After I watched a preview for the new reality show "Househusbands of Hollywood," which follows the lives of five LA guys whose significant others are the breadwinners, I was immediately hooked on the high-powered ladies' hectic schedules, the family fights, cute kids, adorable dogs, and all-around couple chaos.
It may be a fun show to watch, but I had to wonder how the show might affect its subjects' real-life relationships. It's no secret that when it comes to coupledom, reality shows can often turn into the kiss of death. Maybe it's the pressure of the constant camera coverage, the stress of the newfound (or just extra) fame, or the way your partner's worst attributes can be played over and over again on your DVR. Whatever the reason, it can spell trouble. Just ask the infamous Jon & Kate or some of the other married folks who broke up after taking the reality plunge.
So I sat down with one of the "Househusbands" duos -- TV host Jillian Reynolds and her husband, Grant, a former Marine sniper who's now an actor and stay-at-home dad to 2-year-old daughter Ruby -- to find out how things are going now that they've taken a trip down reality road. The straight talker and the straight shooter gave me the straight scoop about why they signed up for the show, why they'll indeed be staying together, and why life's about to get even busier.
----------
What made you want to do the show in the first place?
Jillian: I made him do it. I do the biggest reality show on TV every day ["Good Day L.A."]. It's live television and I've done it for 22 years. So for me it wasn't a huge deal. I did sort of talk him into it. I thought if anybody could change the way that a stay-at-home dad is perceived, it's him. If you have a preconceived notion of what the show is, he blows it out of the water. He's a great guy, he's a great father, he's at home with the baby.
Grant: I just didn't want to do reality TV. I thought, who wants another reality TV show? I didn't like the stigma attached to it.
Are you comfortable with the whole thing now, and that the show is called "Househusbands"?
Grant: I'm comfortable with who I am and I'm comfortable with what my position is in my family and in my place in the world, and if that's the name they're going to throw out, so be it.
Jillian: He's a former Marine sniper and he's had this sort of macho background, and I think if people want to judge by a title, that's their prerogative, but I think once they see the show it's not like I've got the honey-do list for him. I work three hours a day and come home and I get to look after our baby with him and participate, and he gets to go ride his motorcycle. It's a good life.
Grant: We're very fortunate.
Jillian's in front of the camera every day, but did either of you have any reservations about putting your daughter on camera?
Grant: That was my biggest hang-up. I wanted to know how many people we were talking about, how many cameras, how many days.
Jillian: Stuff I didn't even think about. I was like, what do you care how many cameras? If they're in the house, they're in the house.
Grant: It didn't even register to her. Thankfully, my kid can only be on camera an hour and a half or two hours a day [by law], so she's in it just a little bit. It's pain in a butt having all those people in the house, but ...
Jillian: But you do get used to it after a while. You'll see fights and everything. It's not like we're trying to be polite in front of people.
Speaking of fights, Jillian, you report on celebrity breakups and there's been a lot in the news about the breakup of reality stars like Jon & Kate and ...
Jillian: Oh please, Carmen Electra and I used to talk about this when she invited me to her wedding to [now ex-husband] Dave [Navarro]. We were out one day with Sharon Osbourne, and Carmen was deciding on whether to do the show and I said, "I don't think I would do it." And Sharon, who's had a wonderful experience with reality TV said, "Oh, you've got to do it." But Sharon also has a very long relationship with Ozzy, way before the show. But I think it can be detrimental. It seems like everybody who gets [a reality show] ends up broken up.
So were there any concerns for you guys?
Jillian: No. None.
Grant: There's always concern, I don't know what the hell you're talking about. [Jillian and Grant burst out laughing.]
Jillian: I think if you have a fragile relationship to begin with, it might just exacerbate things, but we're fine.
Grant: We're just another couple going day by day and trying to raise a nice family and trying to keep it real.
Are there challenges that come with raising a child in Los Angeles?
Grant: I really just try to stay out of Ruby's way and let her blossom naturally as opposed to being the "no, no, no, no, no, no" dad.
Jillian: We're pretty removed from Hollywood. We live in the Valley. I mean, we go to premieres, but we're not toting our daughter on the red carpet. We're not living this extravagant lifestyle. You pick and choose. After two years we finally hired a nanny and I'm glad that we did.
Grant: Of course, right when we get the nanny and she comes a few days a week to help out, now we have another baby on the way. [Jillian is pregnant with their son, due in January.] We're like, OK, right back to where we started. But it'll be fun.
Was there a moment from the show that you wish hadn't made it onto television?
Grant: We haven't seen all the shows, but I'm not upset with how I'm portrayed or the way I came across one bit.
Jillian: Me neither.
Grant: I didn't put myself in a situation I didn't want to be in, I didn't do anything somebody asked me to do that I didn't want to do. Everything was pretty organic and real for the both of us.
Would you do another season?
Grant: If they pay me $3 million. [They both laugh.]
Jillian: Well I think it would be very different because we have another baby on the way. And I remember coming home from work and thinking, "Oh my God, I've already done my TV day and now my day's starting again." And that was exhausting with the baby and with the husband and now with another baby in my belly it's a whole other ballgame. Who knows? We'll cross that bridge when we come to it.
"Househusbands of Hollywood" premieres Saturday, August 15 at 9pm ET on FOX Reality.
----------
TALK ABOUT IT: Will you watch?
Find how Washington mom whitened her teeth without dentist.
NewsKTV13.comTap Into $7 Billion In Scholarship Funds. Get Free Step-By-Step Guide.
FreeEducationGuide.comSee the New 2009 Vehicles at Your Local Washington Chrysler Dealer
www.ChryslerDealer.com