Countess Luann de Lesseps has revealed that she actually pitched to take part in her very own version of a huge dating show, but was turned down.
The 58-year-old became a household name thanks to her hilarious efforts on the Real Housewives of New York, and quickly became a stand-out part of the cast – before Bravo changed things up for season 14.
She used her huge TV platform to launch her own sell-out cabaret performance across the US, and is bringing her new show of Marry F Kill for a UK tour next month – including a set at Mighty Hoopla in London.
Speaking to Metro.co.uk before she takes the stage, she teased that she has some very big projects in her sights when she finally gets back to the US, including a potential stint on the Traitors.
‘The Traitors is in my forecast, I think,’ she told us. ‘I would love to do that show, just to go to Scotland for a month and hang out with Alan Cumming – who I know and who I love! I have my eye on dating… Wouldn’t I be a great Golden Bachelorette?’
Gerry Turner famously made his debut as the very first senior citizen to front the dating show last year, at the age of 72, and attempted to find love with women between 60 and 75 years old.
However, Luann insisted that she would tweak these age requirements if she were to look for love on TV herself – as men in their 60s ‘have problems’ down below…
‘Not that age, oh no. Younger,’ she clarified. ‘I loved the show but 70s? No, no, no.
‘I have a theory that the 40-year-olds are into my stuff, the 50-year-olds are like, “S**t, I’m 50, I need a 20 year old”. And the 60-year-olds have a problem in the lower level, as Ramona [Singer, RHONY co-star] would call it. My pick would be 40s to 60 tops.
‘I pitched that show for Bravo ages ago, they didn’t do it. ABC ran away with the prize. They’re sorry they didn’t do that, but don’t worry, they’re going to make up for it. I’m heading in that direction. Not saying anything is confirmed!’
Luann has gone through countless lifetimes already, having trained as a nurse, written a book, enjoyed a modeling career and acted in films and TV shows.
She was one of the OG cast members of the Real Housewives of New York, which originally aired in 2008 – the first series focused on her marriage to Count Alexandre de Lesseps, who she shares children Noel and Victoria with.
The cameras captured the fallout from their divorce, in 2009, as well as her subsequent marriage to Tom D’Agostino Jr in 2016 – and their split the following year.
Reflecting on the 14 years she has spent on our screens, she reflected: ‘I’ve [gone through] blood, sweat and tears on the show. I’ve got divorced, married again, divorced again, raised children. I’ve lived my life on TV and I always was very honest about it, I think people can see that.
‘The camera doesn’t lie. Lots of people have skeletons in their closet. If you have them, then not a great place to be is on the Housewives because they will find them, so I’ve always really lived my true authentic self. I’ve grown so much – I started as the Countess, married to a French aristocrat, “Yes, I’m Mrs de Lesseps.”
‘We got paid nothing for the first season, nothing. We did not know what was going to happen. It was new, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy was really the most popular thing for Bravo, and along came Housewives. Jill Zarin, I met her at a party, said, “You’d be perfect for this show I’m doing.” That’s how I found the show, it found me, actually.
‘Regret things I said [and] done? Not really. You can’t take it back. I guess I’ve got a thicker skin through all the years … I only care about what my friends think about me, and my family. That’s it.
‘I earned my badges and boy, I’ve been through it. Just getting through Bethenny [Frankel] is a miracle. Nobody could confront her like me.’
Loyal RHONY viewers are well-versed in Luann’s cabaret efforts, as the Bravo cameras have followed her through rehearsals, shows, last minute changes and song choices.
What fans may not known is that she writes the entire thing herself, including the music, stories and jokes – taking a lot from her own life and time on the Housewives.
Her new Marry F Kill production will be touring the UK in just a few weeks, debuting at Mighty Hoopla on June 1 and June 2, before performances in Dublin, Brighton, Manchester and London – the performance at Mighty Hoopla will mark her biggest crowd to date.
Shedding light on what crowds can expect from her tour, she explained: ‘This show in particular is about who we’d marry, who we’d eff, and who we’d kill.
‘I talk about the men I have married, who I’ve effed notoriously on the show – we talk about the Pirate for a hot second – and the one I’d get rid of. It’s really about love, love lost and dating apps, all that fun stuff. Mixed in, of course, with Housewives and all my classics that my fans love.
‘I’ve never played the UK, so I’m so excited to bring the show, because people don’t know what to expect. I say they drive in in a Toyota and they drive out in a Rolls Royce.
‘It’s an experience that you’re immersed in. I’ve had fans come [and tell me], “I went to Beyonce, I had a better time at your show.” Beyonce is fantastic but you can’t really get close to her.’
‘I love it because the fans are connected through the Housewives, so they have something in common,’ she added. ‘I work really hard at cabaret. This is no joke, this is a great show and it’s a fun time.’
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