Calling from her luxurious Californian home and looking sun-kissed and refreshed from a break in Mexico, Chrishell Stause proves to be every bit as fabulous as she is on Selling Sunset. It’s 9am on her side of the pond, 4pm on ours, and despite being in a poorly household (both she and her partner, Australian musician G Flip, have the lurgy), she exudes the same well-put togetherness and warmth that’s won her millions of reality TV fans.
Illness aside, we couldn’t have chatted to the American actress-turned-real estate agent at a better time. Chrishell, 42, is weeks away from bringing her charm to the London Palladium with her one-off Up Close & Personal show, and her face lights up when she envisions the bonding and selfie-taking she’ll be doing with her UK fans – so many of whom have followed her Selling Sunset journey since 2019. She anticipates they’ll have lots of questions for her about series eight, which she’s just wrapped filming, and which – she tells us with a glint in her eye – is the fieriest season yet. Basically, you won’t want to miss it…
How much can you tell us about series eight?
Oh my gosh! So, we just finished filming. It is, I have to say, probably the most dramatic season. I really focus on the real estate this season – I have so many amazing things that I’m proud of in the real estate space. But wow – huge, big things happen this season.
How have you changed since you first joined the show?
I think I found myself. I didn’t realise I was in need of doing that when I started. I thought I was just in need of finding my path on a new career. Turns out I needed to find my path in life. I just found my confidence. That being said, I’m sure anyone who’s struggled with this – when you’ve been a people pleaser your whole life, and you struggled to find your confidence and to find your voice – then you have to find the pendulum and have it swing back the other way. You don’t want to overuse it. It’s like, “OK, now I can find that quiet confidence to pick my battles and speak up when I need to.” It has been a journey of having to figure all of that out. It’s been crazy to have had a show cover those poignant moments of my life.
You’ve been on quite the journey…
I know that sometimes we are edited, but that really is who I am. After this many seasons, you couldn’t completely fake who somebody is. You really do get a sense of the good, bad and ugly, to be honest. I’ve had all of those moments on the show. To have fans come with me through that journey and have a little forgiveness through trying to find my path and my way there… It’s a stressful environment. I like to watch it with eyes of, “How I could have done things better?” I really did try this season. I’m excited about season eight – I’m hopeful that I was able to bring some good real estate and some good friendship. Even though I’m in the drama, I did not bring the drama.
What, if anything, would make you quit the show?
When we begin a season, sometimes you think it’s going to be great and it ends up being the worst, and vice versa. I think there’s an end point for some people, but is this the kind of show that we keep going and you could pop in while you’re having different life things go on? Yes, [and] that would be great. I don’t know what the future of the show holds, to be honest. I can see people being like, “OK, this is probably a natural place for it to end.” But I can see it also being one of those shows that has reiterations and just keeps morphing and changing. I look forward to seeing what happens with it. As of right now, I am so grateful for the show and the opportunities it’s given me. Sharing such a pivotal piece of my life with everyone has helped me stay sane, even though that seems weird. The show makes you feel insane at times, but then when it airs, and you connect with real people, that’s when it’s worth it. That’s something I’ll never take for granted.
What do you think people would be shocked to discover about you?
I feel like, for the first few seasons, [the show] kind of put me in a little bit of a box and now, as we go along, you see a little bit more of me. But you’re tied to a very small medium of 40 minutes and you’ve shot for four months. It’s interesting what makes the show and what doesn’t. To answer your question, it’s hard because it’s me, so I always think it’s funny when people don’t know things about me. I love scary movies. I’m not a big detail person – I just went on a trip and I put a couple of things in my bag. I was with a friend [co-star Emma Hernan], who planned every single thing from top to bottom and had every single detail coordinated. And I was just like, “Tell me where to be. I have a pair of jeans and a tank top.” I’m a little unsure what people expect or think about me, but I do hear, “Wow, I wouldn’t have known that or thought that” a lot.
We can’t believe you’re not an over-packer…
I used to have someone who helped me, and I’d never know what she was going to put in the bag. I loved it because she packed better than I would have. But now it’s just me and I hate packing. I just throw some stuff in there, and if I don’t like it when I’m there, I’ll figure it out. It’s always an excuse to go and find something.
You’re coming to London, so what are your favourite British traditions? We hear you like an afternoon tea…
I have to do an afternoon tea. I’ve been calling it a high tea, but is it afternoon tea?
We think so…
The one with the little sandwiches on the tray?
Yep…
Well, it’s my favourite thing that you guys do. I just think it’s so charming, and I really love it. I don’t even really love tea, but when I’m in London, I have tea. Right now, I’m back to coffee. But as soon as I’m in London, I have tea instead. I really like embracing the culture. I absolutely love walking the streets and looking at different shops. It just feels like everything is so charming.
How is married life?
Oh, so good. G is actually asleep in the other room, a little under the weather, so I’ll be a caretaking nurse. Other than that, we’re doing really well.
Have you got any exciting plans together this year?
Oh my gosh, we do. I just finished filming Selling Sunset on Thursday night and was on a plane Friday morning with Emma to go on a vacation. But this weekend, I’m going on a lovers’ trip with G. I’m just so excited to go on a little weekend getaway. Aside from the one weekend I just took, I’ve been working extremely hard – even, honestly, working while I was in Mexico, just on a beach lounger. After that, we’re going to visit my family. I’m excited to take G home, because they’ve met my family before, but I’ve never gotten to take them around the places that I grew up.
You’ve talked about imposter syndrome since coming out later in life. How do you deal with that?
The LGBTQIA+ community really embraced me so boldly, when a lot of the rest of the world was saying I was having a midlife crisis, and I can’t tell you what that felt like. I think that gave me the courage to trust myself, to know that it’s OK to join whenever you join. Now, I understand that everyone’s story can be different, and I just think that’s important and powerful. I reassure myself because of the responses I’ve had. They hadn’t heard my story before, where I did feel a certain way growing up and all through life, and then only later, it felt more like a spectrum, or realising my attraction is more about energy. It’s just another thing that feels scary to share, but actually ends up feeling rewarding because of the people that have reached out. They have connected and felt a little bit more emboldened to share their story and to live the life that they want to live. Love is love.
How are you feeling about hitting the London Palladium?
I can’t tell you how excited I am! I have loved London for so long. It’s got such an energy to it, and every single time I go, I’m so excited to share on socials. But the number one thing I get constantly is, “Where can we meet you? Where can we talk to you? I’d love for you to do a meet and greet.” I haven’t had the right tools or ability to figure that out, so for this to have come together and for it to be at the Palladium, it’s more than I could have imagined. It’s been in my head and in the works for years. I can’t wait to feel like I’m really connecting with the fans. It just feels like you’re talking to your friends at this point, because they know me from the show. It’ll be nice to be able to interact and go a little deeper in conversations that I don’t normally have the right avenue to do. It’s going to be great and it’s going to be crazy.
Catch Chrishell’s Up Close & Personal show at the London Palladium on Tuesday 30 April.
Millie Payne is a News and Entertainment Writer for heat. She has specialised in showbiz interviews, features, articles and roundups for over three years and loves combining her love for writing, talking and all things popular culture.