In the secluded lobby of an exclusive west London hotel, we find ourselves engaged in a discussion with Andy Cohen. He passionately states, "I’m not out to get someone – I’m out to make interesting television." This sentiment holds true as we delve into his culture-axis-spinning, controversy-laden reality TV franchise, Real Housewives. Unveiling the World of Real Housewives with Andy Cohen
Expanding the Housewives Universe
After 18 remarkable years and 11 separate franchises across the US, along with 27 spin-offs and 21 international editions spanning from Athens to Melbourne, the Housewives universe is set to expand once again. The highly anticipated Real Housewives of London is officially in the works, promising to chronicle the lives of the city's most affluent and opinionated women.Real Housewives has become one of the world's most successful runs of reality TV, and Andy Cohen is the mastermind behind it all. He is in town for the first-ever Hayu FanFest, where the British edition to the Real Housewives universe is to be announced. Tens of millions of viewers tune in to watch the wives navigate their family units, marriages, social scenes, and each other. Cohen acts as the executive producer and hosts the rowdy reunion specials.The Evolution of Housewives' Success
When asked about the evolving success of Housewives, the 56-year-old Cohen attributes it to Bravo's intrepidness with key reality show hallmarks. They popularized the confessional interview format and special reunion episodes, which are now seen everywhere from The Kardashians to Love Island. "Confessionals are juicy! [Real Housewives of] Atlanta are the queens of the confessional. They’re so funny, smart, shady and delicious."Cohen has been steering the reality TV ship for 30 years, flipping the genre from a niche pleasure to a pop culture panopticon. He started as a CBS News intern and rose to Bravo, where he held senior roles overseeing the development and production of shows like Project Runway, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, and Emmy-winning Top Chef. While Queer Eye bolstered Bravo as a reality TV powerhouse, it was Housewives that captured the zeitgeist.The Power of Reunions
"Reunions have always been ‘appointment television’," Cohen continues. The stage is set for peak drama and confrontation as the housewives come with receipts and scores to settle. It feels like the Super Bowl, and Cohen has built something incredible. Their reunion shows are unlike those for any other show or network. The meltdowns are truly nuclear, and as the reunion ringmaster, Cohen usually manages to stay cool and sharp.Despite the 'docu-soap' definition suggesting some level of artifice, Cohen believes it's the genuine connection and universal struggles on screen that keep fans invested. Over the years, viewers have witnessed Orange County star Meghan King Edmonds on her fertility treatment journey and Beverly Hills' Sutton Stracke opening up about her father's suicide.The Impact on Fans
Fans resist seeing the show as mind-numbing. For them, it's moving and transformative. David, 39, who traveled from Newcastle, shared, "Growing up, I wasn’t confident. I always looked to popular girls at school, and was inspired to shed my insecurities seeing how they moved through life." Cohen added, "Some people tell me they don’t get along with their moms, but they can talk about Housewives. As crazy as the world can feel, the shows are an escape."James, 42, from Brighton, loves The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills – and New York, Potomac, Dallas, and Salt Lake City. He believes, "You see these incredibly wealthy women that live a life that’s aspirational for some, and yet, when you eliminate the money, the problems that they deal with are the same. It’s, ‘Are you there for me?’ and ‘Will you show up when I need you?’"The Interactive Aspect
Cohen has driven an era of interactive television with WWHL and the reunion shows centered on viewers' questions. It's an alluring, open dialogue. "That was a deliberate avenue when I was in charge of programming," he says.There's one thing Cohen wants to clarify: "I’ve become the face of this thing, but the show would not be what it is if there were not women producing the shows." And new, more progressive genres of housewives are emerging, including the first openly lesbian cast member Jenna Lyons. "New York is fashionable, aspirational, and diverse. It’s the best iteration of what we could have hoped to do. I think it’s empowering to have a very 2024 version of Housewives."Meeting Pop Culture
Meeting pop culture where it's at has kept the almost two-decades-old franchise with the times. "We fought for years not to break the fourth wall, but it feels like we’ve torn it down now," says Cohen. The shows contain a knowing wink to their outsized celebrity. Stars will push their own product lines, music careers, and restaurant openings – they know their power. "Housewives is pop culture."The shows and spin-offs hit a new level of mainstream in 2024. An affair that rocked the Vanderpump Rules cast known as ‘Scandoval’ became international news and even a line in a White House speech. Salt Lake City was quoted in Congress. RHOBH's Lisa Rinna walked in Fashion Week. Bravolebrities are worldwide.The Fandom and Its Unique Beasts
The fandom is truly a unique beast. Cohen said, "Our fans are really smart. We can’t pull things over on them." People who don't watch the shows often ask if they're real. The truth is, their fans wouldn't accept anything other than what's real.The FanFest is a one-day event in a North Greenwich warehouse by Hayu, the global streaming service home to Bravo's shows. Today, a 1,000-strong crowd walked the pink carpet, sipped super sweet themed cocktails, and spectated objets d'art from the Housewives franchises. The fans are varied and excitable, with a clutch of drag queens cozying up to a group of Scouse women.The queer fandom is massive too. Housewives is high camp, and its cast welcome their gay icon status. Andy Cohen is its doyen, and he has access to the delicious campiness of the show's most absurd arcs.Going off the fierce screams at FanFest with the new London announcement, Britain might meet Real Housewives of London with the same ferocity as the Champions League. As Cohen says, "People come together for Sunday night football, so why can’t they come together for Housewives?"Season 21 of Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen is streaming on Hayu. Panels from Hayu FanFest will be released for Hayu subscribers soon.
