Andy Cohen: The mastermind behind American reality TV’s reign

It’s a crisp October afternoon, and Andy Cohen is sprawled crossed a banquette astatine London’s Chiltern Firehouse. His voice, rasping from a acold courtesy of his five-year-old lad Benjamin, is inactive commanding. Between sips of tea, the Emmy-winning shaper and Watch What Happens Live big sets the signifier with an anecdote astir bumping into Nicky Rothschild—daughter of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills prima Kathy Hilton—at the barroom the erstwhile night. It’s classical Cohen: adjacent parts glamour, gossip, and candour.

His knack for blending authenticity with play has made him the king of American reality TV. At 56, helium commands a multi-award winning franchise spanning 11 U.S. Real Housewives series, 21 planetary editions, and countless spin-offs. Despite his casual demeanour, his absorption is razor-sharp. “I’m successful the concern of making interesting, provocative television,” helium says.

The broadcaster has travel a agelong mode from interning astatine NBC successful the ‘90s. His trajectory from behind-the-scenes shaper to 1 of the astir almighty men successful American TV is legendary. After pioneering Bravo hits similar Project Runway and Top Chef, Cohen revolutionised unscripted tv with the debut of The Real Housewives of Orange County successful 2006. The show’s premix of aspirational lifestyles and interpersonal chaos struck a nerve, spawning a pop-culture empire that continues to germinate astir 2 decades later.

Cohen is speaking to The Standard aft crossing the Atlantic to be the inaugural HayuFanFest, wherever the event’s item was a large reveal: The Real Housewives of London is officially happening. After years of rumours, his empire is acceptable to present a caller radical of sharp-tongued, champagne-loving women—this clip from 1 of the world’s astir iconic cities.

At the clip of our conversation, the RHOL announcement hadn’t been made public, but Cohen was already teasing its potential. “I emotion that show,” helium said erstwhile discussing a erstwhile offering, Ladies of London, and whether it mightiness return. “Well, [Caroline] Stanbury lives successful Dubai. I mean, like, respective of them are divorced. They've moved. A lot’s changed with that group.” When pressed connected a imaginable reboot oregon a London variation Housewives, helium said kindly steered the speech away, “I don’t know. I mean, Ladies of London, I think, is what it is. And that’s arsenic overmuch arsenic I—you know, I’m not successful complaint of programming astatine Bravo anymore, truthful I can’t talk to that.”

However, helium remains profoundly progressive successful casting decisions for Housewives’ hiring and firing. “I americium 1 of the radical successful that universe, yes,” helium clarifies.

That constituent is ne'er much evident successful the week earlier our interrogation erstwhile Real Housewives of New Jersey prima Jennifer Aydin claimed she was returning to the franchise aft a contentious season. Cohen, however, alternatively embarrassingly for Aydin pushed back, saying her comments connected Instagram Live were premature during 1 of his Radio Andy broadcasts connected SiriusXM. “No, she benignant of misspoke,” helium reflects erstwhile asked astir her future. “It wasn’t that deep. My absorption connected the vigor was a genuine absorption to thing that I hadn’t heard.”

“Sometimes we’ve recovered that radical conscionable request immoderate clip distant from the cameras successful bid to conscionable benignant of unrecorded their lives and fto their roots spread,” helium says astir what lays up for the show. “And so, I deliberation that’s the infinitesimal we’re successful with Jersey.”

Although Cohen hinted astatine a imaginable RHONY-style reboot for New Jersey, helium remained noncommittal. “Everything's connected the table. I deliberation there's similar 4 ways we could spell with the show, and we conscionable haven't decided yet. We're successful nary rush.”

As the mastermind down 1 of television’s astir lucrative franchises, Cohen’s power is undeniable. From the archetypal openly lesbian formed subordinate Jenna Lyons connected RHONY to Vanderpump Rules’ “Scandoval” dominating planetary headlines, the American web has go a popular civilization powerhouse. Still, Cohen is speedy to deflect questions astir definite decisions, specified arsenic the aboriginal of Vanderpump Rules. “Well, I don’t deliberation that’s a speech close present that’s happening astatine Bravo, and a speech that I’m not progressive in, by the way,” helium reveals. “I’m not anymore a shaper of that show, truthful I cognize that immoderate is decided volition beryllium the close decision.”

Producing shows astir politically incorrect radical successful a satellite wherever governmental incorrectness is not needfully embraced has been absorbing and challenging

Asked astir whether VPR regulars Lala Kent and Scheana Shay are becoming full-time formed members connected The Valley amid Vanderpump Rules’ interruption successful filming, Cohen plays it coy: “You person to hold and see” earlier declaring that helium wasn’t a shaper of the bid either, “so can’t adjacent talk to it.”

Despite the glitz and acclaim, Cohen is nary alien to controversy. Bravo and genitor institution NBCUniversal precocious faced a “reality reckoning,” with allegations of on-set misconduct, sexism, and calls for unionisation among world stars with erstwhile Real Housewives of New York prima Bethenny Frankel starring the charge. Though Cohen was cleared of misconduct pursuing an investigation, helium remains pragmatic. “You cognize what? Through each of that noise, [I] conscionable kept focused connected producing the shows and doing my job,” helium says. “And it was bully due to the fact that BravoCon came astir close successful the mediate of that - and truthful to perceive 1 idiosyncratic benignant of spewing a batch of things, and past locomotion into, actually, 30,000 radical who emotion what we're doing, it was a truly bully moment.”

The fans, however, are thing but sound to Cohen. At events similar HayuFanFest oregon BravoCon, he’s reminded of the franchise’s passionate planetary pursuing acold beyond U.S. borders. “Walking done Marylebone, radical travel up to maine saying however overmuch the shows marque them happy,” helium shares. Even the astir captious societal media users don’t faze him. “It's the acquisition of what we do, that radical attraction truthful much, and truthful I would ne'er look down adjacent if they're saying unspeakable things connected Twitter.”

However, Cohen’s power stretches acold beyond the screen. Under his leadership, Bravo has go a level for stars to motorboat businesses, euphony careers, and idiosyncratic brands. Housewives similar Frankel and Lisa Vanderpump person parlayed their TV fame into multimillion-dollar ventures, redefining what it means to beryllium a world star.

Although he’s helped dozens of women go Housewives, helium is often regarded the “messiest” Housewife of them all. Does it fuss him? “I deliberation it's funny, and I should deterioration it arsenic a badge of honour,” helium says. Madonna, erstwhile dubbed him a “troublemaking queen” connected stage—a rubric helium proudly embraced. “I thought it was great,” helium laughs. “I thought Bravo should usage it arsenic a propulsion quote.”

In summation to overseeing the Housewives empire and hosting his bold late-night speech amusement Watch What Happens Live!, Cohen juggles a scope of projects. He regularly hits the roadworthy for speaking tours crossed the U.S., runs his ain publication imprint, and has authored respective bestselling memoirs filled with juicy gossip arsenic good arsenic heading up his vigor show, Radio Andy. While the activities whitethorn look diverse, they each autumn nether his broader mission: creating drama.

Reflecting connected the aboriginal of world TV, Cohen acknowledges the challenges of producing shows astir politically incorrect figures successful an epoch of heightened taste awareness. “I think, you know, producing shows astir politically incorrect radical successful a satellite wherever governmental incorrectness is not needfully embraced has been absorbing and challenging,” helium says. Yet, helium remains optimistic, crediting the franchise’s longevity to its willingness to evolve. Breaking the 4th wall, for instance, has go much common, arsenic audiences turn progressively savvy astir the mechanics of world television.

Despite his packed docket and beingness arsenic a azygous begetter of two—both welcomed via surrogate— Cohen isn’t slowing down. “It’s thing I deliberation about,” helium says of the thought of stepping backmost from his multifaceted career. Whether he’s teasing the adjacent Housewife, joking astir a reprising the Barney’s footwear salesman connected And Just Like That (“I’m going to archer Sarah [Jessica Parker] you said that”), oregon wrangling drama-filled reunions, Cohen seems perfectly astatine easiness successful his existent chapter. “Fatherhood keeps maine going,” helium says. “Everything other is conscionable gravy.”

At the helm of a taste juggernaut, Cohen remains astatine the centre of it all: sipping cocktails with A-listers connected WWHL, masterminding world TV’s biggest franchises, and shaping popular civilization with his signature flair for drama. With The Real Housewives of London connected the skyline and a loyal fanbase eagerly awaiting the adjacent twist, Cohen proves that chaos—when expertly managed—can beryllium the instauration of bonzer success.

Stream Season 21 of Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen connected Hayu