Sometimes, the spouses of Real Housewives turn out to be the stars of the franchise. For years, the Bravo cameras have focused on the drama between the women, including fights, tears, and nightmare vacations. But the real gem that has been somewhat surprising is how some of the husbands have formed tight friendships and taken to the limelight. Picture it, Aruba, 2025, the best of the best husbands all get together for the ultimate guys’ trip full of kegs, cigars, and a lot of good-natured ribbing.
Number one on this list is Joe Gorga, and let’s be honest, a few of his brother castmates will also be joining him on this tropical getaway. Joe, when he isn’t fighting with his sister, Teresa Giudice is a hoot. He knows how to let go and enjoy a moment. A moment he is usually causing, but I digress. Joe is that special breed of Jersey dude who knows just how to break your balls without crossing the line.
I would also be very interested in what drunk Joe could bring to the table. Viewers have already seen him plastered and walk into a screen door, so I bet we would get a lot of slapstick moments from him. I would make Joe the leader of the group and have him organize the McMansion, rooms, and food.
Joe would be nothing without his partner in crime and fellow Jersey boy, Frank Catania. The former bodybuilder also knows how to have a good time. Frank adds an extraordinary amount of emotion, which isn’t often seen with the househusbands. The father of two is happy to share why family means everything to him and isn’t too ashamed to shed a tear or two. Not that we want to cry on the vacation. However, Frank is newly engaged, and the ultimate guys’ trip could be the perfect excuse for a blowout bachelor party! Fans could even expect to see Frank giving a semi-pro dance show after his success at BravoCon. Joe and Frank would also be great at pulling harmless pranks on the other guys, which is just what the spin-off needs.
This husband isn’t the easiest guy to be around, but that is why Simon Van Kempen would be a perfect addition to Scary Island. Simon’s time during Real Housewives of New York City showed he was more than happy to cross the line with some of the women, and it could be argued he would be just as polarizing for the men. Simon, like Joe, is devoted to his wife, and this could be the building blocks to a good friendship.
Even though Todd Tucker isn’t Mama Joyce’s number-one draft pick, he is for our ultimate guys’ trip. Todd would be a great asset and would be in charge of planning one of the days. He loves to help out with all of Kandi Burruss‘ ideas and would easily be able to arrange a guys’ night, inclusive of strippers, and steak. The father of three may sit back and assess the situation, but he would be a great husband to have for the confessionals.
Hands down, Terry Dubrow is one of the best Real Housewives husbands due to his frankness and ability to pretend to give a damn about his wife’s problems. Even with his good-natured personality, Terry has a few flaws that would be perfect amongst the other men. He isn’t afraid to stand up for what he believes, and even though the plastic surgeon sometimes comes across as out of touch, he would be a great addition to any guy’s trip and probably would have a few connections to Michelin star restaurants.
I need more screen time with John Barlow! The modern-day renaissance man is all about making his wife, Lisa Barlow, shine. John’s gentle demeanor would be outstanding amongst a bunch of party animals. Frankly, John is the husband we all wish we had. Who doesn’t want a champion in your corner? Time with the other guys would surely allow John to open up, and I am willing to bet he might be a total party animal. I mean, he did spend his mission in Las Vegas. So he knows a thing or two about letting loose.
TELL US – WHO WOULD YOU WANT TO SEE ON A REAL HOUSEHUSBAND ULTIMATE GUYS TRIP?
Lala Kent has worn many faces since her first showing on Vanderpump Rules. At first, Lala’s behaviors were problematic. From hypocritical accusations directed at her co-stars to rumors of being a mistress, all the way down to body-shaming other women, her storylines were messy. When her father unexpectedly died in 2018, Lala spiraled even further, turning deeper to the bottle to help numb her pain.
Pretty shortly after, Lala realized that she needed a change. Listen, I know that Lala has been polarizing. She has said and done things that I am sure she wishes she could take back, but who alive hasn’t? In our current culture of canceling others, perhaps it’s time that we take a step back, placing credit over criticism.
Case in point, Lala has managed to turn several areas of her life towards the positive. Here are a few inspiring examples, which all help to highlight that it’s never too late to do a good thing.
Lala Showed Remorse After Going in on Rachel
You’re telling me LALA of all people reached out to Rachel via DMs to “lend an ear????” #PumpRules
The Scandoval storyline rocked the VPR cast during Season 11. Unnecessary recap time; Tom Sandoval and Rachel Leviss were busted for having an affair behind Ariana Madix‘s back. It went on for months, causing a huge divide amongst the cast. Yes, most of these cast members have also cheated, but Tom and Ariana were together for 9 years, and Rachel was supposed to be Ariana’s close friend, so, that.
Lala rode hard for Ariana. She read Rachel (and Tom) for filth, they all did really, making the Season 11 reunion a pretty uncomfortable watch. Afterward, Lala took time to process her reactions. When she realized that she had gone too far, she sat down and reached out to Rachel.
Rachel chose not to respond to Lala’s D’M. We can respect Rachel’s walls staying up for the protection of her mental health. We can also acknowledge that Lala’s reaching out to Rachel was a step in the right direction, realizing that she might not have had all of the facts before she popped off on her costar. Even though this was just a small correction made, which didn’t result in any changes, it’s still called growth, and it’s nice to see from Lala.
Realizing that reality television fame can only last so long, many of the stars on Bravo have branched out, setting up additional streams of income while their platforms are still popular. On this, Lala is no exception. Lala went from being a hostess at SUR in 2015 to launching her beauty brand in 2017. To date, Lala’s 2023 net worth is an estimated $2 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
She’s giving everybody Lala while lining her future pockets. This is smart, and we applaud Lala’s hustle and career growth.
For those of you close to your parents, you can likely understand Lala’s pain over her father’s passing. For those of you hailing from traumatic households, you deserved better. As for Lala, she fell into the first category. This made the passing of her father beyond painful.
Ultimately, this led Lala to excessively drink, which ended in a “rock bottom moment.” It was at this moment that Lala woke up, choosing to regain her life from the darkness in which she had been living. This week, Lala celebrated her 5th sober birthday. This past September, Lala was even honored as this year’s Spirit of Sobriety Honoree at the Brent Shapiro Foundation’s 2022 Summer Spectacular Gala.
Cutting ties with any addiction is an everyday battle. This is why it’s inspiring, and beautiful, to watch Lala, as she has remained strong in her sobriety for all of these years.
Lala was previously engaged to Randall Emmett. Yes, she was dating Randall while he was still married to his first wife, Ambyr Childers. However, Lala later stated that Randall had lied, promising her that he and Ambyr were over. As Lala and Ambyr are now close, it’s probably time to stop throwing our swords and accept that we might not know all of the details that went down in these intertwined relationships.
As Lala and Randall share a daughter, Ocean, their ended engagement brought on a slew of court dates and custody conversations. It was through this that Lala realized just how broken the family court system is. To date, Lala has poured countless hours into sharing the horrific details of this failed system. Specifically, she has focused on the unfair practices of reunification therapy, which can be harmful to any child who has been a victim of an abusive or negligent parent.
For connecting human stories with her followers, we applaud Lala. She’s using her platform for good, and it’s been an awe-inspiring, eye-opening thing to watch.
Lala Advocated for the Humane Cosmetics Act in Congress
In another storyline of our girl Lauren from Utah showing growth, Lala is also using her name and her platform to help animals. Recently, Lala teamed up with The Humane Society of the United States, helping to urge members of Congress to pass the Humane Cosmetics Act. This legislation would end new cosmetics testing on animals in the United States, according to their press release. Naturally, her “Give Them Lala” Beauty brand is one of the 1,500 cruelty-free beauty brands currently available in North America.
From black-out nights to sobriety to cash-strapped wallets that have turned into a saved-up and thriving lifestyle, Lala’s journey has been an uphill climb. Yes, she’s slid backward a few times, but again, who hasn’t? Staying on the positive side of life, we see Lala going from screaming in other people’s faces, to standing up for what’s right, whether that’s in reaching out to a struggling cast mate or joining with her community to help those without a voice. Basically, Lala continues to surprise and inspire, and I for one am here for it.
TELL US – DO YOU THINK THAT LALA IS TURNING HER LIFE AROUND?
Bethenny used to be beloved by fans, but now many see her as a nuisance. She chose to leave the series of her own free will. Now she’s come back with vengeance to right the wrongs that she felt had inundated the network for years.
Personally, I don’t think there is anything wrong with Bethenny, or anyone for that matter, who wants to make a change within their industry. Arguably, the way the Skinnygirl founder has gone about her argument is questionable since she is biting the hand that spoon-fed her. Bethenny has brought up some decent points, including favoritism, abuse of alcohol, and fostering a toxic workplace.
Bravo has been made into one of the biggest networks thanks to being under the umbrella of NBC. The network, which was founded in 1980, first started to air programs dedicated to the performing arts, which included ballet and opera. NBC acquired Bravo in 2002 and, by 2003, was churning out reality TV shows like Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, Top Chef, and Real Housewives. It became clear that Bravo started to steer towards what was going to make their money, and that was drama.
The idea of forming a union is all well and good, but the Bravo viewers have to want to watch better TV. I’ll be honest—I am in deep with almost every Bravo show. Now, I don’t always like the male chauvinists on Southern Charm or the cheating scandals of Vanderpump Rules, but I can’t lie I am highly invested in most of the programs.
Currently, I can’t see the reality TV reckoning hurting Bravo. They are Goliath, and no matter how much Bethenny doesn’t want to admit it, she is David. Just this last month, 160 Bravolebrities attended BravoCon 2023, with The Wrap reporting that 25,000 fans have attended. Now, I believe it would be extremely hard to convince more than 25K viewers to jump ship. Bravo is one, if not the only, network that offers shows of this dramatic caliber. I just don’t see them losing viewership.
I believe that Bethenny has valid points. Does Bravo encourage excessive amounts of drinking in their shows—most likely? Does Andy Cohen have clear favorites—absolutely. And was the work environment toxic—probably? Bethenny isn’t the only star to have offered examples. Stassi Schroeder also revealed to Us Weekly that producers covered up for the male cast when they did “dark things”.
Bethenny came out swinging with her brash attitude. She immediately ruffled feathers and didn’t gain a lot of allies. However, if she came in below the radar, I believe she would have had a better response from her audience. When Bethenny first started mumbling about bringing up workplace violations, it looked like might have been a legal tactic to get the network to give in to a union.
That plan could have worked if the network decided to play ball. However, how could anyone forget that NBC Universal is a media conglomerate with an army of lawyers, endless footage, excessive contracts, and unimaginable dirty secrets that could keep any former housewife down in the trenches? The amount of time and energy that Bravo could easily put into clogging the system isn’t even funny.
Bravo’s talent is not considered the working class. Most came into the franchises with their own money or business. The people Bethenny is fighting are a small amount who can’t be compared to Hollywood stars or members of SAG or WGA. Sadly, no matter how hard Bethenny pushes, I just don’t see Bravo being devastated by the reality TV reckoning.
TELL US – DO YOU THINK BRAVO WILL BE HURT BY THE REALITY TV RECKONING?
The Real Housewives of Miami is back for its sixth season, and the show’s off to an incredible start. Among the RHOM cast is Dr. Nicole Martin, arguably the least unhinged member of the group. She knows exactly how to throw petty shade, such as sending a mirror to disinvite co-star Larsa Pippen from her engagement party in Season 5. It was a moment that’ll go down in reality television history.
Nicole’s most divisive storyline, however, is the relationship she shares with her father, Miguel. Some viewers think that she should cut him a little more slack, while others believe he should take some lessons in acting his age.
Thankfully, it appears as though Nicole and her dad are now on the same page, after audiences watched them get a little closer in Season 5. It turns out, Nicole credits Real Housewives of Miami for helping fix that relationship.
RHOM’s Nicole is happy to give a “second chance”
Photo by: Peacock
“I think a big journey for me during the last three seasons has been my relationship with my dad, and it hasn’t always been rainbows and butterflies,” Nicole explained to The Blast. “But we are in a much better place now than we have ever been. I think everybody deserves second chances, and I think you only get one shot at this life, especially with family.”
She also revealed that her dad was “in the hospital right now,” (during the time of the interview). So, she was “very thankful to the show for having kind of forced me to address that elephant in the room when it came to my relationship with him, because had it not been for the show, I think I would have swept all those feelings under the rug and never addressed them.”
“I’m happy that we got to a much better place now that he’s not doing so well,” Nicole concluded.
TELL US – ARE YOU ENJOYING NICOLE ON RHOM? WHAT DO YOU THINK OF HER RELATIONSHIP WITH HER FATHER MIGUEL?
Previously on Bachelor in Paradise, Olivia Lewis has had a hard time hanging onto her men. But now Michael Barbour has arrived in Paradise. Will he ask Olivia on a date? “John Henry who?” Olivia jokes. Here are some highlights from Bachelor in Paradise Season 9, Episode 8.
All the guys are hoping Michael will pick Olivia since she’s been dumped so many times in Paradise. She deserves to be “chosen” by someone, especially after Kat Izzo stole John Henry from her.
Happily, he does choose her, and Olivia’s thrilled. In a confessional, she imagines getting engaged in Mexico, but it turns out she doesn’t even know Michael’s name! I hope somebody told her before they left for their date.
Sitting by a firepit (seriously, isn’t it like 100° in Mexico?), Olivia decides she really likes Michael, and the whole John Henry/Kat situation was a blessing in disguise. She doesn’t want to screw this up. When she gets him back to the beach, she doesn’t want anybody else to touch him, look at him or talk to him.
Wells Adams announces that it’s time again for the Paradise Truth Box. So he pulls out a few of the notes and reads them aloud just to stir up some drama.
“Peter totally shaves his legs.” Who cares?
“John Henry and Kat are going the distance.” Yeah, as far as they can get away from each other. Who put that one in there? It had to be either Kat or her partner in crime Kylee Russell ’cause nobody else really likes Kat.
“Tyler [Norris], everyone knows you’re not that into Mercedes [Northrup]. You’d better come clean ‘cause she deserves the truth.” Yikes! That one hit a nerve. Now Mercedes is insecure. She likes Tyler and thought they were okay.
When she pulls Tyler aside for a talk, he tells her he feels happy and thinks she’s beautiful. But now she’s questioning his motives and doesn’t know if they’re on the same page.
Mission accomplished, Truth Box.
Something wicked this way comes
Photo by: ABC/Craig Sjodin
As the end of Paradise gets closer, couples are starting to think about what life in the real world could look like. Jess Girod thinks she’s finally found her “person” and is looking forward to life outside of Paradise.
Host Jesse Palmer greets her with a hug. “Katie!” he says. “I wasn’t expecting to see you here in Paradise.”
“I wasn’t expecting myself either, but here we are,” she responds.
Katie explains that things just “didn’t work out” with Blake. She hasn’t seen or spoken to him in a couple of years. Even though they ended on good terms, Katie moved on faster than he expected, so he was angry with her.
“I don’t think Blake’s gonna be happy that I’m here,” she says. “I really don’t.”
And on that note, Jesse sends her on down the stairs to Paradise.
Just as everyone’s talking about the day being full of “good vibes,” here comes Blake’s ex into Paradise.
“Hello,” she calls somewhat timidly, as she comes around the corner. Blake looks a little bit sick and like he just wants to disappear.
“Oh, my f*cking God,” he mutters. “I was in love with this girl. I have not seen her in two years. It’s just weird seeing her.”
Blake’s “worst nightmare”
Photo by: ABC/Craig Sjodin
“Addressing the elephant in the room,” Katie continues, “I’m gonna pull Blake aside and we’ll go chat a little bit.” Reluctantly, Blake follows her.
“Why is she even here?” Blake wonders to himself. “There’s not a worse scenario.”
Blake does remember getting voice messages from Katie after their breakup, but he was bitter at the time and didn’t feel obliged to respond. “You were in a relationship,” he continues. “I wasn’t overly excited about that. It was a bit of a dagger. I was like, ‘I don’t owe her that.'”
“I agree,” Katie replies. “That’s why I’ve never reached out since … I really don’t even remember what I said in those voicemails, but if I didn’t say it then, I’m saying it now. I’m sorry that things went the way they did. If I could go back and redo it all, I would.”
As the other residents of Playa Escondida speculate about whether Katie is here to date or for some other nefarious reason, Katie herself explains why she’s here. After admitting that her experience as the Bachelorette didn’t turn out the way she’d hoped, she adds, “Let’s be honest. Who needs dating apps when you can just be a reoccurring contestant on reality TV?” Oh, that’s right. Katie’s pursuing her new career as a standup comedienne these days.
“I did want to be here first,” she adds, “but unfortunately, Blake came first – which as his ex-fiancé, I’m used to.” Ouch. That was unnecessary. Also, nobody laughed. Don’t quit your day job, Katie.
“Tonight I’m not actually here to date,” she continues. “We’re actually turning the Rose Palapa into the Roast Palapa for the first ever Bachelor in Paradise Comedy Roast. Tonight you get to live, laugh, love your way, and extend your 15 minutes of fame.”
They break into pairs and start writing. Olivia says “Everyone is a target. Nobody’s safe.” This could get messy. Olivia’s coming for everyone, especially Kat and Katie.
The BIP Comedy Roast
Photo by: ABC/Craig Sjodin
Jesse welcomes us to the BIP Comedy Roast. First up is Katie.
Katie’s best jokes: “This show is so stupid, it makes John Henry look smart … No surprise Jess’ nickname is Baby Jess since Blake used to make me call him Daddy.”
John Henry: “Olivia – wait – you’re still here?” Oh, that was mean.
Aaron Bryant: “John Henry, his underwater diving has him color-blind ‘cause he can’t tell a red flag from a Homie Hopper.”
Blake: “It’s unfortunate the doctor sent Sam home for constipation. Kat, you’d better watch out. You’ve been full of sh*t this whole time.”
Tanner: “Kat, I know I ruined your birthday, and I’m really sad about how that conversation went. But I really couldn’t tell where your head was at ‘cause your face couldn’t move due to all the Botox.”
And they came just as hard for Jess.
Kat: “Baby Jess, I know it’s been a while since you’ve had a date, but maybe if you took that pacifier out of your mouth, you could start kissing with some tongue.”
Tanner: “Blake, I just actually heard that the same year you got engaged to Katie was actually the same year Jess was born … We were all really, really excited when we found out there was gonna be an ex-Bachelorette on the beach, and obviously we were really hoping for Gabby, but we got Rachel.” Ouch. Rachel didn’t like that one, though she tried to keep smiling.
The beach is on fire
Photo by: ABC/Craig Sjodin
The next morning, even Olivia admits that she thought the roast would be funny, but feelings were hurt. She didn’t enjoy that.
Katie came down to Sayulita and set the beach on fire. Rachel’s crying, Mercedes is angry and Jess’ feelings are hurt. This wasn’t as much wasn’t fun as everyone thought it might be.
The women have the roses, but there’s no joy in Paradise. And there’s a Rose Ceremony tonight. There are currently eleven guys and eight girls, so three of the men will be going home. They should have thought of that before they pissed off all the women.
Before he can even think about accepting another rose from Jess, Blake needs to have a conversation with her. Uh oh. He leads her to one of the daybeds, away from everyone.
“I’m very confused,” Blake says in an interview. “I spent way less time with Katie but still understood the love that I had for her in that time. I’ve spent so much more time with Jess, and I just should have felt it by now.”
I feel a breakup coming on. Brace yourself for the tears. I always felt he was too old for Jess anyway – or she’s just too young for him.
“I feel like I had a real taste of what love is here,” he tells her. “And I feel like we’re not getting there at all.”
Next Thursday is Thanksgiving, so we’ll see you in two weeks for all the drama in Paradise. Enjoy your turkey!
Bachelor in Paradise airs Thursdays at 9/8c on ABC.
TELL US – WHAT DID YOU THINK OF BACHELOR IN PARADISE SEASON 9, EPISODE 8? HOW DO YOU THINK JESS WILL REACT WHEN BLAKE BREAKS UP WITH HER? WHO ELSE DO YOU THINK WILL CALL IT QUITS? DO YOU THINK ANYONE WILL GET ENGAGED?
