Andy Cohen has done a lot of things in his career, but he draws the line at being a reality TV star. In a February 2023 interview with The New Yorker, the 54-year-old Bravo host revealed he would never go on a reality show, despite his knack for programming the genre and interviewing its stars.
“It terrifies me,” Cohen admitted in the interview. “I wouldn’t want to be a guest on ‘Below Deck.” I wouldn’t want the cameras shooting me from the side when I have my shirt off. I’m terrified of what I’m going to look like.”
Cohen added that his hesitation also has to do with “the edit” he could be given.
“The women of ‘Housewives’ are not in charge of their edit,” Cohen said. “It’s hard, and it’s one of the reasons I respect all the Housewives,” he added later. “These people are being judged for s*** they’re doing in their own kitchen. And, yes, they signed up for it, but it’s hard.”
Andy Cohen Did Make a Cameo on a Bravo Reality Show
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While he doesn’t want to be a reality star, Cohen did surprise the cast of one Bravo reality show with an impromptu cameo. In 2021, Cohen crashed the “Summer House” party house in the Hamptons over Labor Day weekend. In a clip posted by Bravo, the WHHL host showed up unannounced to inspect the house and share a drink with the gang before they packed things up for the summer.
“I need everybody in the back yard, we’re doping the reunion right now,” Cohen joked to the shocked cast members upon his arrival.
Once out back, he noted that the trashed backyard was “a disaster” from a party the night before. He also called out star Ciara Miller for her messy room. “The amount of old food in your room is disgusting,” Cohen told Miller before heading out.
Andy Cohen Hosted a TV Special About Reality TV
Cohen started his career as an intern at as at CBS News in New York before being hired by CBS News. He later worked for the channel now-defunct channel, Trio, and was then put in charge of original programming at Bravo, he told USA Today in 2019.
While he is no longer a Bravo executive, Cohen hosts the late-night chat fest “Watch What Happens Live,” where he interviews reality stars on a regular basis.
In 2021, he hosted the E! docuseries “For Real: The Story of Reality TV.” “I absolutely loved the idea of looking back. I lived it on several levels — as a fan, as a producer,” he told Entertainment Weekly at the time, adding that it “seemed like a bullseye topic to dive into.”
In 2022, Cohen told The Hollywood Reporter that with the rise of social media, things have changed drastically for reality stars since the genre’s early days.
“I think the line is always moving,” he said. “It’s a challenging time in the universe to create a huge unscripted watercooler show where people are often celebrated for their polarizing opinions or surprising points of view. ”
Cohen added that when it comes to casting reality shows, it’s crucial to get “the most real picture of who someone is before you put them on TV.”
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Andy Cohen Reveals the 1 Thing That ‘Terrifies’ Him