TV Week sits down with the cast of this deliciously trashy spinoff to gab about putting an international twist on the tried-and-true Housewives format
A pop-culture institution that’s not just made in America, but has become emblematic of America itself, the Real Housewives franchise has, nonetheless, crossed borders several times over the years — planting its flag on countries from South Africa to Australia to our very own home and native land. The latest colony this unstoppable reality empire has conquered is London, England.
Premiering in August, and still right in the midst of its inaugural season, The Real Housewives of London is the very first original series produced by reality-centric streamer Hayu. It’s a show that follows six fabulous and ferocious women from all across the globe who have settled in the U.K. capital to build a life and make their fortune.
Those Housewives include:
Juliet Angus: A Chicago-born influencer, global brand partner, stylist and former fashion publicist.
Amanda Cronin: A former model turned entrepreneur and mother to a 27-year-old artist daughter.
Karen Loderick-Peace: A Jamaican-born fashion entrepreneur who moved to the U.K. in her 20s and has since started a flourishing family.
Juliet Mayhew: An Australian former Miss Galaxy Universe pageant winner who now devotes her days to philanthropy.
Panthea Parker: A high-society mover and shaker from Iran.
Nessie Welschinger: A born-and-bred Londoner who cools her heels at a 500-year-old estate and presides over a catering business that counts the Royal Family among its clients.
TV Week recently got the chance to speak with the cast about what it’s like to live life to the fullest, warts-and-all, on-camera — while offering viewers across the globe a fresh take on the storied city of London.
TV WEEK: Did any of you have reservations about opening yourself and your loved ones up to the world like this?
JULIET M: You have to make a decision together as a family, and I certainly did that. I had to make sure my whole family was on the same page . . . My daughter’s chosen not to be on the show, but she completely backs me. You’re putting yourself out there and it’s a big decision to make. But I think we’ve all made the decision for the right reasons.
TV WEEK: How is a Housewives show in London different from one of the myriad American versions?
AMANDA: I think it’s just brilliant. It’s very authentic to London and the U.K. and we’re such a different country to any country in the world. The best, biggest, most important city in the world. I think you’re seeing the culture, the beauty, the history — we’re showing it. And the women are so different to any country in the world. You know, we’re Londoners, whether we were born here or we came here. We are London. And we love the city. We’re true Brits and I think the British woman is a certain type of woman.
NESSIE: She’s strong, she’s dynamic.
JULIET A: And London’s our seventh character!
TV WEEK: On that front, just how does the city factor into the show’s drama and intrigue?
KAREN: London is a place that makes or breaks you. [The show is] us, living in London, surviving London and being independent, strong women.
TV WEEK: Will the London we see in this show be different from the London we’ve seen portrayed elsewhere?
NESSIE: We’re bringing the authenticity, let me tell you.
JULIET A: You’re getting every little neighbourhood. You get to see a taste of what it’s really like to live here.
NESSIE: I think you see [the various landmarks] as these great sites, but we live next to them, so we see them every day. It’s a natural part of life.
JULIET A: Like, when I’m driving to dinner from my house, I go past Buckingham Palace . . .
TV WEEK: Does having cameras around constantly, as intrusive as that can be, force you to sort through interpersonal issues in a way that you wouldn’t have to if those cameras weren’t there?
PANTHEA: Yeah, in my real life, if I have arguments with people, I drop them on Instagram. It’s fine. You never have to talk to them again. And I think that, definitely, when the cameras are on, you do have to bring things to the table — however petty they are.
TV WEEK: Would you say that this cast is a reflection of the city itself?
NESSIE: I think we all bring the flavour. We come from different backgrounds and cultures, and I think that is absolutely in line with what London’s about.
AMANDA: We’re at the forefront. You know, if you don’t live in London . . . it’s at the epicentre of everything going on in culture, in music and fashion.
KAREN: It’s a city of the creatives.
AMANDA: Very fluid.
PANTHEA: We, once upon a time, ruled the world . . .
JULIET M: . . .and shall again!
The Real Housewives of London, streaming on Monday, September 29, on Hayu