For more than a decade, Shannon Storms Beador has been inviting Bravo fans into her life. We’ve seen her go through a painful divorce, deal with the aftermath of a DUI, and film with her ex-boyfriend’s new fiancée in The Real Housewives of Orange County. But in Bravo’s Love Hotel, Beador is finally able to let her hair down and search for what we all know she deserves the most: love.
The dating series follows Beador and fellow Real Housewives stars Luann de Lesseps, Gizelle Bryant, and Ashley Darby as they meet a variety of single men — and decide who they want to keep at the Love Hotel. Beador, for her part, quickly hit it off with Earl Thompson (a.k.a. Earl the Pearl). However, she wondered whether he would be truly happy with her “chaotic environment” given the fact that he had no idea about Real Housewives until she showed him clips of the show in her hotel room. While Beador didn’t give too much away about what’s to come in the final two episodes of Bravo’s Love Hotel, she told DECIDER that “there may be at least one person that is still dating the person they left with.”
Like The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip, Bravo’s Love Hotel has found another successful way to bring some of our favorite Bravolebrities together to make more entertaining television. With the list of eligible, single women on Bravo growing by the second, Beador shared her ideas for potential future seasons of the dating series.
“I think that it would be fun to see people from other types of shows, Bravo shows, be on it,” she said. “I think Lala Kent would be great on the show, and Paige DeSorbo.”
When Beador stopped by DECIDER’s studio last week, she also revealed what her daughters thought about her joining Bravo’s Love Hotel and teased a bit about the next season of The Real Housewives of Orange County. Check out the full interview below.
DECIDER: I am absolutely loving you in Bravo’s Love Hotel. What made you decide to check in to the Love Hotel?
SHANNON STORMS BEADOR: I had been single for about a year. I had my DUI and I just wanted to focus on myself, and I thought it was really good timing. Like, OK, I’ve been single a year, I can be on my own. My last relationship was with someone that clearly liked the fame, so I just said, “Go. Have fun, and if you end up meeting somebody, then that’s a bonus.”
Do you think it was a good thing that none of the guys knew who any of you were?
Oh, it was amazing, because that’s always something that you wonder. In fact, at one point, you don’t see it on the show, but at one point, I had Earl come to my room and I showed him clips from Real Housewives of Orange County, and he was like, “You’ve gotta be kidding me.” He had no idea.
How did your Real Housewives of Orange County costars react when you said you were doing this show? Have they been keeping up at all?
I haven’t really seen them much because we just wrapped on Orange County. I think a few of the girls are, yeah, they’re watching. A lot of people, though, like to wait and then binge them all at the same time … They’re very supportive of me being on the show.
The sisterhood that the four of you on Bravo’s Love Hotel have formed has been one of my favorite things to watch. Who would you say you’ve grown the closest to?
I think that because Gizelle and Ashley have been filming together for so many years and they have a close friendship, I probably was closest to Luann. But I’m close to all of them, to be honest with you. And really, I appreciate their support of me, and they’re just all immensely kind.
One scene that struck me was between you and Ashley, and it was when you were marking the one year of your DUI. What did that moment mean to you with her?
I didn’t realize until I watched the show that she intended to get to know Jason better and spend time with him. Knowing that now, that she said, “Look, I’m going to be with Shannon right now,” really means a lot to me. It’s not like I wanted to make some celebration out of it. It’s just that, for me, I didn’t even realize until earlier that day that it was the one-year mark. But I was just in such a dark place that I didn’t think I’d be able to get out of and to be where I was and where I am, in such a happier place, I wanted to say good job.
You and Earl the Pearl hit it off pretty quickly. What is it about him that drew you to him? Was it the alligator shoes?
No, it was not the alligator shoes. I told him, I think on our first date, he has very kind eyes. I was just drawn to his eyes. And I really appreciated his vulnerability and his openness, talking about his life. My heart broke for him to know that his whole life he wanted to have a basketball team of kids, and that he didn’t have any of his own children, and I felt really horrible about that.
By Episode 3, you guys were already kind of having your first fight. Were you surprised by how soon that came, and is not eating vegetables usually a red flag for you?
We had a banter, like, a teasing banter back and forth, but it was very early on. No, I could really care less. In my mind, I was joking in my head, saying, “Well, write that down on a list. Earl needs vegetables.” And I wish that he would’ve just said, “Hey, I feel like you’re criticizing me.” Because I would’ve said, “Oh, that’s not my intent.” I don’t like how emotional I got, but I will say that I was so happy and surprised by being happy with Earl that I just felt like that ruined everything, because it got to be so explosive. That’s what really devastated me.
You did seem in this past week’s episode to get the ick from Earl’s shirtless dancing. Luann told us that she didn’t think he was sophisticated enough for you. Do you agree with that?
Luann was quite vocal throughout the show about that. I am more buttoned up and conservative, but all the power to Earl that he felt comfortable enough to take his shirt off. I didn’t really remember saying all the things that I said in the confessional about that, but that’s just, I don’t know, I’m just a little bit more reserved.
Well, despite the drama, you did do a beautiful thing for Earl by finding his stepson’s contact information. Have you heard anything about whether they were able to connect after the show?
Yes, I have heard, but I think for me to talk … It’s Earl’s story to tell. But I thought it was going to take a long time, and I said to my attorney, “We have a couple weeks.” And on day three, he called me and said, “I have the info.” So it was super exciting.
It was such a sweet moment.
It was. I have to tell you, all the cast wanted to be there when I told him but I said, “I don’t know how he’s going to react.” So when we turned the corner, everyone was silent and just clapping. Everyone was emotional.
Your two daughters also came to meet Earl. How did they react when you said you were going to go on this show?
Well, they were horrified because they said, “You’re going to embarrass us.” So I’m sure that I have in their minds. That’s OK. They are concerned that they just want me to be happy. We were. We were all in this hotel for almost a month and it is a bubble. We were in a bubble. Like I said, I showed Earl clips of the show and he was shocked. Could he be happy with my chaotic environment sometimes? I don’t know.
Right. Did the girls like him in the end?
They did. They liked him, but they just had reservations about, would we make it beyond.
If you could describe your current love life in three words, how would you describe it?
Single, single, single.
Really?!
Well, I mean, I’m not married or engaged. I am not a big dater. I am a relationship girl. That’s why I was a little uncomfortable at the Love Hotel because I don’t date multiple people and I don’t ask men out on dates either. But I liked being uncomfortable, because on Real Housewives of Orange County, I’m comfortable all the time. So it was kind of fun to be a little awkward.
It was fun to watch. You asked Luann, “Have you ever dated multiple people?” And she was like, “Yeah! Of course I have.” Did she give you any advice?
Well, yes. But her advice is always so caring. She wants the best for me, and I really appreciate that. She always has great advice. The men, I mean, they’re fighting over her.
That’s true. Which Housewife or Housewives would you want to see on a potential Season 2?
I think that it would be fun to see people from other types of shows, Bravo shows, be on it. I think Lala Kent would be great on the show, and Paige DeSorbo.
They would be great. I want to shift gears a little bit because I know you mentioned before that you just finished wrapping RHOC. We know Gretchen’s back this season. What was it like to film with her?
It was great because I never had filmed with her before. She’s very kind and sweet and so is Slade [Smiley]. They’ve been nothing but nice, and I think she was a great addition to the show.
I know by the end of last season, you and Tamra [Judge] had kind of mended things. Is there a chance we’ll get a Tres Amigos reunion anytime soon?
You know, I don’t think so.
We’re also big Owning Manhattan fans, and we saw you make a little cameo in an episode of Chloe Tucker Caine’s Chloe and Manhattan musical series. How did that come to be?
I did! She helped Sophie find her apartment here in New York City so we became friends. She’s so talented. And so she said, “Would you ever do a cameo?” And so one time when I was in town to film Love Hotel interviews, I did it. It was super fun.
Is there anything else you can tease about what’s to come in these last few episodes of Bravo’s Love Hotel?
Well, I will say that there may be at least one person that is still dating the person they left with.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Bravo’s Love Hotel airs Sunday nights at 9/8c on Bravo.
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