Olivia Flowers has stayed booked and busy since her exit from Bravo’s Southern Charm. On top of planning her wedding, Flowers — who starred in two seasons of the hit reality show — began working with the nonprofit organization Project Lyme and hosting her own web series, Off-Season, which features none other than Southern Charm royalty Kathryn Dennis in its first episode.
When Flowers first started Off-Season, she knew she wanted to “dip into the Bravo contacts.” Her goal with having Dennis on the series was to show off her friend’s “funny” side, which was oftentimes overlooked amid the drama on Southern Charm. “She’s really, really funny and quick on her feet and she’s incredible at communicating. And that’s something that I think a lot of people didn’t get to see,” Flowers said of Dennis, who starred in the first eight seasons of the reality show.
While Flowers left Southern Charm ahead of Season 10, she still had plenty of thoughts on what her former co-stars have been up to, including JT Thomas quitting the show before it began airing only to show up for the reunion.
“I could think of several Housewives that probably would have been happy to miss [reunion]. But that was never in our power to get to do something like that,” Flowers said. “So him even throwing it out there that he might not show, I was like, ‘Well, good luck with that. Your name’s going to be in a seat somewhere and your ass is going to be in it.’”
When DECIDER caught up with Flowers — who was in town for New York Fashion Week — she also teased whether she’d ever come back to Southern Charm, which former co-star definitely won’t be scoring an invite to her wedding, and what she thinks about Craig Conover and Paige DeSorbo‘s breakup. Check out the full interview below.
DECIDER: First of all, congratulations on your engagement! Were you surprised when Alex popped the question?
OLIVIA FLOWERS: I was completely surprised. I was actually under the impression that we were doing a brand deal because it was the same weekend I spoke at this Project Lyme Gala, and then we were staying at the beautiful Essex Hotel and they were taking us to the suite and I thought we were going to be taking pictures for the hotel. So I had no clue. He’s a really detail oriented planner and I’m incredibly oblivious. So that is just like the perfect combination for a proposal because I didn’t catch any of the signs.
Have you started any wedding planning?
We have. We’ve looked at a few venues and the hard part was really narrowing down what area of the country we wanted to do it. But I think we’re getting closer and we know it’ll be in the South most likely fall.
Will any of your former Southern Charm co-stars be on the invite list?
I think that’s going to depend on what style we go for. If we do something a little bit more intimate, I can’t say. But if we have some room with the guest list then I would have a few on there.
I’d really love to get into some Southern Charm stuff – and maybe even get your thoughts on some things going on this season. Have you been watching? What do you think of Season 10 so far?
I have seen bits here and there, but I haven’t stayed tuned weekly. So I’ll do my best.
I know you said on Scheana’s podcast that your exit wasn’t necessarily your choice. Is there a world where you would want to come back if asked? Or have you put reality TV in the past?
With Bravo, I never say never. I had an incredible time when I filmed. It was so much fun, obviously, minus the parts. But yeah, I always have that door open with them. And if it came back around, I’d probably like to entertain that.
I spoke with Taylor Ann Green recently and she was really happy that you called her back when filming for Season 10 started. Why did you decide to reach out? Why was then the right time?
I had one of the producers reach out to me and just were kind of like telling me like, “Hey, I know you and Taylor aren’t in the best place, but she’s kind of going through it. I think it would mean a lot if you reach out and just let her know you’re thinking about her and you’re there.” And, you know, I think like with the time that’s passed, it’s safe to say there’s no bad blood with us. The time passing definitely helped. And I don’t wish ill for her. I do want her to do well regardless of what our status is. And so I just sent that, texted her and reconnected and that was that. But we haven’t talked since.
Would you want to get together again in person?
I can’t say that friendship will ever be what it was. But like I said, the time passing has definitely helped and the door is a little bit more open there than it was before. I think, you know, the last we spoke in person was reunion and the door was slammed shut.
The door is a bit more open and I don’t think it’ll ever be what it was because at the end of the day, I really do just value having authentic and genuine friendships that aren’t complicated. And watching that season back, I learned a lot about that friendship, watching the episodes back. And friendships aren’t especially complicated. They aren’t supposed to be tricky. And so, you know, if we move forward in a surface level kind of way where we can be kind to each other, that’s fine. But, you know, I don’t think it’ll ever be what it was.
Taylor told me that part of the reason she came back for Season 10 was because she wanted to have this reconciliation moment with you and while she was really happy to reconnect with you, she wished the viewers got to see that too. Were you hoping that would be something fans got to see?
My head wasn’t really there. I mean, it’s tricky because friendships on that show are super complicated because you are having to think about viewers seeing it and being a part of it. Whereas with me, my focus is more just the friendship first and then, yeah, of course, if we got to film that and what that looked like, I think that would’ve been really cool because how many people have fallouts with their close friends and then get to rebuild it. So that was something I think would have been interesting to see and I would’ve liked to have seen it. But like first priority, it really was just like reaching out on a human connection level. Not so much for the show if that makes sense.
Getting into some things going on this season, we saw Craig Conover reveal that he had plans to propose to Paige DeSorbo by the end 2024 but as we know, they broke up instead. What was your reaction to that news? Have you been in touch with either Craig or Paige?
I’m friends with both of them. And Paige, honestly, she’s been such an incredible friend to me. She was actually one of the first people to reach out when the news broke that I wasn’t going to be on the show. I’ve heard bits here and there just from the inside circle. But when everything was coming out and then like all the rumors, I hated that for Paige because I think anyone that knows her knows that she’s fiercely loyal and looks out for her own. So, the rumors, the cheating stuff that people were saying didn’t really align with her character. And I also think people just want the tea to be piping hot sometimes. And it’s just not. This breakup seems like just a typical breakup. We’ve all been a Craig, we’ve all been a Paige. And so to see that she kind of had to stand up for herself and defend herself was a bummer. I would have expected Craig to do that. But yeah, I did see that interview [on Watch What Happens Live] and he was like, “I have nothing to do with this.” And I was like, “Well, you kind of do. You’re 50% this.” So I thought that was a strange response on Craig’s end. But I think Paige did a beautiful job defending herself, and we all know she’s capable of that.
I know you and Austen Kroll kind of stayed friends for a bit after the Season 9 craziness. Are you guys still friends?
No. We’re – I don’t even know what you call it. I don’t really care for him. And I’m sure he doesn’t care for me. But yeah, that’s just that with him.
When I opened the door back up to that friendship, it didn’t take long for me to remember, like, “This is why this didn’t work.” But I always said that I wish Austen and I had just remained friends because we were good friends. Like we did have such a good time together and he’s hilarious. But the romantics and the show aspect really, like, complicated it. And I just saw too much of what I didn’t want. And I think we’re both in that place where it’s like we wish well for you, but we’re not keeping in contact. I did meet his girlfriend when they first started dating. She seems lovely, like so cute. I told him not to mess it up, but if he does, I would like to still be friends with her.
So I’m guessing he won’t be invited to the wedding.
No, no, no. Not enough tequila in the world.
Speaking of your friends, you and Venita Aspen are close. It’s clear now that she and JT Thomas dated at one point, which maybe we’ll see on the show. Were you privy to your relationship? What are your thoughts on how they ended?
I had heard that they were possibly romantic, but the only JT and Venita that I knew were just good friends. And so when I saw that it kind of unfolded on the show that there was a romantic thing involved, I didn’t know much about that side of it. And like I said, I haven’t seen enough to see how it all plays out. I’ve seen a few – JT’s getting kind of hammered, I would say, by the other people. I am curious [about] what happened because I adore Venita. She’s great, but I’m not really sure what went on there, to be honest.
Also, the Southern Charm Season 10 reunion seating chart came out and JT – who claimed he would not attend – is on there. Were you surprised at all?
No, because you have to go to the reunion. That is part of the deal. You don’t get to choose. How many people probably would have loved to skip reunion? I could think of several Housewives that probably would have been happy to miss it. But that was never in our power to get to do something like that. So him even throwing it out there that he might not show, I was like, “Well, good luck with that. Your name’s going to be in a seat somewhere and your ass is going to be in it.”
One last big piece of news. Madison LeCroy announced that she’s pregnant! What was your reaction? Have you reached out to her?
No, I haven’t. I just heard the news, I think, when everyone else did. But that’s awesome. I know that was something they had been talking about doing, and I’m very happy for her. It looks like she got her happy ever after as well.
I would love to talk a bit about your web series, Off-Season. You and Kathryn Dennis had a really interesting conversation about reality TV in the premiere episode. What is the biggest thing reality TV has taught you about yourself?
That’s a good question. I would say just being completely authentic as much as you possibly can. And even in the most uncomfortable situations, I would say that the show really taught me how to face difficult situations head on where normally I would probably brush it off. But the show, if you’re beefing with someone, you’re going to get a call sheet and the next day you have lunch with that person. So it’s like you just learn how to take confrontation head on. And I appreciate it for that. And I think, yeah, just kind of like staying as true to yourself as you can because it’s when you start trying to control the outcome of how you want to look to the audience, I think is where people get in trouble. It’s like they underestimate the viewers and how that stuff translates, you know what I mean? You can tell when someone’s producing themselves. I’ve had conversations with people and they’ll be in their head thinking about what to say next while I’m talking to them. And I learned a lot from others of what not to do. But yeah, a lot of different lessons there. I had an incredible time with the time I had on it. It was really fun.
If you could go back in time and do it all over again, is there anything you would’ve done differently during your time on Southern Charm?
I honestly don’t feel like there is. I really stayed true to myself and the reality that I thought was going on. Like I said, I learned a lot back watching episodes and how they unfolded. And of course, it’s like, “Oh, I wish I had known that information then when I was in that scenario.” I would have reacted differently or something. But like, that’s not how this works. You just kind of go with how the storyline is playing out. But no, I mean, I can’t say there’s much I would change.
Maybe, you know, take back the C-word. That was uncomfortable to say on camera. That’s it.
I loved to see Kathryn doing great – and I also love how close you guys have stayed. What is one thing about Kathryn that fans would be surprised to hear?
She’s hilarious. She’s so funny. And that side of her, I just feel like did not get disclosed enough on the episodes, obviously, because we’re in these heated moments. But she’s really, really funny and quick on her feet and she’s incredible at communicating. And that’s something that I think a lot of people didn’t get to see. You’re not in control of the edits and how long you’re going to be on there. But when she’s sitting down and you’re having these kind of conversations with her, she’s hilarious and incredibly intelligent. I think people would be surprised to know how funny she is. She’s a goof. And I love getting to kind of show that on Off-Season. I was like, “What’s something that we can do that’s a little out of our comfort zone, but that’s going to bring out her goofy side?” And fishing was that.
You’ve not only released an episode with Kathryn, but you’ve also had Scheana Shay, Ally Lewber and James Kennedy on other episodes. Is there anyone else from the Bravo-verse you’d like to have on?
I always want to keep that Bravo door open because I think – especially when I started Off-Season, I was like, “Alright, time to dip into the Bravo contacts.” I would love to have, like, Kathy Hilton on or something. People can’t get enough of her, myself included. I would probably dip into the Beverly Hills Housewives because I’m just so enamored by their lifestyle in general. So I think it would be cool to have them on and show a different side of them, which is what Off-Season is about.
You were at Kathy Hilton’s Christmas party! How was that? Do you have any fun stories you can share?
No stories. It’s beautiful. It was crazy because it’s in her home, you know what I mean? I stayed in the bathroom for, I don’t know, like 20 minutes taking selfies because the lighting was bomb, the mirror, the decor, everything. I saw a lot of new faces, saw a lot of the Southern Hospitality people there. It was fun connecting with some Charleston people in Beverly Hills. Very random. But no, it was really fun. And then Lisa Barlow’s saying one of the Christmas carols that she sings so well. So that was fun to watch. A live version of that.
Are you friends with the Southern Hospitality people? Have you been keeping up with that show?
I haven’t been watching the show. I’ve known a lot of them for a really long time. And so, yeah, a few of them.
I know you’re here for NYFW. What have you enjoyed seeing the most?
I went to L’AGENCE last night and that was incredible. It was in the Grand Central Station, and it was by far the most beautiful show I’ve ever been to. And the line was beautiful. That one was really cool. And they handed you tickets as if you’re getting a train ticket or something to it. It was so beautiful. So well done. And I’m excited actually going to come back in April and kind of dip into the bridal scene for a little bit. So I’m really looking forward to that and getting into that place where I can start talking about the dress, which is what I’m most excited about.
Do you have an idea of the type of dress you want?
I do. But everyone always says you think you know what you want, and then you try something and you get something completely different. So I’m really wanting to go into it with an open mind so I don’t pigeonhole myself into just one style. But I want them all and like I’m like, how many wedding can we have?
You could have two or three gowns!
I know. I never understood that. I was always like, “I want to be in the gown that I love the whole night and never take it off.” But then, you start trying dresses on and you’re like, “I might need a few gowns.” Wedding planning is not for the indecisive and I am incredibly indecisive. So it’s been a learning curve.
One last quick question, is there anything else you’re working on? Any projects? What’s next for Olivia Flowers?
Yeah, well, I mean, the wedding, obviously. I can tease a lot about that because there’s still more details that I need to figure out. So I have nothing but teasers. That’s a big one. And then Off-Season, I’m really passionate. I’ve had a lot of fun with it and I’m kind of learning my flow with it and what formula works for me. And so that’s going to be something I really dedicate these next few months to as well. I started working with a nonprofit organization called Project Lyme. I got to speak at their gala and then I was invited to a roundtable discussion in D.C., which was a really, really cool experience. I have a lot more to learn with it. But just just learning about the Lyme disease community. And then I did an episode of Off-Season about it. So I’m trying to figure out how to use my platform for entertaining, but also to work on things that I’m passionate about. But all those things in one.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
The post Olivia Flowers Thinks Kathryn Dennis’ “Funny” Side Wasn’t Shown Enough On ‘Southern Charm’: “She’s Hilarious” appeared first on Decider.
