Copyright 2021 by Bravo Media LLC.
Lauren Zalaznick:The entire inception to do a reunion came out of Jerry Leo’s brain.
Jerry Leo:Bravo, in the first few years, only had about two nights of original programming.
amazon
Jerry Leo:We needed as many episodes ofHousewivesas we could get.
They were the highest rated thing on at the time.
Lauren Zalaznick:Production said to me, “We can’t do any more episodes.
We’ve literally used every frame of every tape.”
The firstTop Chefreunion was particularly chaotic.
The chefs were chugging wine and got completely sloshed.
A fist fight nearly broke out between two of our cheftestants, Ken Lee and Stephen Asprinio.
I think Kevin also threatened our original host, Katie Lee Joel.
Jo De La Rosa:I think we had champagne, too!
It was totally chill and relaxed.
Jeana Keough:Everyone except Kimberly was there.
I think she had already moved away at that point.
Scott Dunlop:It looks primitive if you look back at it now.
But then again, I’m sure the whole first season does.
Jo De La Rosa:The first reunion versus the second reunion was so different.
The second reunion, they stepped up their game.
They brought us into a studio, gave us hair and makeup.
There were lights, a fancy set, and the biggest difference, there was Andy.
I was the only executive doing something like that, and it kind of upped my profile.
Well, Lauren Zalaznick knew that one of my career goals was to be on television as myself.
“You’ll have the eliminated chef on and we’ll toss people to the website.
It’ll be like an extension of your blog.”
The first episode got something like 32,000 live-streams on BravoTV.com, which they thought was really great.
Do you want to host this?"
Jerry Leo:We were already looking at Andy as on-air talent.
We even talked about putting him on air for a few panel shows.
We shot a few pilots for him and he was going to be our executive on the panel.
One was calledFashionality, with Joan Rivers.
Another, I think down the line, had Bethenny on it.
Andy Cohen:The internet didn’t really have a face back then.
But with Kathy, she would have been expensive.
I was getting, like, a thousand dollars a reunion.
So I wasn’t costing them anything.
And there was the benefit of having me there because I had institutional knowledge of the show.
I was going to be a team player.
Scott Dunlop:Having Andy as the face of the brand is genius.
Andy has an energy and a work ethic like no one I’ve ever known.
He’s smart, engaging, charismatic.
And because he was involved on the production side, he had the women’s trust.
Jerry Leo:He had their trust and he had authority about him that the viewers immediately responded to.
Scott Dunlop:It was the best of all worlds, for the web connection and for the Housewives.
I was working double time.
Jo De La Rosa:I first met Andy in the back of Vicki’s backyard.
I immediately liked him.
And then there he was, at that next reunion, hosting it!
Andy Cohen:For the record, I’ve sadly never been to Vicki’s backyard.
The first time I actually met Jo was at that first reunion!
Jeana Keough:How cool is that?
I didn’t even know he could do that!
Andy Cohen:Jeana Keough came up to me at that season 2 reunion.
I was like, “Yeah.
I think this means you guys are doing well.
We wouldn’t be doing this if the show wasn’t.”
I look back now on it and think, “Why?”
These were topics I probably couldn’t get away talking about if I were straight, by the way.
Certainly not in the same way.
He had all of us talking about our plastic surgery secrets like he was our best friend.
I was really asking them the questions we all wanted to know.
Like, what was the deal with those damn Sky tops they were all wearing?
Jo De La Rosa:Oh, those freaking Sky tops!
Why did I wear those?
Jeana Keough:Sky tops were very popular back then in Orange County.
Lynne Curtin:The first time I went to meet casting producers, I was wearing a Sky top.
I didn’t even know they were a thing at that time!
Those Sky tops, they always sent me a big box to wear each season.
We were getting them for free and we did really love them.
