Luann De Lesseps Spills On RHONY, Golden Life, Jill Zarin Drama & Real Housewives Anniversay Special

When it comes to reality TV icons, and more specifically Real Housewives, I can’t think of anyone who’s had a more transformative journey than Countess Luann de Lesseps. Since joining RHONY in 2008, the fan fave has gone through it all right before our eyes, from marriages and divorces to pirates and Jovani looks, her whole life has been on display for us to watch and enjoy.

Now on the other side of RHONY, Luann is a bonafide cabaret star, touring the world and bringing joy to many with her music and fierce fedora energy. Plus, she’s set to light up our screens once again with The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Roaring 20th (which will be available to stream later this year, only on Hayu) and E!’s Golden Life.

During her stop Down Under for Mighty Hoopla Festival, PEDESTRIAN.TV chatted to the Countess about everything from her on-and-off-screen evolution to RHONY highlights to the Jill Zarin of it all.

P.TV: I feel like of all the Housewives, you have had the most amazing trajectory from when you started to where you are now. You’ve walked away on the biggest high in terms of being the most beloved, you are booked and busy, and you’re travelling the world showcasing your talent. It’s been such a journey, how does it all feel?

Luann de Lesseps: You know, it feels like I’ve arrived. Ladies and gentlemen, this is Countess speaking, I have arrived. And you know, to a place where I feel like I’m in the driver’s seat, where I feel like I’m doing things now that just make me happy. And I think when you lead with love, you’re always going to win.

I love my life because I’ve made it exactly how I wanted to make it, right? Life is a cabaret, write it yourself. I didn’t like my story when I started cabaret. I was not feeling great about myself. And so, I decided to change my story and literally cabaret saved me. Because Housewives were over at this point, right? At a certain point. Not when I first started cabaret, but that would come to an end. We never know what’s going to happen in life, so you have to have a backup plan.

Now, did I expect the cabaret to become successful? Of course not. Did I expect the Housewives to become successful when I first started the way it is? Never. So, you just never know and I feel like when the train doors open, jump on that train. Don’t be the one standing on the platform going “shit, I should have jumped on the train”, because you can always go home. When I started cabaret it was like “jump”, right? And I didn’t know if I was going to get caught in the fall or what was going to happen. I took a chance. I think you have to take chances and try to live as best as you can without fear.

P.TV: 100 per cent! So, all your fans were thrilled to hear that you were going to be one of the leads on the 20th reunion of Housewives. What can you tell us about that? I’m so excited!

Luann de Lesseps: You are going to love this show. We had the best time together. When you put seven women together you’re going to have drama. I didn’t know Porsha [Williams] well, so I got to know Porsha well and you do not want to mess with Porsha, let me tell you that. And Gizelle [Bryant], she’s so strong. I mean, she’s always pretty she’s always direct and she’s pretty much always correct. She’s a force to be reckoned with and I love that. I love women that are fierce and that are strong. And Lisa Barlow was for me somebody that I didn’t know well. I would see her at BravoCon and actually this BravoCon we kind of got close. We did some TikToks together and had some fun. I just find her delightful and it was great getting to know her. Kyle [Richards] and I did the first Ultimate Girls Trip together and with Teresa [Giudice]. And Teresa was along this trip as well. So…

P.TV: Because you three are the Mount Rushmore of Housewives, honestly. It had to be you three on there.

Luann de Lesseps: I’m just honoured that they picked me from New York and what a great experience. It’s going to be so much fun. And it’s a very bonding experience, you’re going to learn a lot more about us because we had this time spent together and what got on our nerves, what drove us crazy about each other. There’s going to be some bickering going on, that’s for sure. And you don’t know who’s coming in. I can’t tell you who’s coming in. But we do know about Nene [Leakes], it was so great to film with her! And so many other Housewives that I can’t tell you about yet.

But it is going to be a great show. To celebrate 20 years of doing the show and like I said, we never expected it to get to this point where it was just so… the Bravo universe is just so massive.

P.TV: Do you watch any other Bravo shows?

Luann de Lesseps: I tune into Miami Housewives because I love Marysol [Patton] and Alexia [Nepola] and Beverly Hills because I love Kyle. And Traitors, I’m watching with Lisa Rinna and Dorinda [Medley]. They’re both killing it this season. I also watch Below Deck here and there. I’ll watch Southern Charm because I find those boys so hot.

P.TV: Would you ever do Traitors?

Luann de Lesseps: Well, there’s been talk about me. Yes! Okay. I want to manifest that. Everybody’s like “you’ve got to be on Traitors! Why aren’t you on Traitors?” So… yeah, you’d be great on that. So be faithful to me. [Both laugh]

P.TV: Absolutely. OG RHONY is so iconic. Do you ever go back and rewatch when you have rare moments of downtime?

Luann de Lesseps: I haven’t recently but I have in the past and it’s just so crazy to me because you know, the house that I lived in then in the Hamptons is gone, right? I have a different house.

P.TV: So many iconic things happened there! I can see it in my head, that room…

Luann de Lesseps: The bar!

P.TV: Yes, the bar! That gorgeous bar. It was beautiful.

Luann de Lesseps: It was like an English bar that I made. But to see the kids growing up, to see Aston who was a puppy when we first got him. Rosie, she’s passed away, so we can go back and see Rosie, she will always be alive on RHONY. It’s just, you know, a living photo album of my life. So that’s kind of cool. And also, you know, I go “oh jeez, why did I say that?” or “why did I wear that dress?” or “why did I say that?” right? When she said something to me, why didn’t I say this? You know, there’s all those kinds of moments too when we first were doing the show. You know, now I don’t even think about that because that’s, you know, so far gone in terms of the years that I’ve been doing it, but it’s nice to reminisce.

P.TV: I always think whenever you have a tense conversation with someone you walk away from it and later you’re in the shower and you think ‘why didn’t I say that?’ but for you it’s magnified because it’s on TV. So it’s even more annoying.

Luann de Lesseps: Oh yeah. Well, you have to live through the same thing twice. Yes. So, you know, for example the, you know, the pirate story. I was dating Jacques at the time. I was concerned about Jacques, I wish I could take that moment back and not have told the white lie that snowballed into a big gigantic lie.

P.TV: You almost created the hot mic moment, for Real Housewives, at least!

Luann de Lesseps: I got caught on the phone talking about the pirate and they translated it to English. So I’m speaking French thinking “oh, they won’t understand me”. Now, did I know I had a mic on my back? No, I did not. And that’s the only hot mic moment I’ve ever had on the show. Because I got flustered, I think they’re going to think that I slept with the pirate. And in the end, you know, Sonja [Morgan] sleeps with the pirate.

P.TV: Yes! And he comes back in the…

Luann de Lesseps: Oh yes, he comes back to life in St. Barths on the OG trip.

P.TV: If you could go back and tell old Luann something when she first joined the show, what would you say?

Luann de Lesseps: Don’t take yourself so seriously. When I first started the show, my marriage was kind of rocky already. So, I think people think that that caused the end of my marriage. It did not. I mean it certainly was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to go through in my life, but it… it did not end my marriage. But, um, what was the original question?

P.TV: If you would give yourself any advice.

Luann de Lesseps: Oh advice, yeah. Um, don’t take yourself too seriously is the advice and “be cool, don’t be all uncool”.

[Both laugh]

P.TV: Who knew that moment would become one of the most iconic Real Housewives quotes. It’s just… it’s just so like usable.

Luann de Lesseps: It was so organic. It was like, so Andy [Cohen] calls me, he goes “you’ve got the line of the season”. I’m like “what line?” He goes “Lu, you in that bathrobe and those sunglasses like, you know, with your arms out like this like ‘be cool, don’t be all uncool’.” Like “really?” Because I didn’t see it, he saw it, you know. I just lived it. And one of my other favourites is “Wouldn’t you be upset if you were to find a naked man upstairs in the bed next to you?” and I’m like “not really!”

[Both laugh]

Luann de Lesseps: Not really! No, I’d be taking selfies by now with his ass in my face! Oh my God. I did not say that. And so would you!

P.TV: No, 100 per cent. Oh my God, speaking of: I loved the last scene of RHONY Legacy. Oh that was gold. Do you know what I’m talking about?

Luann de Lesseps: Oh my God, where I threw the towel over the camera? Yeah! I’m like “get out of here, we’re going to have sex now, get out!”

P.TV: By then you were just such a pro, like you knew what you were doing.

Luann de Lesseps: Yeah I was like “you know what, you’re not getting in here” and then of course he sneaks out to get a bottle of champagne with no clothes on, I’m like “well done, darling”, because the wind blew the towel off the camera. Anyway, it was great.

P.TV: We’re so excited to have you all back for E!’s Golden Life! We’ve been wanting this for so long. How did it feel getting that phone call and seeing it all come together?

Luann de Lesseps: Oh my God, I mean it just felt like finally, somebody wants me!

P.TV: Oh, we never stopped wanting you!

Luann de Lesseps: I feel so blessed. We’re going to get some time with Sonja-rita, we’re going to have some time with “crazy eyes” Ramona [Singer] who has become, I’ve got to say much, more of a pussycat these days. I just saw that she saw Bethenny [Frankel]… did you see that the other day? Bethenny and Sonja… did you see how happy she was? That girl, she was just, right? I’m like “what is she doing?” She was just grinning from ear to ear, just so happy to see the girls. Makes me a little nervous.

Oh and Kelly [Bensimon], we’re going to see Kelly and what’s going on with the jelly beans. And Dorinda was just announced! I’m thrilled about Dorinda. I’m so happy she’s coming along for the ride because I think she’s a really integral part of the cast.

P.TV: I have to ask, obviously everything that happened with Jill was kind of disappointing to see. How did you feel as that was all kind of going down? What was your reaction to that?

Luann de Lesseps: Oh, well, my reaction was… tone deaf. Right? I’ve known Jill for a long time and I’m just surprised by the whole thing and it’s unfortunate. But the show must go on! And it will, and it will be fabulous.

P.TV: Absolutely. Thank you so much Luann, that was brilliant.

Luann de Lesseps: Thank you, darling.

Stream all episodes and seasons of The Real Housewives of New York City and Bravo’s Love Hotel on Hayu. The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Roaring 20th will be available to stream later this year, only on Hayu.