Andy Cohen is often referred to as the “King of Reality TV” and while his impressive career has seen him interview a long list of stars, he told Newsweek that some have been “difficult.”
Cohen is an Emmy Award-winning host, producer, and author best known as the host and executive producer of Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen (WWHL), Bravo’s late-night, interactive talk show.
Over the years he’s had stars such as Sarah Jessica Parker, Mariah Carey and Snoop Dogg on WWHL—and some have been easier to interview than others.
When asked whether he’s found certain guests difficult, Cohen told Newsweek: “Uh, sure. Yeah, all the time. Um… I mean, not all the time, but I mean, yes and no. Everybody who comes on the show is there because they want to be there. I mean, some people are better talk show guests than others, but that’s alright.”
Cohen often makes headlines with bold interviews and while he remained tight-lipped about who came to mind, he spoke of interviewing as an art form. “You go fishing,” he said.
Andy Cohen attends the Entertainment Weekly and PEOPLE Upfronts party presented by Netflix and Terra Chips at Second Floor on May 15, 2017, in New York City. He spoke to Newsweek about difficult guests he’s had on “Watch What Happens Live.”
Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Entertainment Weekly and PEOPLE
The media personality is also the host and executive producer of The Real Housewives franchise, which has become a cultural phenomenon. He has developed a reputation for his direct, often humorous approach in interviews, particularly during the reunion specials for the Housewives shows, where he mediates discussions and intense confrontations between cast members.
He has also played a significant role in the success of other Bravo reality series, like Below Deck, Vanderpump Rules, Summer House and Southern Charm. Although he isn’t involved in the day-to-day production of these shows, Cohen is influential in shaping the network’s brand. He also frequently hosts reunion specials for these shows, where he gathers cast members to discuss the season’s highs, lows, and conflicts.
Cohen explained that reunions are at their strongest when cast members are willing to air out their grievances but are also happy to move forward once a resolution has been met.
“I think that’s you know, when the reunions are at their best. You have people who are figuring out ways to come together,” he explained.
“I’ve been setting intentions at the beginning of reunions recently the last couple of years, trying to see what other people want to get out of the day and it’s fun for me to be able to help move people in that direction.”
However, if any cast members think they can hide from the drama, Cohen doesn’t let that happen, saying: “I don’t give them the choice of not addressing [anything]. If it happened it’s going to get addressed how they address it is up to them.”
While he’s proud of all the shows he’s involved in, the TV host admitted that some reunions are more fun for him to film than others. Shows where he isn’t an executive producer make him feel like he can be a bit more relaxed.
“I have to say Southern Charm and Summer House are really fun because I kind of get into the mess in ways that I don’t with Housewives. I’m more opinionated and so yeah, those are fun. But I mean, all the Housewives [shows] I love, just, I love drama and so they’re great. I love being there, I love being a part of it, I love instigating it,” he explained, before adding about the Summer House reunions: “I feel like I don’t—I’m not a producer in the show, so I just watch it as a fan. My stakes are less defined, I’m just being a fan.”
While Cohen might have reunions he enjoys the most, it’s near impossible for him to pick a favorite when it comes to a Housewives franchise. He explained that they all have a special place in his heart.
“They all do it’s really like asking, you know—I mean Orange County is the first, New York was always to me the funniest and now we rebooted it with such care and love and so it means something else,” he explained.
“We’ve just rebooted Atlanta and it’s so great and it’s its 16th season and so that, you know, I want them all to win and succeed and so it’s like I’m pulling for all of them and just want to do everything that I can to make them win.
“I just look at the Housewives and we’re going so strong. We’ve got 10 series on the air right now and they’re all resonating in different ways with people and very strongly. I absolutely, you know, feel very bullish about the Housewives.”
One of the reasons Cohen is so passionate about the shows he works on is not just because of the people that are involved but also the fact that these hit reality TV programs feel like a sociological study.
Despite the stigma associated with reality television, it can reveal the best and worst things about society and shows real people reacting to real-world situations. After all, these cast members are allowing their lives to be available for public consumption.
“I think that’s one of the reasons [reality TV is] still going. People love to judge human behavior,” he told Newsweek.
“And you know, it’s guilt-free doing that. It’s like, you’re not slacking off a friend. It’s like someone on TV who you can love, love to hate, agree with, disagree with, be mad at, be happy for, hate. So there’s a play-along factor and I think that that’s where the sociology comes in.”
The sociological factor, and the impact of parasocial relationships, was incredibly clear when Scandoval erupted. For those who aren’t Vanderpump Rules fans, Scandoval was the name bestowed to a scandal involving the reality series when cameras picked back up after Ariana Madix discovered that her boyfriend of nine years, Tom Sandoval, was having an affair with one of her best friends; Raquel Leviss.
The story broke the internet and dominated the news cycle for months, as viewers—and those affected—tried to grapple with what happened.
“These are real people with real lives real mistakes and look, as a TV producer, when something like that happens and you have cameras up, yes of course you’re like, ‘Oh my god this is incredibly dramatic, this is shocking, it’s everything you know that makes a docu-series,'” Cohen explained.
“That was a scandal that had everything, and I think the most important thing is, people who didn’t watch were like, ‘Why is this resonating?’ but these are people that we had known, you know, we had watched Tom and Arianna’s entire relationship from the beginning so you had seen them be together for many many years.
“It was like something that you felt like had happened to friends of yours in a weird way and you just couldn’t believe it.”
Andy Cohen is in London for the first-ever Hayu FanFest, taking place on Saturday, October 26. All the panels and fireside chats from Hayu FanFest will be recorded and released for subscribers on Hayu at a later date.
Stream Season 21 of Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen on Hayu.
