A Kiki Catchup
Two transatlantic besties catch up every week about reality tv, world events, and their lives. Laugh along to all of their unhinged stories as they journey through life and motherhood together. 🫶🏻
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A Kiki Catchup
Bravo & Botox
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GIRL WASH YOUR FACE. Alex the Esthetician is back in the studio, but this time she's spilling the tea on all the behind the scenes of Rhode Island reality TV. From tossed raviolis to Real Housewives cancelled facials to crappy coffee - we have all the inside scoop! We also dive into the shocking love affair to come out of The Traitors turret, who's cast trip this season may be to Epstein Island and the voting controversies from Dancing with the Stars. `
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Um, on a non-skin uh a little a little Bravo talk because we were talking a little bit before we pressed record. Alex has really been boots on the ground in some of our favorite Bravo shows, Newport trips. I don't know how much you can say by your NDAs you signed.
SPEAKER_00You didn't sign any NDAs, but they have Well, I mean, there was, you know, an infamous Rony trip to Newport.
unknownYes.
SPEAKER_00Probably was good. Seven years ago, right? Malia McSweeney one. Oh my god, has it been that long? Yes.
SPEAKER_02Oh my gosh, and they went to that crazy restaurant. It was like all dark. The cookhouse.
SPEAKER_00I was there, I was there last week.
unknownOh my god.
SPEAKER_00At the time, I was working at Castle Hill Inn in the spa there where they stayed. Wow. And our scheduler said to me, Would you be okay performing a facial like being recorded for TV? And then said it's for the Real Housewives. And in my mind, I was like, no, I would not be okay. I have seen every episode of The Real Housewives of New York. Like, no, first of all, I don't want someone recording me doing my work because that just makes me feel uncomfortable. And also, I would be so distracted, like, oh my god, totally. And so it ended up being that literally everything they planned for that trip they canceled because they just like didn't make it to anything. They didn't make it to their spots.
SPEAKER_02They were just drunk the entire time.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, they hired like a personal trainer to come and do like a workout with them. They just never showed up.
SPEAKER_02Did they pay for all of this still?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yes, I mean.
SPEAKER_00I actually think that Dorinda got a massage. I remember. I mean, it was a little while ago, so it's hard for me to remember. I'm pretty sure that she got a massage, and I remember the massage therapist telling me that she was really, really lovely. I I expect she would be. Yeah.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_00So yeah, I mean, it was big when it was happening here. And then to see it on TV and to have it be this, like, you know, trip that lives in infamy and shit show.
SPEAKER_02Yes.
unknownOh my god.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. I mean, every time I go to the cookhouse, I'm like, well, and that's where they threw the ravioli right there.
unknownThat's where they threw the ravioli.
SPEAKER_02Have you seen any Real Housewives of Rhode Island?
SPEAKER_00Oh my God. It's so funny you say that because last week I was driving downtown and I saw out my window, I don't know if you've ever been to Newport, but on Thame Street, it's like a one-way street, and that's like where all the shops and restaurants and bars are and everything. And I was driving down it pretty slow because it was Labor Day weekend. And I out of the corner of my eye, I see this woman who has a ton of makeup on, and she just like caught my eye. And Steven, my husband, was like, Oh my god, there's a housewife. And it was Jo Ellen. Oh legend. Legend. Gorgeous. But like I could see her coming from a mile. And just like hair. Yeah. She had like this like purple dress on. She looked beautiful.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_00But yeah, she's the only real housewife of Rhode Island that I've seen in person, I believe. No, I well, I've seen uh the husband, uh Jared, at the coffee shop.
SPEAKER_02Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh my god.
SPEAKER_00And actually, at the mechanic the other day. He was getting his his car fixed. Have you been to their coffee shop? Yes. How is it? I haven't been there since the show aired. Okay. Not great, but I think maybe maybe it's better now because I think it's more crowded. That's one thing that like all of their businesses have really blown up with the exposures that they've gotten on the TV.
SPEAKER_02And that's why you do it.
SPEAKER_00From what I heard, a lot, at least in Newport, a lot of like the restaurants and places around Newport didn't want to allow filming for Houseways of Rhode Island because of what happened at the Rony trip and like bad behavior and sort of whatever. And so there were that they requested and and they said no. But now they I think that they maybe just finished or they're almost finished recording this second season, and a lot of places came back and were like, you can actually film here because we would like the exposure.
SPEAKER_01Right, right, of course. Yeah, of course. Now they see they're not roany.
SPEAKER_02They're not also even if they do, if somebody throws up on camera at your restaurant, I mean, amazing. Yeah. I mean, look at you talk about your face as your calling card. Heather Gay, her face is horrific. And yet, Beauty Lavin Laser is blowing up.
SPEAKER_01Private.
SPEAKER_00Never been busy.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. So my God. I remember when Alex texted us and was like, oh my God, the real housewives, they want me to do it. They want me to do a facial on camera. What do I do? What do I do? We were like, do it. Do it, do it, do it.
SPEAKER_00I was so like so nervous. I was conflicted. I was like, I don't know if I should say yes because I don't know if I can hold it together. And that would be way more embarrassing.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_01But of the Rony Housewives, whose face would you want to do?
unknownYes.
SPEAKER_01Or whose wouldn't you want to do?
SPEAKER_00Ramona.
SPEAKER_01You know, I just, it's just, you know, I I'm sure you know what you're doing, but I just, I don't, that I don't, I don't like it. I just don't like it.
SPEAKER_00I mean anyone who works, she just refers to as a servant. So yes.
SPEAKER_02Yes. She finds like anybody who's in the house to unpack her bags. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01It would be awful. I feel like Dorinda would be good. She would be respectful.
SPEAKER_00Yes. And she has a young daughter. She's just like, you know, she's like a little more connected with the real world.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Yeah. I mean, Ramona does too, but you know, Ramona also has young daughter, but not connected whatsoever. Never has been. Avery never had a chance. She's a vile person, but she never had a chance.
SPEAKER_01Didn't she start a like bachelorette planning business, Avery, Ramona's daughter? For like seeing her on Watch What Happens Live premiere for like you know, millionaire bachelorette parties. Yeah. It was like, hire us to plan your $40,000 custom bachelorette party.
SPEAKER_02Didn't her wasn't Ramona like caught on camera at her college graduation, like making out with some kid that graduated with her?
SPEAKER_00Probably.
SPEAKER_02I don't know, but probably. I might have just made that up, but I feel like it's true. So we're gonna, I'm not gonna look it up. We're just gonna go with it.
SPEAKER_01We're just gonna go with it. It sounds right. Yeah, it sounds about right. I know Mallory and I were touching on that we both are experiencing Bravo fatigue a bit. Yeah. Uh it's I there's not much on Bravo that I really watch. And even some stuff I've started to try to watch, and I'm just like, eh.
SPEAKER_02Alex is saying she's still tapped into everything. For Potomac. I'm ready for current.
SPEAKER_01I'm ready for Potomac. That's one of the only ones. That's one of the only ones. It's really the housewives I'm falling off of, a lot of them.
SPEAKER_02New York is is not looking good.
SPEAKER_00I mean, I w did you watch the episode from last week?
SPEAKER_02No. No, was it good?
SPEAKER_00I mean, it wasn't it wasn't that good, but you know, the first the first episode of the season, there's some, especially when there's new people, it's like a little bit clunky, you know, they just have to introduce everybody. Right.
SPEAKER_01Um I can't deal with the Carol Epstein of it all. I just can't. I can't I can't.
SPEAKER_00I will, I will watch it.
SPEAKER_01Okay. You can watch the quarterback, Alex.
SPEAKER_02You know, what'd you say? I said her five summers are up. Didn't you say she had five good summers like 15 years ago? They're up. They're up. Yeah you spent them on Epstein Island. Although uh Leah you go ahead and say it. Leah Remini. Romini? Ramini? Ramini. Leah Ramini. Leah Ramini coming to Beverly Hills is everything.
SPEAKER_00I'm excited about that.
SPEAKER_02I am excited about that. And I have been around. Nobody liked Beverly Hills this year, but I liked it. I maybe it's just how much I love Rachel Zoe. I just thought she brought a good vibe to it.
SPEAKER_00I liked it. Yeah. I was sad that Dorite was like fighting with everybody because I've grown to really like Dorite. But it was sad to me that she was so mean to.
SPEAKER_01What are you guys talking about? I didn't like Derit. She's the villain. She's harmless. Oh, she's not. Yeah. I don't know. She's getting kicked out of her house, right? For like the tenth time allegedly. Probably.
SPEAKER_02But I mean, why why are you spending you're making $2.5 million and you're spending 2.6? Come on.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I know.
SPEAKER_02I know. And then you do. Get it. You have kids. What are you doing?
SPEAKER_00I've also been watching Ultimate Girls Trip, Road Trip.
SPEAKER_02I I tried to start it. I can't watch Vicky Gumbleson. Oh, Nini's face was so shocking to me that it was like I it really threw me for a loop. I know.
SPEAKER_00She was like a human airbrush, really.
SPEAKER_02She was. She looked just blurred. Yeah. What product does that, Alex? That will human airbrush. Does she filler her entire face?
SPEAKER_00I don't know because it it just it really doesn't even look like a real face.
SPEAKER_02No, it does not. It does not look human.
SPEAKER_00I have no idea, but I'm sure it wasn't cheap.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. No. Yeah. Definitely not. We haven't talked about this yet, Jackie, but I my two worlds have really collided because I have my husband and I have seen every single season, some of them two or three times, of the challenge, the real real world road rules challenge. CT, greatest uh greatest player of all time. Greatest. I'm in Phaedra. I know that it's entirely for the cameras, but I don't care.
SPEAKER_01I love them. I love them together. Love it. Did you watch did you watch Traiters, Alex? Yes. Oh my gosh.
SPEAKER_00I started with season three of The Traitors in real time. It's fine. I watched three and then four. And then I went back and I watched one and two. Beautiful. Um yeah, it seems like a really weird match to me, but it's so weird. I love it.
SPEAKER_01So weird. I if any type of guy could handle an Atlanta Peach like Phaedra, it's a Boston guy. It's a Boston guy. It's a big, burly Boston guy. It works.
SPEAKER_02It's odd, but the only thing though is the only thing that I I that really, not the only thing, but a really big red flag for me is that throughout throughout his years on the challenge, like you know, 20 years or something, he's hooked up with countless women on it. Never won a woman of color. Never. So I'm like, are you really down with the swirl? Or do you just is maybe he's never tasted it.
SPEAKER_01Maybe he's never tasted some sweet chocolate. And now he knows what he's been doing. The sweeter the juice. There we go.
SPEAKER_00You know, I feel like I should go back and look and see how they interacted because I don't remember. Were they close? I don't even remember.
SPEAKER_02I'm very jokey and laughing. They were flirty, like super close. Yeah, but in the case.
SPEAKER_00Trash. Are they friends? Are they not friends? And at the end, of course, they you know win it together. But right, right.
SPEAKER_02They had been friends for a long time, though. I don't think he was ever really with Trishelle. There, he did the the main plot on there was that this beautiful sweet girl, DM, came on the challenge. Heartbreaking her, yes, this like bad boy, yes, who and they had this sweet little romance and on again, off again, and then her last season, she had to end early. They were partners, and then she ended up dying. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Remember him carrying her, like almost like oh horrible. That wrecked me as like, I don't even know. 17-year-old. How old were we? Like that was oof, that was rough. 17. It wasn't that long.
SPEAKER_02How young do you think you are? You were a 30-year-old. Like 12. 12 years ago. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01That was so sad. Sip the DM for sure.
SPEAKER_02But I've got him carrying Johnny bananas on his back like a backpack. Oh the greatest challenge moment of all time, you know. So good. So good. He was so hot when he was in shape.
SPEAKER_01Like so hot. He has had some filler. Those photos of him and Phaedra. Oh yeah. He yeah. He's had some more.
SPEAKER_02Why we don't, we're not we're not a PC here, Alex. So this may make you uncomfortable. But why, after season after season of seeing yourself and refusing to do anything to actually lose the weight, why don't you just hit that pin? Why don't you just take the job? You know? Why what why are people making that decision?
SPEAKER_00I don't people are people make strange choices for themselves sometimes. And there's really no explaining it away.
SPEAKER_02These are the questions I've asked as well of Britney Cartwright. You know, like don't you get a full mommy makeover and take your drains to Mexico? Just hit Ozempac for a few months and see how that does first. I just I think that's weird. I don't think the doctors must have just given her a huge discount. Yeah, I don't feel like that. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Are you gonna watch traders with normal people on it? Yes. I can't remember.
SPEAKER_02Are you gonna tell her that you upload to be on it? No, I never I never did.
unknownI never did.
SPEAKER_01You should. Yes. I talked a big game, but I maybe next time I like filling out the application.
SPEAKER_02You're like, what's your US address? I need it for my trader's application. I started to fill it out.
SPEAKER_01And then it was like gotta make these videos, and I had these ideas, and then I just I don't know, I saw this thing about everything online where like millions and millions of people were going to these casting calls, and I was like, I'm never gonna fucking cast. So I just I know, I know, I know. I'll do for the next season.
SPEAKER_00Maybe if you get Botox, you'll get on. It's true. Wow, exactly. Truer words, true words.
SPEAKER_02Maybe it's next season when your hair grows out.
SPEAKER_01You know, your hair grows out and my face is toxic. Maybe that's different.
SPEAKER_00That's such a I just think there's like this whole element of people who try to take, at least in the seasons before, they try to like take people's personalities that they know outside and bring them into like how they act and how they think they should be acting. Yeah, and so we're not gonna have any of that.
SPEAKER_02I like that. That's a great point. I like it too. Yeah, I'm just gonna be. I don't know anything about these people. You don't have a history with any of them, you don't, you haven't seen them on TV, you know nothing about them.
SPEAKER_01Right. Yeah, how functional. And they have to be somewhat interesting.
SPEAKER_02It's gonna be just like a room full of Donna Kelsey's, you know. God, no.
SPEAKER_01I've seen the trailer, it looks good. They look oh man, they look interesting. They look good.
SPEAKER_02But back, so really quick, back to Britney. Do you feel bad for her because of all that she's gone through or because of her appearance? Or both?
SPEAKER_00Because of everything she's gone through.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_00She's really a beaten-down person.
SPEAKER_02She shows she knew this. She met a mental after Huey had aired on TV. I know. You're right, you're right. You're right. Married out. Stick with your guns, Alex. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00No, I mean, I think it's I guess it's the whole thing with the publicist and them being in a relationship now. She like, she just got I don't know. Shh, I like to do it. We're friends, and like she really turned on her.
SPEAKER_01Oh I mean, I feel bad for her for like the abuse. I mean, I'm not heartless. Of course. I like of course it goes without saying. Like, she has she has gone through shit. Like, there's part of me that like you chose to be with this man who we all knew was absolute garbage. But yes, like she has been through it, but also I need her to just like go away. Like, I need her to go to Kentucky. She's not undone.
SPEAKER_02She's a she's a side. She's made she's made a lot of bad choices.
SPEAKER_01Yes, yes, yeah.
SPEAKER_02And she's not watchable. I don't need to see you in your drains in Mexico. I know. I have to assume the doctor just said, like, we will do this for free, or we will pay you to do this if you let us do it on camera. Yeah. And that's why she did it. Otherwise, why wouldn't you have tried other stuff first? You don't just go straight to like very serious surgery. Yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And apparently, Dancing with the Stars aired last night. Neither Mallory nor I watched it, just like we said we wouldn't. I didn't even know it. Uh-uh.
SPEAKER_02Didn't even know it, but I felt it in my veins. Felt it in my heart. I saw something about voting today. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Apparently the voting system wasn't working right. And but they still eliminated Connor Levitt, Whitney's husband, night one.
SPEAKER_02I know. Sweet little baby boy. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And the internet is ablaze saying, first of all, why would you eliminate someone night one when like they just danced?
SPEAKER_02Wait, I thought you, I thought you they it aired and then you voted overnight, and then the next night.
SPEAKER_01No, they did it like the night it was airing. So like the guy danced and people were voting. Like the West Coast didn't even like wake up yet to vote. And I guess the voting wasn't working. People said they were voting online, they were voting for one person, and it was coming back being like, thanks for voting for so and so. And it was someone totally different, and like none of it was working, and they still eliminated it.
SPEAKER_02If they have a week to remediate it, maybe they'll maybe they'll fix.
SPEAKER_01I wonder if they will because my my threads is ablaze with uh with keeping it.
SPEAKER_02We can't have another, you know, voting disaster in this country. We cannot. We just cannot investigate. We just earned our right to vote. I think I think that we uh can vote, is what the right now today said.
SPEAKER_01Today we can vote, so yeah, we can't have another one. No, we don't know when this podcast airs if we'll be allowed to, but for now, right while we're recording, we can.
SPEAKER_02On the date of recording, we can vote.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. So we can't have that in our in our dancing with the stars as well. It's d dis too much. Dis too much. So I don't know. I have no idea how Taylor Hansen did. That's really all I care about. I need to find a video on the internet.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Alex, are you watching?
SPEAKER_00No, I've never really been a dancing with the stars person, but I'm interested in it.
SPEAKER_02And like it's an old person's game, you know. It is.
SPEAKER_00And you sometimes I'll watch the dances like on Instagram the next day. Same. Yeah. Like Whitney. Hers. I always like. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Like you lose us when you tell us we have to watch it at a certain time and day. You know, I can't do appointment television. That's not how we operate. That's why they should give them like a week to vote, you know? Let everybody watch it. Give us a week to vote. Then the next week you come on, get somebody gets luminated, they dance again, you know?
SPEAKER_01Yeah. I can't if I watch Dancing with the Stars, it's going to age me. And I'm gonna spend all this money on the skincare. And I can't, I can't blow it on watching Dancing with the Stars live. Oh god.
SPEAKER_02I remember there was right after law school, Brandon lived with his aunt and uncle for a couple of months while he worked in Columbia. And every time I mean when I would go and visit, they would just we'd sit in their couch and watch Dancing with the Stars with them being like, God, this sucks.
SPEAKER_01You might as well watch Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy live. Throw them all together. And then just get in your coffin in the daytime and end it all. That's right. Exactly. All right, great. Well, on that note, thank you, Alex, again for coming and hanging out with us. This was awesome.
SPEAKER_02Thank you so much. Thank you. Fantastic. Oh my gosh. So I'm gonna platform do under-eye filler and then the lake. Take an appointment. That's what you want. It is. It is what I want. Not what I want. Absolutely is. But nobody's up to me. Well, I did, but then I just disregarded what you said.
SPEAKER_01You do you. You be true to you.
SPEAKER_02I will.
SPEAKER_01Amazing. I'm gonna go buy that redness product. When you don't have under-eye problems, it's true. It's hard to truly empathize with those you know, disformed faces. Disfigured faces. Yeah. It's hard. So anyway, guys, follow us on the social at Akiki CatchUp. Check out all the products and recommendations that Alex put. Make yourself prettier, please. We will appreciate it. And then Alex, come back anytime. If you if you guys have any more questions for Alex, send them our way. We'll have her back.
SPEAKER_02And to the men listening, the one to two men, our husbands, wash your face. You know, that's girl, wash your face. Please wash your face, you know, a couple times a week, please.
SPEAKER_01That's it. That's all they need to do, and they'll never age because they're men and life's not there.
SPEAKER_02They don't have anything to worry about.
SPEAKER_01The truth must be nice. All right, guys. It's been a pleasure. Bye-bye.