The Toast - Craig Conover on The Toast: Monday, October 14th, 2024

Episode Date: October 14, 2024

Southern Charm star Craig Conover joins us on today's episode of The Toast. Enjoy!The Toast with Jackie (@JackieOshry) and Claudia Oshry (@girlwithnojob) Lean InThe Camper and The Counselor by Jackie OshryMerchThe Toast PatreonGirl With No Job by Claudia OshrySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Welcome back to The Toast. We are thrilled to be joined by kind of Toast superfan, friend of the family, Spritz investor. Colleague. Reality star, heartthrob. It's Craig Conover. Thanks, girls. Welcome back to the show.

I remember my first time. Well, you know how at SNL you get a jacket if you've done, like, hosted five times, right? Oh, I love that. You might be one of the only people. What is it? Like, the third time you've been on? Yeah. It gets better every time, but we need to get you a jacket.

That would be sweet. I remember Watch What Happens used to have, like, a 10 club. Yeah. What did you get? Nothing. But it was just, like, you know. A big deal. Like, you know that you've been on.

You've been on how many times, Watch What Happens Live? It's been a lot. Yeah. You lost count. Yeah, which is, well, we just did Andy's anniversary. Like you know. Yeah. You've been on how many times? Watch What Happens Live. It's been a lot. Yeah. You lost count. Yeah. Which is. Well we just did Andy's anniversary. And if you had been on over 10 times.

I think you were invited. But mine was like. Or no. It was like over 15 or something. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Well we didn't bring you a jacket.

But you brought us a present. Which was so nice. I did. But it was just for you guys to have. Yeah. We are sewing down south. It's the number one customer. Our studio is outfitted. We're not customers. I know. Because south to number one customers. Our studio is outfitted.

We're not customers because we never pay. Our studio is outfitted with a ton of your pillows. And you brought us a holiday-themed pillow, a Hanukkah. So cute. You've got dreidels. Look at the back with the dreidels. Isn't that pretty? It's very pretty.

I'm not going to lie. It's hard to make nice-looking Hanukkah stuff. The colors aren't the greatest. I love. This is beautiful. Thank you. Well, I just brought it as gifts, but that was nice of you to bring it out. We love. This is beautiful. Thank you. Well, I just brought it as like gifts, but that was nice of you to bring it out.

We love. Oh, I'm so excited. Yeah, I love sending y'all stuff and you've had our pillows for years in the studio. But yeah, now we're partners. Yeah.

Big time. Spritz Society. You're doing so many things. You just launched a new can with us to Spritz. I mean, not Spritz. Craig loves Spritz.

We went to the Aris tour. We were chugging them down. And you ended up coming on board. And we just released our first flavor with you. It's a lemon iced tea. We also debuted our new cans. We made much bigger cans. They were a little too small.

Yeah, they're great. And they stay cold. It was as organic as you can get. Because I don't drink liquor. And so I never can drink the ready to drink cans. And so when we were on our way to Taylor Swift, I saw them. And then I was like drink liquor. And so I never can drink the like the ready to drink cans. And so when we were on our way to Taylor Swift, I saw them and then I was like, oh, and they were like, they're wine based. And I was like, oh, my gosh, this is perfect.

And then I tasted them. I was like, I love these. And then I found out that they were yours. And we had a blast at Taylor Swift. I thought I would know way more songs. I was very disappointed. Let me tell you, going to the Aris tour with Craig was actually sad. Because all the way there, he was so lit up.

He's like, I know so many songs. This is going to be amazing. And Paige was like, I don't think you know that many songs. He's like, no, no, no. I know so many songs. Cut to the actual concert. I mean, she plays almost 50 songs. So it's impossible, really, for you to have known.

But you didn't know many. No, it was very humbling that I clearly am a mainstream fan. Yeah, bandwagon. Yeah, not on purpose. Yeah. How many songs do you think you know? I mean, I guess ten. I would say five.

Five. Five, well. What's your favorite Taylor Swift song? Oh, that's a great question. I probably, my first love of hers was our song. And I was a freshman or sophomore in college. And I remember we had this party room and the fraternity house, it was just like, I guess it was supposed to be a dining room and the music system was in there and I would

go put on our song and I would get in a fight with the other like older fraternity guys who wanted to listen to like rock and stuff. And I was like, I do not care what you want to listen to. When I play this song, everyone in here starts dancing and singing. Like that's who I care about. Where did you go to college? College of Charleston. Of course you did. And that's what brought you to Charleston? Yes. Yes. Oh, right. Because you're from Delaware? You're not native. No, I grew up on the eastern shore of Delaware, which is funny because when Southern Charm started, one time it was accidentally said somewhere, it's about six people from Charleston, or people thought

of it, and it's about six people that lived in Charleston. So it's a big expose. Yeah, everyone was like, he's not even from the South. I was like, I never said I was from the South. He doesn't even go here. Yes, exactly. I don't know if I ever really put together that you're not Southern, just because the branding of Southern Charm, and you act like Southern. So that you're not southern just because like the branding of southern charm

and like you act like southern so I'm the and you're like the face of Charleston at this point right I'm the resident Yankee on the show oh my god

wait scandal yes speaking of the show where is the show yes we were just talking about that on the way here you guys have taken like a long break

between seasons it just it always seems like that so I started filming when I was 24. I'm 36 now. Wow. We just filmed our 10th season.

Mazel Tov. Thank you. And you've been on every single season. Yeah, me and Shep. That's it now, you and Shep. Yeah, me and Shep are the only OGs left, which is why, I mean, we grew up, like I spent, yeah, like went through my 20s on tv

it's unique it's crazy and it's neat because it's opened so many doors and I can connect with so many people that have rooted for me throughout the years but you know there's a lot of times that I wish weren't filmed because it was like I couldn't watch but now it allows me to say hey like the more open and honest I am about stuff, the more people are like, yeah, I did. Like, yeah, me too. And you're like, oh, cool. We can relate through this and also see that there's like a light at the end of the tunnel. So we just filmed 10th season.

It'll come out, you know, soon. I don't think they've officially announced. Because it's like seriously my favorite show on Bravo. I've never missed a season. I love that. It's seriously my favorite show on bravo i've never missed a season i always say it's like my comfort show even when i'm going through a phase where i'm not like watching all the housewives or whatever it is like life gets busy like i always watch southern charm i love it she's always rooted for you of course i always say craig was on the right side of history and when you look back at stuff like everything you did in as it relates to your cast members like

aged really well i feel like you took the right sides in a lot of the disputes. And they still, they never picked up on you. No, and they don't give you your credit. Full circle moment for you. Another thing, like I feel like a lot of things over the last couple of years have happened and you've been able to really been like,

look, I was right and look, I did it. Look, you passed the bar. And with this recent news coming out about that zoo. Oh my God. You've sort of been vindicated. Can you remind me? Because I couldn't remember. You had said on that zoo. Oh, my God. You've sort of been vindicated. Can you remind me? Because I couldn't remember. You had said on the show that like, explain it.

You were talking about the conspiracy theories. Yeah, so this is what happened. So Paige and I love conspiracy theories. And she's more of a TikTok girly than I am. I'm always, you know, two weeks late on my reels. That's literally Jackie. Yeah, and it actually bothers Paige. Literally me.

Doesn't bother me. Yeah. I'm like, this is great. She's just living in delusion. The thing with TikTok is you can disappear for like a couple hours. You can. And so there's a time and a place for it. But sometimes like the worst time is in bed at night because you're like, I was going to go to bed at midnight.

And now it's two. And you're like, and I'll never remember all this stuff that I actually think. It's amazing what they've really done it is it's great but your specific TikTok content and your gardening content is really premium and I think I speak on behalf of everyone like we want more yeah we're working on that me and my assistant Jack we're we're we're setting up that's the goal is to start to break down the barriers make all of that stuff approachable and because I never know what I'm doing but it's okay to learn and get into it. But – The dogs, the pandas. Yes.

So Paige had told me that, you know, that there was this conspiracy that pandas weren't real. And that it was, like, you know, people in suits and stuff because of – And it was just funny enough that, like, it stuck with me. And so we were on this cast trip to Shep's mountain house. And Shep was actually doing it to he was trying to weaponize it against me and he was like well Craig is this big conspiracy guy like why don't you tell us something and in my head in that moment I said what can I think of in this moment that is completely non political which is almost

impossible to find one that's not and And I said, but like funny enough, like how, what is the perfect thing that just fits that like right down the middle that both sides can appreciate? And so I was like, pandas aren't real, you know, just like threw it out there. And it was just ridiculous enough that people like, I still think there's people out there that are like, we aren't sure if Craig actually believes this or not. So it was just ridiculous enough to work. And, you know, I was like playing. I was like, yeah, I really wish they were, too. You know, like I was really a fan of theirs.

And then they were like, wait, is he kidding or not and so it allowed us to approach it in a fun way that you would have to really suck at life to get annoyed by right you know there's people out there they're like ah people like that just scare me and you're like you know you're like yeah because the pandas aren't real right um and then it turns out this week like a zoo actually corroborated your story my i've been sent that thousands of times. Some zoo was literally putting like dogs in the panda display and painting their eyes black. It was really incredible how things just play out where they're like, everyone thinks Craig is absolutely nuts when he says something.

And so a lot, most of the time, if not all the time, it comes true. A lot, most of the time, if not all the time, it comes true. And so we had a lot of fun with it, or I did, because it got thrown back into, look, I love Shep to death. But his, he wasn't doing it to be funny. And it turned into this, yes, he was mocking me. He was like putting you on the spot a little bit. And so now, and I think he even posted something that wasn't that funny this week when he saw it. He was like, let's not encourage Craig, you know and you're like oh my god it's so lame i'm sure a million people sent it to him but yeah this um this zoo got caught painting dogs as pandas like who would

have thought a year later and so it's been a funny week so where do you land like on pandas in general now again i just i really wished they were real no someone like was really upset one day and i finally had to tell them they were like please like i love them so much please tell me you know they're real and i was like yes of course i know panda bears are real they just were never they haven't been found in history like going back 300 years that's like the first time they appear in history so there's a lot of questions around panda bears but that's definitely interesting sus yeah there's some sus and then it would be like see I knew he was like you gotta have fun with stuff never stop asking why yes where when I said on the show or said somewhere

I said don't be afraid but stay informed I said don't stay scared stay informed that is you need to put it on a pillow what's going by the way, not me getting tagged in a thousand Instagram stories, that Amanda Seyfried went to your, so you have a something down south, actual physical retail location in Charleston. Amanda Seyfried was there and she was drinking a spritz because you sell spritz there. Question mark.

How awesome was that? Is she a fan of the show? No, well I mean, no, that's not why she was there. She has an incredible company called Make It Cute and with her two best friends from childhood. And they got sick of seeing these cardboard forts in their living rooms. But the kids love cardboard. Like, I remember when my parents got a new fridge and I like wouldn't let them throw the box away. And I guess during COVID, they were like, it was driving them nuts. And so they made cardboard forts. Cute. That is cute. And sustainable and like eco-friendly. Or they're reusable.

And so they're like pack in place. You can pack up your cardboard fort now. You need one. And they're really like, their patterns are awesome. And so you put it up, they play in it, and you can put it back down. The thing is, is the first thing that the kids want to do is take a nap in there or sleep in there, and they don't have pillows and blankets to go with it. And sewing guns out.

Oh, my God, sleeping on the dreidel pillow in the fort. And so one of her partners lives in Delaware near my parents now. One lives in Charleston, and Amanda has a place in the city, and it was very serendipitous. And so she came down, and she had a spritz in her hand, and I was dying because I was like, you know, I'll never force things on people. But you just let it happen. And it was one of our we don't have closed events at the store, but we had to with this.

And there was like 50 people outside. And Amanda was like, does this happen a lot? And I was like, you know, kind of, you know, it's kind of a it's on the bucket list for a lot of people to come by here. And she's like well why don't we go take pictures with everyone i was like they're probably hoping that we take a picture and she was like well why don't we and i was like yes because you never know you know and i didn't want to like put her in a spot and she was like well yeah like let's go take pictures and so i grabbed my employee gracie i was like gracie let's do a line photo line outside and we

went out there and and also it's always a line, photo line outside. And we went out there. And also, it's always a relief when you find out like a very famous person is actually cool. It's nice. Yeah. Nice. And all these girls were coming up and crying because they play her in their like school plays for like Mamma Mia or it helped them in their life. And it was a cool new dynamic that I don't see on like the unscripted side. Yeah. That's so nice to hear.

She was wonderful. We did a beach cleanup the next day and now we are going to work together. We're going to do something for the holidays together. Make it cute. Selling down south. The craziest thing, and I don't think people really understand it unless they've been to like a store or purchased like your products. Like you have built like the most legitimate business.

Like you're literally well on your way to being a Martha Stewart type. And I'm not saying that as like you know blowing smoke up your ass like you have stores you have major partners they sell your like shit everywhere like it is so impressive especially when you think like your whole journey on the show you know everybody was making fun of you for your sewing and not taking you seriously and then you really ended up on top and I just think it's like really not enough people get how like when Ben learned about your like sewing down south business he was literally jealous. Like he was like, wait, it's so impressive because I think a lot of reality stars start companies and they get success.

And there's a lot of smoke before there's substance. But I also think that's probably like a part of your success is like how hard you're working and what you're doing while not drawing so much attention to it so that when the spotlight is on, it's like, wow, we have this big thing. It's insane. It's been really. wow we have this big thing right it's insane it's been really um i i try to tell people i'm like look everyone's just living for the first time that we know of right we don't like no allegedly yes allegedly no one knows what they're doing we're all just trying to figure it out do you think we're living in a simulation how i know i haven't at this point answer the question do you i don't take i the honest answer to that is I don't know what that means.

That's a great answer. Oh, my God. That's such a good answer. When people say that, I don't understand what they're actually saying. A hundred percent. What's it mean to live in a simulation? Do you believe in God? Do I believe in God?

I believe in a higher power. Yeah. Yeah. I have a personal relationship with God. Yeah. I mean, I guess for me it's God because I was born, I was raised Catholic. I think organized religion, we all hit that age where,

and it's good, like you start to ask questions and you're like, are there alternative motives here? History is, you know, I think there's reasons for people to do things and control and stuff. But then you have life experiences where all of a sudden like you like and like you get chills saying it and like my dad had has had open heart surgery twice so like he it's interesting to talk to him because he's like I have my own thing like I have like you know when your body's like opened up like that like

he's never really told us what it is but he has his own relationship with like whatever it is so yes i believe in something and i love nature and all of that right that's what we're saying you can't believe in a simulation if you believe in like god or science it's i think it's a healthy thing i enjoy like i like will say my prayers at night as like almost a form of meditation um i try to remember so yeah it's funny because i think it's it comes in waves yeah yeah like you know and you so that's my that's nice thank you for sharing for the deep question well no because it's it's one of those things that i try to be honest about everything now because sometimes we've gotten like we're so connected through computer

devices now that like we've lost a lot of the combos we used to have yeah the podcasting is bringing it back bringing that conversation old school of us talking irl but the so that's what i try to tell people yes the company is doing really really well but you know for a year i was stuck in my dining room sewing pillows like i didn't know what i was gonna do like i didn't know how to scale it i was like am i gonna have to hire a bunch of retired old women in my community to sew in my garage also a nice idea yeah like and so yeah so we did though um we and i just i didn't know there were pillow factories you know and so when my partner jerry and his sister-in-law amanda came on board i tell

everyone like get partners you know they wanted a third of the company i grew up watching shark tank you're not supposed to give up half your company but my dad was like do you want all of a hundred dollar company or a third of what could become a really big company and so with them we have had a really fun time scaling this we were just in Missouri at um a quilting company called Missouri Star to get into doing fabrics and stuff like that great project runway of you yeah we've got our store in Nashville now and the what's wrong with my baking line just came out with Kroger what's wrong with my baking so if you have a yeah so we have a full kitchen line out with Kroger. What's Wrong With My Baking. That's hysterical. Yeah, so we have a full kitchen line now at Kroger. So we do their store brand stuff.

So sheets, towels, stuff like that. That's amazing. But it did take – here's what I have to figure out how to tell people. We're almost in our sixth year. So it's very easy for people to see what it is now and just be like, oh, he got lucky. Of course. It's because he's on tv yes there are a lot of benefits from that platform that bravo gave me but there's not a lot of companies on bravo

because it still takes challenges and i try to tell people like yes i had that platform but there's ways to donate to local charities and like get on the local news and do things and so i get to go around and like help people with that like when you bought a pillow for us in the beginning, we took your money and went and had the pillow made and then we would ship you the pillow. Right, right. Like we didn't have to put any money into the company, which I didn't know was real.

Right. But also a lot of people who are on TV start companies and they don't thrive. So it's a little bit more than just that. Yeah, it's, I love going around and meeting people and grinding. And for me, it gives me a way to connect um with people but it's funny because i really thought when i got my sewing machine everyone was gonna think it was so cool like i thought i was gonna walk in the room

and everyone's gonna be like oh my god and i couldn't have been more wrong what kind of sewing machine did you have it was a brother that okay a two-in-one brother oh i have to ask you about no i have to ask you about this because we, I have to ask you about this. I need to learn how to sew because we're really short and half the clothes I buy, I have to take to the seamstress and that's really expensive for a pair of jeans. Well, I got paired, so I just wrote the foreword for Sewing for Dummies.

I saw that you posted that on Instagram, did you see? No. They're coming out, you know those books, Blank for Dummies? Yes, yes, yes. They did one for sewing and they asked Craig to write the foreword. Brilliant. So I wrote the foreword and everyone tagged Claudia. And I was like, alright, I gotta ask her

why. I'm dying to learn how to sew. One, I think it's like a good skill to have. And I know how to sew, like, if my jacket were to rip on the seam, I can put it back together. But in terms of really making a hem, I feel like that would be a really money-saving, valuable thing. We're in the dressing room when we go on tour. I'm literally having to sew my dress because I'm so short. The straps are too

long. I think it's a good life skill to have and I think it would save me a lot of money. It is. Can you hem your own pants? Yes. And we were just at a wedding in France and Paige was getting ready and I was hemming my pants. Do you ever hem her clothes for her?

Okay, I'll be honest. I don't think I have yet and so she holds that. Like, you've never had my pants. I'm like, you've never had my pants like she's so right and i'm like totally god so maybe i i know i've done some stuff for her but no she still has that in her pocket where like i have not yeah the book's great and i think learning how to hand stitch stuff is a great thing to know um but with a machine like my first machine was 200 and embroidered and it sewed and the embroidery is a great gateway drug into sewing because like it's easy and like it'll

make sewing less intimidating we're trying to break down that barrier where a lot of people want to get into crafting but they're like well i don't have grandma's huge sewing machine and it's like you don't need that like yeah it's an easier hobby to get into there people don't have grandma's huge sewing machine. And it's like, you don't need that. Like, it's an easier hobby to get into. People don't have hobbies anymore. Yeah. So true. I just started, like, a personal arts and crafts project, like, just for fun. And it's brought me so much joy.

I'm making my own cookbook with, like, recipes that I like and writing them all down. Like, now I'm getting, like, family recipes and then scanning them and sending them to the rest of it. It's amazing. And it's so nice to, like, have hobbies that are wholesome that aren't just like doom scrolling and working with your hand and it's creating and so i had someone you know god forbid they make us talk to a million therapists in reality tv um probably for well i know for liability purposes so they're always like i'm just not great at it they're like craig what's up i'm like are we gonna do this and they're like are you okay and i'm like i'm okay they're like okay well but one told me that i have a need to create that's why i love to cook and garden and

like so because they were like you really love that joy of creation and i was like you're right like that is what it and so i don't think a lot of kids do that right now because they took home back out of schools. They took tech out of schools. So we donate a lot of sewing machines and it's funny because they're always like, if you had a curriculum to go along with this, it would be better. And I was like, it existed for like 200 years. Right, right. It's like back to basics.

It's like you don't have to go forward. You actually just have to go backwards. So like Emeril Lagasse apparently does a gardening program that comes with a curriculum, and it's done – so you can get credit in schools, and it's done really well. Oh, interesting. I'll say Emeril. Yeah, I know.

Shout out to – Yeah, throwback to Emeril. What is the tool that you would suggest for people who want to get into embroidery and then sewing? Yeah, I think – so hemming your own pants, you can actually – like I do by hand, and so just like a little sewing kit. But YouTube is how you learn.

Like YouTube is how you learn everything. I have to see it. I can't read it. And so like seeing someone do it, like in France when we were at this wedding, I still and I've done it before, had my like 65-year-old woman that I was watching. Do you have a fave creator? No, it's funny because there's this one lady who only has like 35 views on her videos and they're all you most of them are me and I need to reach out and tell her for like 10 yeah um and so I would recommend just getting a starter machine because mine still works like right I have a Bernina now but like

my brother I still have and it works just as well and it just I know $200 is a lot of money for some people but like it's less than a video game system right and there's a time and place for video games too but when you actually finish making something it gives you this rush and then you get to gift it to someone like homemade gifts that's like me and my sourdough I feel like sourdough is next for you right Right. And everything that you're saying. I have, I really disgraced the sourdough gods because I've had people send me starters and I'm just not home enough that I haven't been able to jump into it. You have to be totally ready. Like you can't foist it on someone. I actually just brought Claudia starter, but I was like, keep it in your fridge. Like do not start today. Like you're not mentally prepared.

I was trying to jump the gun. Jackie will give you hers. Yeah. Okay, great. Because I would love to. Paige and I, Paige is very supportive of all of that, which is awesome. And so we save like recipes and things to do with it. So we have this pipe dream of getting there one day,

but it just seems like I'm in and out of the door too much. It's a full-time job. And yeah, it's like if you're traveling a lot, which you do, like you kind of need like a sitter for your starter. Okay. Or you keep it in the fridge when you travel if it's once in a while. But if it's like three days here, even for today, like I actually might need to send my husband directions to feed my starter. Wait, that's funny.

It's like a pet. I had to get a beekeeper. Right. You have bees. Right. He's getting into gardening. I love our bees, but but i was every 10 days you should check on them they're very self-sufficient but we were i'm starting to be gone a little more

and so yeah where do you find a beekeeper she's amazing so we i won't break the rules yet but page and i during the time that we were supposed to start filming like got into beekeeping and so there's this like there's a beekeeping farm north of me, like 30 minutes north of me. And so we went and we took a class and she loved it so much that like if Paige loves something, I'll go all in with it. It's just the frequency that a bee vibrates is like the frequency of like nature or like it's like healthy and calm. They say like if bees were to disappear, like the entire earth would be done yeah like yeah everyone should have bees like if you have it's crazy so like they're so calming and they don't sting you like they have no business saying they don't want to like it's like having a birdhouse and they're very self-sufficient she likes it because the boys have

zero purpose right like they mate one time and then they die and if they don't mate the girls kick them out of the hive and they die. So a beehive is all girls. Yeah. And so we brought two, we painted beehives in our backyard and she brought us like a queen bee and got us started. Do you follow that lady on TikTok?

Yeah. Another day of saving the bees. Well, I still will like, we'll go out there and talk to them. Like they, like you, if, as long as you're not like pulling their, like the trays out and stuff,

you don't have to be in a suit. And like, but it's funny cause we're having the day after my brother's wedding party there next weekend. And he's like, just doesn't understand it. He's like, why do you have bees in your backyard?

We're gonna have 170 people in your backyard. Like, and I was like, they're not going to bother anyone. They're very self-sufficient. Yeah, but I saved one after the hurricane the other day. I saw that it was tired and way too far from the hive, so I didn't use my hand.

I used a piece of computer paper, because I wasn't there yet, and then I took them back to the hive. And I was like, anyway. Wait, is that gonna be on this season? Is that why you said you don't wanna spoil? Yeah, I hope it is. Okay.

It was during that time, and we still have bees. We just had a hornet attack and lost our first hope it is. Okay. I hope so, too. It was during that time, and we still have bees. We just had a hornet attack and lost our first queen. Oh, no. Oh, no. But yeah, you should get bees. Okay. I want chickens really bad.

So does Jackie. I want chickens, but my county doesn't allow for them. And also, I'm scared of animals. Oh, really? Low-key, yeah. A chicken is in a wild. Yeah, I have a dog that I love, but I'm not like- Chickens would be intimidating if you were having to handle them yeah you do yeah and i guess i eat eggs every morning now it's

part of my routine and i was like like if we went back into lockdown me and pages life would look very simple she would fly to charleston we would get chickens and do the entire like homestead then you would start sourdough yeah because my community doesn't let me but i i wouldn't care i'd be like i'm getting chickens yeah yeah yeah no we're all just Because my community doesn't let me, but I wouldn't care. I'd be like, I'm getting chickens. Yeah, yeah, yeah. We're all just like one week away from a homestead. It's so true. It's like, force me, yeah, sure, I'm there. We're like one traffic jam away

from just throwing it all away. I'm not going to the store anymore. I hate to bring this up, but you did just, you were coming off of summer, Paige just filmed Summer House, I know you were there, and I know there was some awkwardness. We've put it all to bed. I think we've all sort of moved past it, you know, spritz drama.

But I want to know what that was like being in the house when there had been all this like, like, was that awkward? Well, yeah, obviously. Well, yeah. I mean, the the funny thing is, is because I went and filmed, it does put that like wait and see barrier on me. If I hadn't have filmed it, then we could probably talk about it, but I can talk enough about it. I have a long leash, which I have earned, I think. I try not to ruin it.

I think I was taken back when it all happened because Kyle's one of my favorite people on Bravo. I truly enjoy our friendship and filming with him and when the four of us get to hang out. favorite people on Bravo I truly enjoy our friendship and like filming with him and um and like the like when the four of us get to hang out so I was very taken back that night as a lot of people um and it's just one of those things where like I guess everyone is just different like I I um could not have thought about what was happening differently, but I tried to be in a calm state and respect that other people do. I mean, I deal with it with my own cast a lot.

Austin and I are different in every single way that there is. And the things that he does, I will never understand. But I love him as a person. And I do love Kyle, and I think we had – I didn't – I was more bummed because it took my excitement from going out to the Hamptons away a little bit because I was like, man, yeah, this is awkward. Yeah, it really is. This is like I don't get myself in these situations anymore because I'm in my 30s. Because you're mature. Yeah, and if I do, then I just will run – like I'll ghost the person.

Yeah. Like I can't ghost them. I do then I just will run like I'll ghost the person yeah like I can't ghost them um and so it was it went as you know as as well as you can hope for and we flesh it you know out and you'll see how it plays out um on this season of Summer House but I think watching boys be awkward is funny I think so too I'm very much looking forward to it I think like you know the drive out there you know and you're getting miked up and in my head I'm like much looking forward to it. I think like, you know, the drive out there, you know, and you're getting mic'd up. And in my head, I'm like, all right. So like, do I dap him up?

Do I give him a hug? Like, do I pull back? Do I act like nothing's going on? And so it reminded me of being in like college. But Charleston is such a small town that you run into like exes and stuff. And that's kind of what it felt like. I mean, it felt like we were, I was dating his girlfriend, you know?

Yeah. I felt like I was going into a party and being like, I have to like, I have to like somehow. Like there's drama, conflict resolution. Yeah, we had seen each other at Andy's Watch What Happens party. Right, that was like directly after.

Yeah, and I said hi to him and Amanda, but that was it but this was months later I also like I can't stay mad at people like life's so short totally and like it's tough to meet people but you will see that it was not ignored like we we completely worked through it we give it. We give it our, we give it enough, like, we gave it its time and addressed it and we did everything that it deserved. Great. Because, like, sometimes I used to, like, brush things under the carpet, but that, that, that'll eat me up. Yeah.

Yeah. I want to deal with it, but I also, like, there's a balance of, you know, and I'm sure like the other parties in this feel certain ways. But to me, I felt that I was wronged a little bit. So I was like, you don't want to let someone like you just want to address it. I didn't talk to her. You want to feel heard. Yeah. And, you know, there's that balance of being like, do I care that much?

But I also don't want to let him get away. Like we live in a weird world, you know? Yeah. You especially like having to rehash things that happened months before just for like entertainment purposes. Like, do I care that much? But I also don't want to let them get away. Like, we live in a weird world, you know? Yeah. You especially. Like, having to rehash things that happened months before just for, like, entertainment purposes. Even, like, with the reunion. You might have, like, healed from something.

Then you sit down and keep talking about it. You get yourself mad again. Oh, yeah. That's kind of what it was like. But it's always fun to go out. I have such a weird relationship with the Hamptons. Because so many people, to them, it's this like this oasis and like retreat. But I only know the Hamptons through Summer House, which I mean, like, you know, but it's like cameras on you. Yeah, like it's work.

It's work. And I mean, I've been out to a Montauk a couple of times and had fun. I want to do it with y'all. Yeah. Hopefully one summer. But it's always great to go see them. And, you know, I love that we do the crossover on Bravo now. I think Paige and I almost forced their hand a little bit.

I don't think that they were actively, you know, avoiding it. I think just it didn't fit inside the fourth wall, like, you know, or the four walls or whatever. And fortunately, those are coming down a lot more because i think the viewer deserves that and like it's going to be really fun like certain shows are doing more of it i love it yeah like i liked when the salt lake city like the producers were like exactly you like you're like yes because that's what was going on it was crazy and it's so much more fun for the viewer yeah someone had to and you're like you know you see a cameraman fall or like the like not lit up. It was crazy. And it's so much more fun for the viewer. Yeah, someone had to, and you're like, you know, you see a cameraman fall,

or like the like not lit up, and you're like, you know, it's neat to see the behind the scenes. And so Stassi and I were really close, you know, when the show was first started, and like Bo and everything, and I had been on set at Vanderpump Rules, and she had been in Charleston before,

but they wouldn't like show us, because they're like, it doesn't make sense, you're only friends through Bravo. Right. Whatever. It's so fun. Well am I misremembering did they cancel Winterhouse? Or did they put it on pause? Yeah I don't know. You stopped doing it right? Yeah we didn't do the third

season. Yeah and then there was other people. Yeah other people they got to go out to Steamboat which I was jealous because we did it in Vermont both times. Oh yeah. But that was cool I mean that was a catalyst. Good idea. I think like the road rules real world challenge would work was cool. I mean, that was a catalyst. Good idea. I think, like, the Road Rules Real World Challenge would work in Bravo. I know that they have to keep it somewhat

structured, but Paige and I kind of, you know, forced the hand of being like, hey, like, we're dating. There's no avoiding this now. Because it's different companies that do it. Have you ever been asked to go on Traders? No. I think you would be good. I would do it. But you're so busy. But, like, you should do it if they ask you. but i would be good i would do it busy but like

you should do it if they ask pages yeah i would do it if i was asked page is very excited to one day hopefully do that she would be amazing she loves it and i i have a feeling and i know nothing about this but i have a feeling they would probably want us to go at the same time has anyone from your cast no that's a good call that would be great i asked her i was like so like would we work together? Would you tell me? And she like Could not have been more like

What? Absolutely not And I was like Well what do you mean? And she's like No that's not how the game's played It's true And I was like

Oh well They probably should ask Kind of like a stickler for the rules My employees think I would be On the nice side of things I don't know I think people underestimate you And I was like

But if it was for a game I could do Or maybe they said One of them is here But we had this conversation The other And I was like, but if it was for a game, I could do, or maybe they said, one of them is here, but we had this conversation the other night. One was like, you might get kicked off

pretty quick. Oh, because you're very trusting. Or like, I could lie if I needed to. Oh yeah. I hate that storyline on Southern Charm

because I've actually never lied on TV and I get this rep for being a liar and I was like, Shep said I lied. I just want to say, that's not their reputation for being a liar. Maybe like I was like focus group over here and honest like I was like and people be like what are you talking about that was a storyline

I have never lied on television no I would say you're honest to a fault like I don't think that you have a stigma or like a reputation for being well how does that how would that play into traitors well you have to be like a little deceptive okay and you've like it's like dead ass lie to people's faces like but I think because you'reitors? Well, you have to be, like, a little deceptive. Okay. And you have to, like, dead-ass lie to people's faces. But I think because you're not a liar, like, you have that credence. Credibility. People trust you.

If there was a, if it was for, I mean, I would love to. And that's, it's funny because I've been asked to do a couple, like, different things now. Like, all-star shows?

Yeah, like, there's been some that, one was just, like, way too much physical stuff. Dancing with the Stars? Oh, no, that was always a dream. The Challenge Force? There was like one of them.

Special forces. There was one that was going to require a lot of like physical exertion. The Tom Sandoval one. I would love to play a, it wasn't that one. I'd love to go to a castle in Scotland. But yeah, I was like, but my dream is to play like a special force guy as a role. Yeah. You're getting there, by the way.

You're having a major glow up. Thank you. We were talking about that before we rolled. You look like you've lost significant weight and you look like jacked. Thank you. And that was a journey you went on on purpose? Yeah, I'm going to stay ready for when this call comes. Right.

And be like, hey, we need someone to play a Navy SEAL. Who also like who also has experience in reality it's like a director who's a fan of southern time i feel like that happens a lot where they're like you could be in the truck yeah it's i got to read for some stuff um this year and like exciting we just got to watch it on tv and page was like those were my lines because she had to read with me the whole time and they went with someone like way older what was the show? Can you say? I don't know. I'm not sure if I can. That was like you with Law and Order.

I didn't get it. Okay. I didn't get it either. It was 10 years ago. I can recite the monologue to a T. She was from Pensacola. That's not much bigger than Maysville. When the episode comes on, the girl that they cast was really, really ugly looking, and that's the solace.

I don't think I was ugly enough. They needed this backwoods, actual mole woman, and I was clearly tooace. I don't think I was ugly enough. They needed this like backwoods, like actual like mole woman. And I was clearly too beautiful. That's amazing. I was too beautiful, yeah. One of my buddies lives in Charleston. One of the guys from the show lives in Charleston now.

And so we did this, but we were on like a ski trip. And I remember Paige was like, you should be taking this more seriously. And I was like, I am, this is what I want. But like, we don't have to fly home for me to do this reading. Like I can do it here. And, but she knew all the lines of the other other guys so we watched it on tv the other night and I was and

it sounds it was like me it's how I read it so I felt good and it was just it was a bad guy with like red hair and he was balding and I was like again my friend was like you are a bad guy like we didn't want you for a bad guy that totally totally makes sense. But it was a cool process. And I did a movie last year called Tuesday's Flu. And I got hooked. Like I did like my scenes and I was like, this is what I want to do. Like I do think that I want to go into acting. I understand that.

I will say this. If I would have had to take the route of move to L.A., start from scratch. No. But if there's opportunities where people are like, you've been on camera for 12 years, so you're comfortable in front of the camera, and you don't have to unlearn any bad habits, maybe we'll try you out here or there.

You're open. I'm open to that. And you said you're open to dancing with the stars. That's a dream. Yeah. That seems like a no-brainer. They don't have a lot of Bravo people on. They do their own ABC Bachelor type thing. That, I think, was the dream. Yeah. That seems like a no-brainer. They don't have a lot of Bravo people on. They do their own ABC Bachelor type thing.

It used to. Like, that, I think, was the golden. Yeah. Like, I thought that was the golden ticket. Well, Phaedra's on right now. Oh, is she? How's she doing? Really good.

And Ariana was just on. Yeah, that's true. Oh, yeah. Yeah, that's right. By the way, put it out into the universe. Someone who works for Desiree the Stars. I just feel like you would get in the best shape ever. Yeah, that's really.

That's a great motivator. I mean, you would get in the best shape. And, I mean's really, that's a great motivator. I mean, you would get in the best shape. And, I mean, that's, honestly, that's kind of what happened to me. I was, like, a year and a half ago, I just, I got a trainer, and I started to work out in the morning because I can't hold myself accountable. Like, I acknowledge that to myself. Right. But, like, all of a sudden I started to work out,

and I went to, like, that, like, glass of wine at night seemed like a waste. Yeah. I was, like, maybe I'll have a soda water. Right or spritz but um no it's like it just snow in my life and I think a lot of people's everything snowballs like you're either going in the right direction or the wrong direction and hopefully you're doing enough right stuff that if you have to take a couple steps back it's okay like you Like, you're not going to fall off the horse. Yeah. And, like, I don't know. I want to be, like, a good family man eventually.

And I think in my head I just thought that that happened, like, when you just got married. You just, like, flip a switch. Yes. And you just are that. But, no, you, like, grow into it. Yeah. And I think that's what, like, dating Paige helped me realize. Just, like, she didn't have to be forceful about anything.

But I was just like, oh, have to be forceful about anything but i was just like oh like i'm a fun boyfriend but i don't know if like i can be seen as like a responsible husband husband um i mean i guess you've gotten to see that on tv but yeah it's been fun to grow up a little bit i yeah i just would have never thought i would like earlier craig would have been like no way would you ever say that but I'm I'm having fun like growing up a little bit It's such a great message find also that it's like hard because the people that you that you're surrounded by on the show at least like Notoriously

Notoriously don't grow up like that's the thing and it seems to be the culture in Charleston where like the men it's like Peter Pan Syndrome and they don't grow up like I feel like you actually are up against greater odds. Yeah, I think you'll see. I think you'll see that this season. There's definitely some conversations about that. I just like. Yeah, I think I guess we are getting into the season, which is fine. But you your values and priorities change in life.

And I think there's some individualistic priorities. Like I'm such a team sport guy. I grew up playing team sports. Like I grew up like, like when I started to make money in TV, like I would pay, like I wanted all my friends to come out with me. Like I always been surrounded,

but sometimes like you get to these like crossroads in life where you're like there's only room for like a single file line but like you can bring other people but everyone has to kind of fit like yeah be aligned and stuff you gotta go it alone yeah and you can't force people to like want certain things and so um I think there's been like some things over the last few years where like I've had that challenge of like, do you, you know, you sometimes you just especially to grow a business like you got to be lonely for a little bit. So true. And like you're going to feel lonely because your business has to be your your buddy. And like there's some fun in that because you know that you're doing the right thing all of a sudden.

But there's just challenges that I've never faced before that are you know starting to happen in my life now yeah i know that's a whole bunch of circling around one show question to ask you as a fan of the show like who do you think is austin's otp like who's he every season he's like with the new person i'm like this and austin like him and austin her and olivia and like the last season i like was really feeling like it was taylor until it wasn't who do you think it is who's the one that got away i think last year um i think uh i don't know if i i mean i hope i said it but i think that it would have made sense for him and taylor to date even though that sounds so weird yeah weird and messed up.

I think that, unfortunately, there was too much chaos around it. Yeah. But they clicked. Yeah. They clicked. It's funny because him and Madison get along so well now, but as friends. But it's fun to watch them now in a friend relationship because she's so tough on him. Good.

Good. And she has, like, a blast, you know, doing it. And he reacts well to, you know, the back and forth. He's dating a wonderful girl now. Oh, so I guess, like, her. So she's next. Yeah, her. So, like, he's dating a wonderful girl now.

Yeah, I can't wait to. I know that Austin wants to like if he was to choose, I believe that Austin would choose the relationship life. I think he wants a special like I think he likes having a partner. Yeah, I don't think he I don't think he would ever choose to be single I think he wants like the happy ever after yeah I think he's just trying to figure out how to achieve that there understood okay well thanks well thanks for stopping by I know you have busy cuz you're like low-key the new face of Cracker Barrel and you have an event to go to which is why you look so spiffy so

we will let you go you can get you are Craig lemon iced tea Spritz Society obviously it's for society.comety.com. Shop Sewing Down South. Follow Craig on Instagram. Read his foreword in Sewing for Idiots. Read his book. If you want more Craig, listen to his podcast. Why don't we do Toast 20, too, for Sewing Down South, 20% off. Oh, wow.

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