Interviewed and Written by Cortney Moore.
Last month, E! debuted it’s newest reality TV show, Famously Single, which features one of Cupid’s own, Laurel House. As an experienced relationship expert, House has had the opportunity to work closely with celebrities to fix their love lives, so it was only natural that E! selected her as one of the dating coaches to bolster their celebrity cast. In our exclusive celebrity interview, House opens up about her experience on the show and the relationship advice she offered the celebrity cast members.
Celebrity Interview: Laurel House Talks E!’s Newest Star-Studded Reality TV Show ‘Famously Single’
Famously Single explores the dating lives of eight celebrities: Brandi Glanville, Aubrey O’Day, Pauly D, Jessica White, Willis McGahee, Somaya Reece, Calum Best and Josh Murray. With House’s expertise and guidance, each celebrity is able to examine their behavior and past experiences in order to understand why their relationships have failed. But why do celebrities often experience failed relationships in the first place? House says, “The reality is that just because they’re celebrities, doesn’t mean that they’re really all that different when it comes to entertaining difficulties and insecurities.” She went on, saying, “Anyone can relate to the dating problem the celebrities are struggling with.” In her expert opinion, celebrities are relatable because their insecurities stem from fear. Their careers require them to have both public and private personas, which sometimes conflict and are damaging if revealed.
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Prior to meeting the cast, House expected the celebrities to be “high maintenance or catty,” but was pleasantly surprised when she was able to work with them. “They were all truly amazing human beings, with the most gigantic hearts,” she says. She also expressed how delighted she was to see these stars open up and reveal their more vulnerable sides. Two celebrities who stood out in her mind when discussing authenticity and kindness were Pauly D and Calum Best, both of whom are known for their wild party sides. “There is so much more than that,” she reveals, referencing who they truly are. As far as which cast member inspired her, House says it was Somaya Reece who opened her eyes. She adds, “She’s been through a tremendous amount of pain and difficulty in her life, and she’s overcome it more than anyone I’ve ever seen.” House believes the challenges in Reece’s life made her fragile, which is similar to the stories of many celebrities. “There is some fragility with these celebrities. Yes, they’re very strong and put up strong exteriors, but that’s for public consumption. They do have a very fragile and soft side, and that’s the beauty of them.”
Though House was able to get most of the celebrities to open up, her experience as their dating coach was not all smooth sailing. A number of the celebrity cast members gave her a difficult time at some point or another while filming. Two such celebrities were Willis McGahee and Josh Murray, both of whom she met in episode 2 during the cast’s outing to a club. “I was personally very surprised by Willis’s request to join him in the bathroom,” House admitted when asked about the incident. Although she was surprised by his invitation, she wants audiences to understand that a situation like this isn’t uncommon for a professional athlete. “In the sports industry, women are throwing themselves at you,” she explains. “So while it was surprising to me, it’s not a surprise that it happened. And it’s not reflective of Willis as a human being because he’s a really good man; it’s just that he has been shown that this is the norm throughout his life as a football player.” Murray’s standoffish behavior towards her, on the other hand, was very disheartening. “Instead of taking the connection that we had and turning that into a conversation, he took the connection and immediately thought that I was conniving,” House says about their interaction at the club. Despite Murray’s harsh treatment, she understood where he was coming from. “He’s the newest celebrity in the house and he’s not used to all this additional attention,” House says. She went on to explain that many celebs are defensive because they’re unsure of people’s ulterior motives.
Another challenge House faced while trying to mentor the celebrities were changed personas when the cameras were rolling. With Calum Best in particular, House’s skills were tested in getting him to show his real self while the cameras were on. Aside from changing personalities, House reveals that the most challenging and fun celebrity to mentor was Aubrey O’Day. “She didn’t just take my advice and do what I said. She wanted to discuss it and really come to wrap her head around it and understand the theory behind it and why,” House explains in our celebrity interview. “The questions that she asked showed me that she was invested in making change and analyzing herself so she could be in a real sustainable, loving and happy relationship, which she found in Pauly D.” And O’Day isn’t the only celebrity who has found love through the show. According to House, Reece has also found love with a woman where there is “mutual respect and mutual adoration,” which were essential pieces she was missing in her past relationships.
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House hopes the other, currently single, celebrity cast members will be able to find love through the relationship advice she provided for them during the show. The piece of advice she believes is crucial to their success is having real and substantive conversations. For celebrities, she says it’s important “to get away from the ‘I’m a celebrity’ conversation and get into the real conversation where the celebrity no longer feels like a celebrity, but feels like a normal person.” Aside from valuable love advice, House assured us that Famously Single is still a reality TV show packed with entertaining drama. “Every episode has a big surprise, every episode has drama. Truly every single day I could not wait to get into that house and see what was going on.” But despite having fun on set, cast members on the show took their roles very seriously. There was not a single person House doubted and she hopes viewers will see how pure everyone’s intentions were. “Everyone at their core is looking for love and connection. No matter what they say, that’s the desire.”
Famously Single airs Tuesdays on E! at 10 p.m. EST.
You can keep up with Laurel House on Cupid’s Pulse or find more information on her Twitter @DatingLaurel and website.
