Photo by: Weiss Eubanks/NBCUniversal via Getty Images
After winning the first season of American Idol, Kelly Clarkson shot to fame and never looked back. While her vocal talents carried her, she also had a knack for talking, which helped since now she has been given her own talk show. The Grammy Award winner’s daytime show, The Kelly Clarkson Show, is full of heart, humor, and connections. Kelly has interviewed some of the biggest stars and had fun doing it. Of course, the show wouldn’t be complete without some singing, so let’s take a look at some of Kelly’s best Kellyoke performances.
‘Edge of Midnight’ by Miley Cyrus ft. Stevie Nicks
Now, Stevie Nicks and Miley Cyrus are two of the biggest women in the business, so having them collaborate on Edge of Midnight was everything. The song is edgy with rock vibes, and Kelly hits the notes perfectly. Kelly gave me the chills as she brought me right back to her time on American Idol. The high note at 1:28 is earth-shattering. I could listen to this cover over and over again.
‘Over the Rainbow’ by Judy Garland
Not everyone can sing a song first released in 1938. But Kelly did Judy Garland justice as she did her best to channel the Wizard of Oz star. After many, many covers, this is the best rendition I have come across. Kelly’s song effortlessly left a beautiful smile behind on fans’ faces. This version of Over the Rainbow is in its purest form, with no lyric changes and no extra big belts. Kelly performs a vulnerable cover with nothing but her voice.
‘Somebody Like You’ by Keith Urban
Returning to her country roots isn’t hard, especially when covering a Keith Urban song. The Texan-born daytime show host embraced her twang and made sure to make everyone who was listening feel good. It’s a summer bop you can easily have playing in the backyard. With this Kellyoke, Kelly is proving she can own any song put in front of her. Now I’m going to need a Kelly and Keith duet, stat!
‘1985’ by Bowling for Soup
Not to date myself, but I grew up with this song as a teenager. Bowling for Soup would be proud of Kelly’s version as she poured her soul into this cover. The American Idol winner channeled her inner pop pink goddess with an off-the-shoulder black bardot top and jeans. The song made me feel like I was 16 again, sitting with my high school boyfriend under the bleachers. I’m obsessed with how she travels back in time with this song!
‘I Think We’re Alone Now’ by Tiffany
Channeling the mall princess of the 1980s, Kelly’s rendition of Tiffany’s major hit was perfect. I couldn’t help but sing along with this one as I thought about the fuzzy neon music video with the side ponytail. Kelly has a voice that is up there with the greats, and just like Meryl Streep can play any character, Kelly can sing any song you put in front of her.
‘When You Say Nothing at All’ by Keith Whitley
My favorite version of this song is by Alison Krauss, but Kelly’s Kellyoke brought me to tears. Again, her Southern twang came through clear, and she made sure to emote each word, knowing how to punch the end of each line. The love song melted my heart. Kelly did the song justice, as she did the entire piece so beautifully. 90s music might just be her perfect genre to cover, in my opinion.
‘Let’s Get Loud’ by Jennifer Lopez
Thinking back, I am not sure I have ever really heard anyone try to perform a J-Lo cover. But Kelly did, and it was everything. The high tempo and Latin vibes were everything. I actually got distracted while writing because I started to dance. This song explains why she was the first-ever American Idol winner: She has something in her bag for every genre. She is the musical Mary Poppins.
‘Don’t Worry Baby’ by The Beach Boys
Guys, Kelly sang the Beach Boys! It was one thing for John Stamos to play the drums for this epic California group, but a cover? I thought Kelly might be out of her depth, but again, I was proven wrong. Kelly took us right to the beach with arguably one of the best renditions ever.
TELL US -DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE KELLY CLARKSON KELLYOKE PERFORMANCE?
Jake Foulger made quite a splash on Below Deck Season 9. Following a boozy night out, he and Fraser Olender were dared to kissed, but Jake also had a bit of a boatmance going on with Rayna Lindsey, which complicated things onboard. Thankfully, these three worked it out and moved forward, making it all water underneath their bridge deck. Also during Jake’s season, we learned about his then-fiancee, Paris Field, who in an unshocking (to me) turn of events, just showed up on Season 11, ready to take on Cat Baugh’s abandoned position.
From what I can recall, Jake and Paris had an interesting backstory. As he explained to his exterior team, “She’s my fiancée, but she’s not my girlfriend. I’m not monogamous, baby!” To explain, because yikes, Jake noted that this was simply a platonic thing. “She’s my mate. She needs a British passport,” he said.
So what happened between Jake and Paris? And where is Jake now? I got your tea just below.
We just watched the Season 11 crew taking a much needed night off at a nearby restaurant. During this dinner, Paris made her first appearance. When Fraser saw who it was, he stood up and greeted her warmly. While hugging his new stew, he exclaimed “I can’t believe it’s you!”
Even though it was pretty clear that Fraser had remembered who she was, she still explained “We met on the phone, like, years ago.” A Season 9 flashback then played, showing Fraser and Jake Facetiming Paris. That said, Jake’s then-fiancée became his ex-fiancée shortly after filming wrapped, as Paris ended their engagement.
When Jake failed to attend the Season 9 reunion, it raised several questions. However, Jake took to his now-expired Instagram stories on this matter. Here, he hosted a little Q&A session, explaining his absence. Basically, life had “broken his brain,” so he needed to take a time out.
He then revealed that he had actually been dealing with a lot of stressors, both before and after filming. Due to this, he’d decided that he needed space to help him fight his demons. Ever since, Jake’s been an avid supporter of all things mental health. On his Instagram, he often posts about his journey, while also doling out encouragement to his followers on the side.
The wild character that we all grew to love on BD is still lurking just beneath his kind layers though. At the ending of one such inspirational post, Jake quipped “Now f*ck off!” All jokes aside, I love that Jake has taken this needed time out to focus on himself, and I hope that this world continues to treat him kindly in turn.
If he’s not posting about his mental health, Jake’s likely posting himself in the buff. If you like shiny hiney’s, then do yourself a favor and scroll back up to his Instagram link just above. Come back after your trip down thirst trap lane though, please. Or you know, whatever, no judgment here…sometimes.
Clearly not afraid of his form, you might be happy to know that Jake’s also ventured into a little side hustle on OnlyFans. In his bio, Jake teases “Your beloved below deck boy. Making some saucy onshore content for you to enjoy. Subscribe if you want to see the even more naughty side to me.” His regular price is $7 a month, but he runs sales often, so, cheers.
In my opinion, there’s nothing better for the soul than travel. It seems like Jake agrees, because ever since his departure from Bravo, he’s been a little globetrotting king. From Byron Bay to Bali, to the United States and then over to the UK, Jake’s now taking in all that this planet has to offer.
In each of his posts, his smile could not be any larger. He also seems to be surrounded by a strong network of friends, who often join him on all of these roads less traveled. Friends can make all the difference in one’s mental health journey, so I love to see that Jake’s circle is solid. Overall, Jake’s got sunshine, buddies, and a passport, so if you ask me, he’s got everything.
You can now support Jake over on Cameo
Jake Foulger/Cameo
Just in case you want to help Jake continue on with his travels, but OnlyFans isn’t quite your speed, you have another option. You see, Jake’s also got himself a Cameo page. For just $1, you can message with Jake. For $30, you can get him to send you a personalized video, but don’t be put off by his bio, which calls us all “slags,” because he’s only kidding.
Thankfully, Jake’s still the same fountain-loving, skinny-dipping deckhand that we first met in Season 9. Therefore, whenever he’s ready, I’d love to see this deckhand return to Below Deck.
TELL US – WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER THE MOST ABOUT JAKE’S TIME ON BD SEASON 9?
Photo by: Gizelle Hernandez/Bravo via Getty Images
Bravo fans are still getting acquainted with the cast of The Valley and the likes of Janet Caperna. Of course, as reality TV fans are prone to do, they couldn’t trust the show to give them every detail about this new Bravolebrity and their past.
Indeed, Bravo fans have a knack for digging up old dirt on reality stars, for better or for worse. In Janet’s case, a Reddit user recently shared a screenshot of an article that showed Janet “making a peaceful protest about herself,” according to u/oo00ooo000. You can check out the post below.
Internet users haven’t taken kindly to Janet’s sign
The screenshot came from a piece by the Los Angeles Daily News. As the article reports, protestors were trying to “call attention to the negative effects of Airbnb-style short-term rentals.” They began chanting outside an affected building, waking up residents and non-residents, like Janet.
Elizabeth Chou reported, “Janet Elizabeth Fortener, 31, who was staying at her boyfriend’s apartment at The Hesby, walked out with her own protest sign — an erasable white board that read in blue marker, ‘I JUST WANT TO SLEEP IN / PLZ PROTEST L8R.’”
Redditors were not at all impressed with Janet’s display. Some users slammed her as “a Karen,” with another saying “What a privileged world she lives in.” Another user criticized her since the building wasn’t even her permanent residence: “She did all this over her crashpad, she isn’t some building resident being infringed on.”
One commenter claimed to have lived in the building, reporting, “The ABNB of it all is actually a huge issue, and this DID get management’s attention to do something about it. Janet once again coming in on the wrong side of history haha.” Of course, such a claim can’t be verified. The most upvoted comment slammed Janet as a symbol for those “inconvenienced” by activism.
The Valley continues Tuesdays at 9/8c on Bravo.
TELL US – WHAT DO YOU THINK OF JANET’S COUNTER-PROTESTING? WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THE ONLINE RESPONSE?
There’s a storm a-brewin’. Bravo just dropped the midseason trailer for Summer House Season 8, and goodness gracious. It looks like we’re in for a wild ride.
We all know what’s coming with the breakup between Carl Radke and Lindsay Hubbard. But, the more we see it play out in Season 8, the worse it gets. In the trailer, we get a tease of the breakup to come, but it also becomes clear that they’re not the only couple having a rough summer. Watch the sneak peek below for a little dose of chaos.
Season 8 is just getting started judging by the Summer House midseason teaser
The midseason trailer starts with all of the good stuff that we like to see out of Summer House. There’s drinking, nudity, and all sorts of other debauchery. It’s what we expect, but then, the tone shifts. Suddenly, we’re reminded of the dark cloud looming over Season 8.
All season long, Carl and Lindsay have been at each other’s throats. In the trailer, things get worse. At one point, Carl completely loses his cool on Lindsay. He shouts at her, “You’re the victim, always. It’s a lot, okay? It’s a f*cking lot!”
Despite the drama in their relationship, Lindsay and Carl go full steam ahead with their wedding plans. The cameras followed the crew to her bridal shower. In the trailer, Lindsay presents herself to the guests in a frilly white dress, proudly proclaiming “I’m a bride!”
Of course, the drama between Linday and Carl has a ripple effect on the rest of the people who are unfortunate enough to bear witness to it. In the trailer, Kyle Cooke sits down with Carl and confronts him with the big question. He asks, “Do you want to marry her?”
It’s a big question coming from Kyle, who is navigating his own marital troubles. His wife Amanda Batula is ready to settle down and start a family and has been critical of Kyle’s work-life balance, or lack thereof. In the trailer, it looks like the pressure comes to a head. Kyle gets fed up with the criticism. The cameras captured him throwing a major temper tantrum and shouting, “You’re making it sound like a work for f*cking fun!”
Clearly, there’s still a lot to unpack in Summer House Season 8. The fun and the drama continue, on Thursday nights at 9/8c on Bravo.
TELL US – ARE YOU ENJOYING THIS SEASON OF SUMMER HOUSE SO FAR? DO YOU THINK IT WILL BE DIFFICULT TO WATCH THE CARL AND LINDSAY SPLIT?
Welcome to the Summer House Season 8, Episode 8 recap! In this week’s episode, titled “Imposter Syndrome,” Kyle and Amanda can’t seem to get on the same page, while West and Ciara seem to be going strong. Lindsay overshares about her and Carl’s sex life, and Kyle and Amanda finally get some therapy. Most poignant of all, Lindsay goes to try on wedding gowns with her girlfriends, happily believing, “We’re really doing it!” Here are some of the highlights from Summer House Season 8, Episode 8.
Amanda wants suburban babies
Photo: Noam Galai/BRAVO
Picking up right where we left off last week, Amanda’s still talking about Kyle and her looking at houses outside of the city. “I’m just thinking about my future and the kids and, like, raising a family,” she says.
“I’m thinking about my sanity,” Kyle mutters at her side.
“I get a little concerned about how disconnected I’m going to feel,” Kyle continues, “cause, like, New York City, there’s no more connected city in the world.”
“As a man,” Lindsay interjects, “you just f*cking get over it. Once you start having kids, your priorities start changing.”
“I don’t know what I really want out of this thing,” Kyle adds. What thing? His marriage?
“Like, you don’t know if you really even want kids?” Lindsay asks.
“We need to be in better lockstep,” he says. Why are they discussing this at the table? This should be a conversation between him and his wife.
“We’re not having kids yet,” Amanda says.
“No, I’m saying, like, for me to feel content,” Kyle says, “I want to feel like you and I are in a better communication place. Otherwise, I’m going to feel very lonely.” Everyone else at the table seems uncomfortable and like they’d rather be anywhere else than watching Kyle and Amanda have this very personal conversation.
“Kyle and I have always been in agreement,” Amanda interviews, “that we want to raise a family in the suburbs. We both grew up with, like, backyards, playing with our friends in the street. It’s one thing that we have always, always agreed on. So for him to be, like, back-pedaling and sort of changing the script on me, I’m just kind of, like, ‘What the f*ck?’”
Everyone’s going to play beach volleyball. Carl and Jesse both played competitively in high school, so it’s on.
Paige informs everyone to make their own sandwich because food will not be provided. At the beach, Carl thanks Lindsay for the delicious sandwich she made him, and time stops.
“You must be in love! ” Paige says. “She made you a sandwich!”
After the game, Kyle and Amanda walk to the water for a chat.
“Last night,” Kyle begins, “I felt like we were struggling to be on the same page.”
“You’re on my sh*t list,” Amanda says. “You were out till 4:00 am, … I called you out on it, so you copped this whole attitude.”
“That’s not how I would sum it up,” Kyle responds. “I’m, like, very fixated on trying to improve our communication.”
“[That’s] such bullsh*t,” Amanda answers.
“Your intensity level is, like, at a nine,” he says.
“Cause I’m frustrated,” Amanda says. “I’m not in the mood to have a sweet, kind, loving conversation.”
Kyle and Amanda have some growing up to do. If they can get through this, they’ll be stronger in the end. But this is where a lot of people give up and get divorced.
“I can’t move to the suburbs if I’m having a one-way relationship with you,” Kyle continues.
“You don’t like it when I, like, have a stance on something,” Amanda says.
“Your stance is bullsh*t,” Kyle fires back. That wasn’t very loving. “Just cause I go out till 4:00 in the morning once a month is not a reason to hate me … It’s lonely as f*ck being married to you ’cause you don’t talk to me … What the f*ck is wrong with you?”
“I’m good,” she says, walking away.
“Great talk,” he says.
West and Ciara still have sparks
Photo: Bryan Bedder/Bravo
Ciara runs up to her room to field a call from West. He’s in Montana attending a wedding.
“Everyone [else] is going out for drinks, and I’m so excited to stay home,” she says. Lindsay, Amanda, Andrea, and Ciara are staying in.
When he asks if his “presence is missed,” she teases, “We once knew a guy named West. He was cool.”
“Distance makes the heart grow fonder,” she adds.
“Does it surprise you that you are missing West?” a producer asks Ciara.
“Yes,” she admits. “I don’t have chemistry with everyone … and when I like someone, I like them. It makes me a little bit nervous that it might not be reciprocated in the same way.” Those are Austen Kroll scars.
“I’ll save The Bachelorette for us on Tuesday,” West says. That’s a good boyfriend. My hubby can’t sit through more than 30 seconds of The Bachelorette.
Later, Andrea asks how things are going with Ciara and West. “It’s going fine,” she says. “I just FaceTimed him earlier.”
“Do you feel different than ‘Mr. Southern Gentleman?’” he asks. Oh, so now we’re not saying his name, but I’m pretty sure his initials are A.K.
“I don’t know who that is that you speak of,” Ciara says, and Andrea laughs.
“I have a question, though,” Lindsay interrupts. “When he says something, do you take him [seriously]? Like, he’s just a flirty f*cking guy.” That was mean.
“I think he acts differently with Ciara than with other people,” Amanda observes. I think he does, too.
Ciara doesn’t say anything, but if looks could kill …
In a conversation with Carl, Paige, and Danielle, Kyle suddenly says, “I’m not gonna lie. I’m having a good summer. But I wanna feel like I’m on the same page with Amanda.”
“I know what you should do,” Paige says, tapping him on the arm. “Stop being such a f*cking dick.” That’s not fair. Amanda’s being as much of an asshole as Kyle’s been this summer.
“I’m not a dick,” Kyle says, obviously hurt.
In a confessional, he continues, “Look, I know I’m a lot, but, like, I don’t want to be sitting there scratching my head wondering if you even like me. Or if you’re, like, bothered by my presence. That’s often how it feels.”
Realizing she struck a nerve, Paige backs up. “I do think she starts a lot of things with you, and I’ve said that to her. Like, she’ll throw you some digs, and I’ll be, like, ‘Amanda, that was f*cked up.’”
“To be honest,” Kyle continues, “it’s not even the digs. I know this is gonna sound ridiculous, but, like, last weekend, I was the last one up, and her phone was on the sink. I opened it up, and there wasn’t a single photo of me.”
“We don’t have to figure it out tonight,” Paige adds. “Let’s table it, but I see you.”
Lindsay overshares
Photo: Clifton Prescod/Bravo
Back at the house, the four left behind are playing Truth or Dare. “How would you honestly rate your sex life with your current partner on a scale of one to ten?” Andrea reads for Lindsay.
“A two and a half,” she admits.
“What?! Really?” they all react.
“You have to have sex,” Lindsay elaborates. “I mean, we had sex today. It was the first time in a couple weeks. No one came.” Yikes. Super cringe that she’s even talking about that.
“No one came?” Amanda asks.
“You didn’t come?” Ciara asks.
“No,” Lindsay repeats.
“He didn’t come?” Amanda asks as Lindsay shakes her head.
“I’ve always been patient with Carl,” Lindsay interviews. “I love this man so much that I know he wants to make me happy. But if someone is not ambitious and [not] matching my drive, that’s a little bit of an issue for me. Having to constantly light a fire for someone else is not that sexy, and it doesn’t really get my juices flowing.” Then why are you marrying him, Lindsay?
“He gets so in his head,” Lindsay adds back in the kitchen with the group. “Like, I looked at him before I got out of the shower, and I was, like, ‘Look, I think we need to have more sex so that you’re not putting so much pressure on [yourself] the times that we do have sex. Like, ‘Oh, my God, I have to come … otherwise, I’m gonna disappoint her.’” That’s crazy. And I can’t believe she’s sharing such personal information that should be between her and Carl.
“The thing that Carl hates the most in life,” Lindsay continues, “is disappointing me.” Well, isn’t she special?
Marriage takes work
Photo: Eugene Gologursky/Bravo
Kyle and Amanda are just hanging out at home when the doorbell rings. Their Relationship Coach, Taryn, is making a house call.
“You’ve been having some communication issues,” Taryn starts.
“[There’s] lots of room for improvement,” Kyle says, and Amanda agrees. “We work together. I started a company, and she quit her job to help lead the creative. Ever since then, whenever we get into it, I’ll bring up the things that she’s not doing. I’m always wanting more.”
“Yeah,” Amanda says. “It’s always more, more, more. Like, you’re not doing this [or] enough of that. It makes me feel … not good enough.” Kyle reaches over and gives her a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
“I think what you’re talking about … is a really big insecurity for you,” Taryn says. Amanda agrees. “It sounds like it doesn’t just have to do with work.”
Taryn addresses Kyle’s insecurity when Amanda speaks “snippy or mean” to him. Kyle admits that it makes him feel like she doesn’t like him anymore. And any progress gets “erased” if he goes out and has “a bender of a night.”
Amanda thinks that’s a bigger conversation since he knows she’ll be upset if he stays out till 4:00 in the morning. But he does it anyway.
“There’s no reason to be out with people you just met till 4:00 o’clock in the morning and then stumble home wasted,” Amanda says. “And then instead of being apologetic the next morning and regretting hurting me, you just get, like, angry.”
Taryn advises them to stay in the moment and talk about the issues that are bothering them right now while being aware of their insecurities and history. She says to avoid pointing fingers, placing blame, and letting defensiveness take over. Sounds solid.
It’s Thursday in NYC, and Lindsay is trying on bridal gowns while her bridesmaids drink champagne. Gabby and Danielle are there, along with several women I don’t recognize.
She comes out wearing the dress she’s had her eye on for several months, and everyone is breathless. “Eat your heart out, Carl Radke,” someone says. It’s gorgeous, but I feel kind of sad cause I know she’ll never get to wear it. Danielle even wipes away a tear.
The sales lady brings out a veil to try on with the dress and asks, “How do you feel?”
“I feel like a bride!” Lindsay responds happily.
“What do you think?” she asks Danielle.
“I’m obsessed,” Danielle says. “I cried … I’m just so happy to be here.”
“This is real life,” Lindsay says, amazed. “We’re really doing it … It’s that fairytale ending I really gave up on two years ago.”
“I almost have, what’s it called? Imposter syndrome,” Lindsay admits in a confessional. “Like, you feel like you don’t deserve something. I just never thought that I would be so blessed that I would actually fall in love with my best friend, but here we are.”
Jo Wenberg became a part of Vanderpump Rules Season 10 due to her close proximity to Tom Schwartz. She became a topic of conversation after his divorce from Katie Maloney, as cast members struggled to understand the hairstylist’s relationship with the VPR star.
Jo and Schwartz were especially close between seasons, when the full effect of Scandoval took an emotional toll on him.
But just as confusing as their situationship was when it was active, viewers were just as unclear by what Jo and Schwartz closed during the latest episode of Vanderpump Rules from April 9.
The singles mixer made Jo uncomfortable
“I see how much Schwartz loves his friends, and I want to be welcomed into the group if I want to be a part of Schwartz’s life forever,” Jo explained during a confessional interview. “We got very, very emotionally close when he would cry about Katie [Maloney].”
The emotions were triggered by Jo and Schwartz’s attendance at a single’s event. While Jo thought they were going together in support of Tom Sandoval and Kyle Chan, Schwartz started flirting with some of the attendees.
Jo ended up leaving in tears and a state of confusion. She said to the camera, “I was under the impression that why we were here was to support Tom Sandoval. Then when we got here, he was interested in other women. What am I? Chopped liver?”
“I know the truth, and the truth is that we are hooking up,” she added. “We said I love you to each other. It bothers me that he doesn’t really want to share this relationship with his friends. I’m tired of feeling like a secret.”
Sandoval noticed the dynamic and explained his point of view to producers.
“Schwartz and Jo are on two different pages. Jo is looking at their situationship as a glass half full relationship,” he said. “Schwartz just being Schwartz, he is going to give off signals. It is like part of his superpower, he is charming all the time.”
Schwartz’s reaction was to pull back from the situationship.
“Maybe it is not as realistic to be this close as me and Jo are and still go out and date other people, hang out with other people and have sex with other people. I am starting to wonder if she’s in a little deeper than I am,” he said in a confessional interview.
Producers got the duo together in Schwartz’s apartment to discuss the aftermath. He initiated the conversation by asking if Jo felt he had been sending her “mixed signals.”
“Because I know we have such a good time together and we have this undeniable chemistry. That being said, I don’t want to be in a relationship at all,” he said. “I want to date other people. I am dating other people and I get numbers and I hook up with people.”
Jo became emotional. She responded, “Do you imagine how I feel after being around you for the past year and a half? We have been there for each other. Are you embarrassed by me?”
Schwartz denied it, but in the same breath put Jo on the spot for telling others in their friend group that they were “secretly dating.”
Jo felt the need to cut ties
“Maybe we need to not hang out as much,” he concluded.
Jo upped the ante by saying that under those circumstances, she didn’t want to see him “at all.”
“To hear her say that is kind of gut wrenching. Me and Jo have had this fantastic voyage full of compassion, support and maybe even love,” he admitted. “It would be a f—king tragedy if we never hung out or talked again.”
In a shocking confession of her feelings, Jo concluded with a sweet sentiment before leaving Schwartz’s apartment.
“It is so easy. Like, us together would be [so easy]. We would be disgustingly ugly and old and laughing and all those things,” she reflected. “That is why I need some time because deep down I do think I have feelings for you.”
“I am going to miss that. It only comes around once in a while and it is OK for us to just say, ‘Well, maybe we would find it somewhere else,’” Jo added.
In a confessional interview, the hairstylist said, “It is really hard. I just want him to be happy. Massively. He is my favorite person in the world and I don’t care what he says about me, but that is that goddamn truth. I think the world of him.”
Is Jo’s time, and storyline, on Vanderpump Rules finished? Perhaps she and Schwartz are not completely done with each other and the hairstylist will be back. Jo was certainly effective at getting under Katie’s skin.
Fraser Olender was missing a stew on his team when Jill Zarin and her friends had their charter on the motor yacht St. David. Had the chief stew had a full team, he could have assigned one stew just for The Real Housewives of New York alum as his crew member Barbie Pascual joked during the latest episode of Below Deck.
As that was not the case, the interior crew ran into a lot of difficulties catering to the demanding crew. And having chef Anthony Iracane’s performance lackluster compounded the difficulties, as most of Jill’s complaints had to do with food.
The crew had their chance to react during the cast confessionals. And now Jill is making her opinion known as to what really went wrong during her time on board.
Jill defended her high expectations
The RHONY original star went on the Tuesday, April 9, episode of the Juicy Scoop podcast to revisit the charter, complaints and all.
“I went into it with the attitude that I want to make a good show. I was me, I literally was me. I was me the way I am in my real life,” Jill explained.
“If I like my Diet Coke then I want another. If I don’t like it then I will send it back. If I don’t like my food then I send it back. Most people do,” she added.
Jill came with high expectations, which shouldn’t be a surprise to viewers of old-school RHONY. But she did point out the hefty price tag for such a vacation should allow for such a mindset.
“It was $45,000 for two nights. You get on the boat at 12 and right away you get lunch,” she revealed. “You get an explanation — which I actually taped on my phone that I am going to post — of [chief steward]Fraser [Olender] explaining the layout of the next two days.”
Fraser set certain expectations about food service
During this welcome speech, the seasoned yachtie stated that the guests could expect a continuous supply of snacks and food. Jill quickly pointed out that this was not the case.
“In fact, one of the things he emphasized which is ironic is that there would be snacks and food all the time everywhere. He actually emphasized and completely didn’t deliver,” she told host Heather McDonald. “When I think about the trip, it was the head stew’s job to make sure things went seamlessly, and I kind of blame him for the trip being a total disaster.”
Indeed, Below Deck viewers saw Jill continuously checking in on meal planning and food service. Fraser was on the receiving end of most of it, but it was Anthony who did not deliver.
In one scene, Jill gives Fraser “another recommendation” for a “button for the primary.” She added of her own experience, “I used to have a doorbell and it would go up to the kitchen.”
The experience had Fraser feeling like Jill was “crawling into” his brain and “eating away” at his soul during filming. But the retired Bravolebrity had little sympathy for the chief stew.
Rather, Jill “felt terrible” for the other charter guests.
“They spent an enormous amount of money. I wanted them to have an amazing experience. I did this show because my friends wanted to go on TV — I don’t blame them. I didn’t mind doing it with them because as long as I am me, I am good,” Jill concluded.
Catch Below Deck Mondays at 9/8c on Bravo.
TELL US – WHAT DID YOU THINK OF JILL’S CHARTER? WAS SHE RIGHT TO BLAME FRASER?
