Reality TV King Andy Cohen on Housewives, Surrogacy and Shag, Marry, Kill

Andy Cohen doesn’t just shape the culture. He is the culture. And if you think I was excited-slash-terrified to interview a man who means so much to me (despite us never having met until this moment) then you would be entirely correct.

In many ways, Andy is the godfather of reality TV. He’s responsible for the birth of The Real Housewives franchise, without which we would never have had some of the most iconic small-screen moments of the last 20 years or spin-off shows such as Vanderpump Rules and Below Deck. He’s also the host of the phenomenally successful late-night talk show Watch What Happens Live, the author of five New York Times bestselling books and has even appeared as Zeus in a Lady Gaga music video.

We talk about…everything. I get all the tea on The Real Housewives - its inception, its stars and which housewife gives him the best gifts. We chat about that baby shower. We talk about why John Mayer would be Andy’s ideal husband. We talk about gay parenting, surrogacy and why an incident in a playground with his son left him feeling like a failure. We talk about knowing your audience, how difficult it is to deal with online trolling, why he’s never had any plastic surgery and whether he’d ever share a bath with Meredith Marks. One of my favourite ever interviews. Thank you so much, Andy!

IN THIS EPISODE
00:00 Introduction
02:21 Personal Insights and Provocation
06:02 Housewives and Reality TV Impact
09:22 Programming Failures and Lessons
18:09 Watch What Happens Live and Guest Stories
25:07 Reflecting on Long-Lasting Friendships
26:58 Parenting Challenges and Vulnerabilities
31:31 Surrogacy Journey and Legal Advocacy
34:42 Gifts and Memorable Moments from the Housewives
36:53 Dealing with Online Trolls and Fame
43:38 Shag, Marry, Kill

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