Spilling the Tea on The Real Housewives of London

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As a movie enthusiast, if you’re following any accounts related to Bravo on Instagram, you might have stumbled upon the trailer for “The Real Housewives of London.” It certainly sparked excitement in me, with the idea of another set of wealthy middle-aged women engaging in drama – but this time, they all seem to emulate the eloquent tones of Lisa Vanderpump. Let’s revisit it together and see if it lives up to our expectations!

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=_8qXthVbO6E

In my humble opinion as a devoted movie reviewer, this latest addition to the Housewives franchise certainly retains the familiar elements that fans have come to expect: private jets glistening under the sun, dazzling diamond bracelets adorning wrists, and of course, the timeless drama involving women questioning each other’s class, honesty, and friendship. Even the inimitable Dorinda Medley graces our screens!

However, before any enthusiasts of U.S.-based Bravo programming start jotting down August 18 as a must-watch date, I feel it’s essential to clarify a few points about this fresh face in the Housewives universe. As both the president and founder of the Housewives Institute and a fortunate resident of Charles III’s realm, allow me to dispel any American confusion about the show’s identity and viewing options.

The logo in the corner of the trailer appears to be for Hayu (rhymes with “hey you”), a streaming platform that broadcasts American reality shows to people residing outside the U.S. It’s accessible in 45 countries and enjoys significant popularity in English-speaking nations such as Canada, the UK, Ireland, and Australia. However, even if you’re located in Hong Kong or Andorra, Hayu still caters to your reality TV needs. With over 350 shows in its library, including all Bravo series the day after their U.S. premiere (simultaneously with Peacock), and popular titles like “Botched” and “Keeping Up With the Kardashians,” Hayu is a destination for those who can’t get enough of these entertaining shows. If I could choose where to spend eternity, it would be on Hayu, surrounded by all my favorite shows and characters.

As a passionate film enthusiast, I’d like to share that “The Real Housewives of London” was the very first original production greenlit by Hayu, much like how “Bravo” originated from NBCUniversal, albeit they operate independently as distinct entities within the Universal family.

In a similar fashion as channels adapt and sell reality show formats worldwide, such as Britain’s Got Talent or Iceland’s Masked Singer, the Real Housewives series follows suit. This is how we ended up with The Real Housewives of Melbourne and The Real Housewives of Sydney. Although they carry the name Real Housewives, Bravo is not involved in producing any of these shows, although it did air the Australian versions previously.

To add more complexity, it’s important to clarify that the temporarily halted “Real Housewives of Dubai” was indeed commissioned by Bravo and produced in collaboration with one of their production companies. This makes it unique among all the overseas “Housewives” series, as it is the only one officially approved by the main network, unlike other international editions.

The “Housewives” experiment, initiated globally in 2011 with the temporary series “Real Housewives of Athens,” has seen significant growth over the past five years, particularly. During this time, there have been numerous international editions launched, including revivals of Sydney and Melbourne, as well as new locations such as Amsterdam, Durban, Cape Town, Lagos, and now London. Some of these can be found on Hayu, but regrettably not on Peacock.

It seems like you’re asking if “The Real Housewives of London” will be shown in the U.S. Unfortunately, there are currently no plans for it to air on Bravo or Peacock in the United States. However, people in the UK are accustomed to finding ways around this, such as using a VPN and a Peacock subscription, which is how I managed to watch every episode of “Love Island USA” this season, despite it not yet being available in the UK.

It’s intriguing! Are there other British Housewives series apart from Cheshire and Jersey that I might enjoy watching? Indeed, there is The Real Housewives of Cheshire, which takes place in the affluent Liverpool suburb where many WAGs reside, and The Real Housewives of Jersey, located on the Isle of Jersey, not the state of New Jersey. Both shows air on ITVBe, a channel similar to English TLC. Although Jersey was discontinued after two seasons, Cheshire has been running for 18 since its debut in 2015. Despite their popularity, neither show has quite made it into the British cultural mainstream, yet the Housewives fandom seems to be growing in the UK. You can find both of these shows on Hayu, a platform brimming with delights.

What sets RHOL (Real Housewives of… on Hayu) apart? Well, it’s unique because it’s exclusive to Hayu, which signifies a significant milestone for the streaming platform. The fanbase for ‘The Housewives’ series really gained traction in the U.K. during the early stages of the pandemic, as Netflix made the first two seasons of various cities available. Hayu cleverly leveraged this momentum to attract a lot of viewers. Now, with its first original show, Hayu is positioning itself not just as a repository for American re-runs, but as a powerhouse in its own right.

To put it another way, unlike the other British versions, the London edition of the show is produced by UTAS UK Productions, known for the long-running reality series “Made in Chelsea.” Think of it as a posh and wealthy version of “The Hills.” From what we’ve seen in the trailer, it appears that the production quality of RHOL matches the standard Bravo viewers are accustomed to. This ties back to the show due to brief appearances by Caroline Stanbury from “Ladies of London” and “The Real Housewives of Dubai,” as well as Dorinda Medley, a former resident of London and a star of “Real Housewives of New York City.” However, it seems they’re both only dropping by for tea and not playing major roles in the series.

Are there any other cast members from U.S. Bravo shows that viewers might recognize?
It’s unlikely. Designer Karen Loderick-Peace has appeared on both The Real Housewives of Jersey and Cheshire, and recently moved to the city in pursuit of a more prominent role in the Housewives series. Juliet Mayhew, from Australia, previously ran a leather goods brand before becoming an interior designer and event planner. Panthea Parker, who hails from Persia and resides in North London, has a unique background similar to Alex McCord trying to make it in Brooklyn. Nessie Welschinger is often seen as the voice of reason among the group and runs the Chelsea Cake Company after leaving finance. Amanda Cronin stands out in the group with her own well-regarded skin care line.

One individual often recognized among U.S. Bravo viewers may be Juliet Angus, an American expat who appeared on three seasons of Bravo’s Ladies of London. She makes her entrance a few episodes into the series, and it appears that Amanda and she have a longstanding disagreement that predates their time on the show. In the trailer, Amanda can be heard telling Juliet multiple times to “Go back to Paddington,” which is a not-so-subtle insult. Essentially, this phrase implies that Juliet lives in an undesirable area near a train station.

Is Juliet Angus connected to the recently announced reboot of Ladies of London? Not at all! Earlier this year, Bravo did indeed announce a reboot of the original show produced by BBC Studios. The series followed a group of American expats and British natives in London. However, it’s unknown if the new cast will have the same mix as the original, but it has been confirmed that the cast will be entirely new, meaning Caroline Stanbury won’t be part of it this time around. Sources close to the production suggest that they are wrapping up soon, so we might see it on Bravo in about six months.

So, are The Real Housewives of London depicted with teacups in their introductory scenes? Indeed, it seems so.

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2025-07-23 20:55