COVID and not really working, I have to say yes to everything. And I found it fun and I was like, ‘Yes, I’ll do it!’
It sounds like it would be a great experience and it looks like it really was.
I don’t know anyone that would say no to that unless they had a gazillion dollars and had issues with the people that were going to be on the show.
I recently heard you mentioned how different filming the ‘Ex-Wives’ was than regular ‘Housewives’ and how the cameras never really disappeared, similar to a ‘Big Brother’ approach. Could you talk more about your reaction to that style of filming and if you found any pros or cons with that specific style?
Well, you know, I did ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ in the U.K., and I also did the first one here [in the U.S.]. So I was like, for me, I’m myself. You can’t fake the funk. So I was like … these girls … it’s going to be different for them because they’re going to get caught saying things when they don’t think people are watching or listening, because there’s cameras like little tiny GoPros all over. So I was like, all right, this is gonna be real real.
I didn’t realize that there were GoPros as well.
Yeah, but especially all over the hallways, deep into where I was. … There wasn’t a ton of room for cameramen. It was a pretty narrow place.
So I just finished Episode 5, [and] we as viewers have been watching you form friendships with women you might otherwise not have met if it was not for this show like Eva or Phaedra, or even Jill. And it was such a pleasure to watch you women form these friendships. I know you’ve spoken about being a fan of Eva for years, but what was it like forming such strong connections with all three women in such a short amount of time? Eight days is quick.
It is quick. You have to realize we were working like 12-18 hours a day. They were long days because we were only there for eight days. And we had like four different events a day. We would have a breakfast, then a lunch, then pool time, and then we would got to a dinner. So we were pretty exhausted. … It was kind of a ‘Big Brother’ hybrid because we were all in one house under one roof. And we really didn’t see anyone else, so we’re working together 24/7. And even just giving each other the looks over here and over there. Phaedra would always make me laugh at the wrong time. So I was the one getting in trouble, and I’m like ‘It’s her fault!’ and she was like ‘Oh, I’m an angel. What are you talking about?’ … As you watch, they [Eva, Phaedra, Jill] are like the normal ones; they’re not the crazy ones. And Eva’s like the Zen master, and she’s the youngest and the most mature. … I like Dorinda. I met her once. I’ve known Jill for some time, so we’ve been not close friends, but we’ve been friends. And I didn’t know Tamra or Vicki really, and I had some issues with Tamra. But originally, I did not know Tamra or Taylor were going. I think it just popped up. Because [Peacock] said nobody from ‘Beverly Hills’ and nobody from ‘Orange County,’ but this is like the beginning of [Peacock] putting the group together and then I’m packing and I get the call ‘Oh, Tamra and Taylor are going.’ I was like ‘Oh my God!’ and my whole demeanor changed.
You’ve been open about your departure [from ‘Beverly Hills‘] and any type of tiffs with other ‘Housewives,’ but specifically for Taylor Armstrong and Tamra Judge, did you get into a specific mindset knowing that they were going to be there?
No, I didn’t think Taylor and I really had anything. It’s almost been 10 years since we had any interaction. I don’t even think she’s really friends [with the ‘Beverly Hills’ ‘Housewives’]. I’m still friends with the girls on ‘Beverly Hills.’ I don’t even think they even talk to her. So I thought, ‘Oh sh–.’ We had a funky season like 10 years ago, but I haven’t seen her since. She said something on ‘Watch What Happens Live’ like ‘Ugh, Brandi’s gross,’ like whatever, I’m an easy target. I really have no ill will towards her. But with Tamra, I was dealing with anxiety. COVID — it was really hard for us. I was like super depressed and my anxiety was on level 10. So going into that knowing that it would be just drama right away, it definitely changed my outlook. I was definitely very nervous about going.
To go back to talking about ‘Beverly Hills.’ I just want to gauge how you’re feeling about the current season. … Do you believe something like social media or another element possibly changed ‘Beverly Hills’ from when you were first on the show?
No, I think we all evolve, the shows evolve. When I was first on it, we were pretty brand new. It was like ‘Orange County’ and I didn’t really know it. So we didn’t have anything to follow or know what we should do. We were just being our authentic selves and making things happen. And I think over the years it’s evolved. It’s come to, you know, a lot of dinners and a lot of fights, and that’s OK. But I feel like there’s like little alliances that happen, and on ‘Girls Trip,’ you’re just thrown in. Every man for themselves. No one has — well, I didn’t have an alliance, that’s for sure — it was just like what ‘Housewives’ used to feel like to me.
You can definitely tell as a viewer this show leans more into the original and first days of the ‘Housewives’ franchise.
Yeah, and it was authentic. They were all the same off camera as they were on camera. They didn’t have time not to be. We were filming. Yeah, we were tired, but when you’re with a lot of big personalities for eight days straight and all day long, it’s going to get messy. You know we’re messy.
Would you ever join ‘Beverly Hills’ full-time as a ‘Housewife’ again? Are you waiting for other cast members to potentially depart? Or are you open to hopping right back in?
Well, I mean, I heard that they’re doing this ‘Real Housewives of New York: Legacy’ and that sounds really interesting to me. I feel like maybe they should do something like that for ‘Beverly Hills,’ like the older group and bring them back together or keep doing these ‘Girls Trips.’ I think they’re genius. I think honestly they should mix like some of them that are employed and some that aren’t employed because you’re going to have a lot of drama there. Because people will say, ‘Well, you’re off that show. That’s why you’re off the show and don’t have a job.’ I feel like that could be really interesting and they should just keep doing these with different people.
Oh! As a fan I really hope they do that! For the last question, if you could create an ‘Ultimate Girls’ trip with past and present ‘Housewives,’ from any franchise, any year, any destination, who and where would you pick?
Oh, God. That is a tough question. I feel like I would want to pick my friends, but that’s not going to be great TV. I would really probably want to pick people I don’t know. … I would pick Sonja [Morgan] for sure. I just find her so funny and fascinating, and nice but she’s crazy. Yeah, I don’t even know if we’ve met. We might’ve, but you forget because we’ve been doing this for so long. For sure [Sonja]. I think that probably Jennifer [Aydin] from ‘New Jersey’ because she’s insane, like in a good way, like she’s not going to be a wallflower. ‘Salt Lake City,’ if I could have Mary [Cosby], oh my God, she was so insane to me. But if I couldn’t have Mary, I’d take Heather [Gay] because I don’t know her, but she’s fun and she’ll get into it if she has to. … I would take Shereé [Whitfield] because I love her. And I think you know what? Maybe Denise [Richards] and work that out. Maybe like Denise, Lisa Vanderpump, Camille [Grammer], myself, and everyone that has the worst problems in a house and lock us in and see what happens.
“Real Housewives: Ultimate Girls Trip ‘Ex-Wives Club’” is streaming on Peacock.