Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: That reminds me of people who put sugar in their pasta. Like, every time I make pasta, I have friends who will put a whole bunch of sugar on top of it. And I get it. It's supposed to tone down the acidity of the tomatoes. But no.
[00:00:12] Speaker B: Living in black spaghetti. No, that is okay.
[00:00:14] Speaker C: That is black spaghetti 1000%. Welcome to Image Unscripted, the official NAACP Image Awards podcast hosted by me, Jemele Hill. Here we have real conversations with some of the brightest black voices of about pivotal moments, giving them their flowers, and how they're pushing the community forward. And real quick, subscribe to our YouTube channel, and if you're listening on Apple Podcasts, please leave us a review. And you better give us five stars. Now, today, I'm chatting with reality TV standouts Love Island's Shelly Besaint and Taylor Hale from Big Brother and the Amazing Race. Now we get into what it means to represent when the cameras are rolling, how they've handled nonstop fan energy and. And how they've continued to win, building lasting, standout brands.
Well, thank you, Shelly and Taylor, for joining me here on Image Unscripted. You guys have had phenomenal careers already. I know you're just kind of getting started, and it probably feels weird to think of yourself in the career of sort of being famous and branding and all those things, but I wanted to ask you guys something, because unlike when you have actors, right? Like, actors, people relate to their roles, but people got to know your real lives. So I am curious, what are some of the memorable fan encounters that you all have had with people? Because these people really feel like they know you.
[00:01:35] Speaker A: Oh, yeah, they definitely.
[00:01:36] Speaker C: They definitely do.
[00:01:39] Speaker A: I think a lot of my interactions are like, when people run up to me and they're like, oh, my gosh, I feel like I know you. And I'm like, huh? Like, I've been. I remember first coming off of the show, and I'll be walking down in the airport, and someone will yell out, shelly. And I'm so quick to turn because I'm thinking, like, oh, my God, be one of my homegirls inside of here. Like, let me say hey. And I turn around, I'm like, wait, who are you?
And I realized, like, wow, like, okay, you guys are watching me for the whole summer. Like, you're getting to see my real life a little bit. So you do have this sense of, like, relation to me where you feel like you know me. So a lot of those moments, even now, they're still very shocking and, like, wow to me.
[00:02:17] Speaker B: And it can get awkward. Sometimes, too.
[00:02:18] Speaker A: Because you're like, do I know you're like, have I met you?
[00:02:21] Speaker B: Or do I not know you? And you're trying to make it feel comfortable, right? So now I stick with the it's good to see you instead of nice to meet you. Because I. Oh, my God.
[00:02:28] Speaker A: Like, I might have seen you before I met.
[00:02:30] Speaker C: I ran.
[00:02:30] Speaker B: I did that with someone that I've met four times before.
Four times. I was like, okay, we got to switch up the language now. But, I mean, similar to you, Big brother comes on three times a week, but the live feed cameras are 247 exactly. So, you know, people watch you walk into the bathroom, brush your teeth, open the door to go to the toilet. They hear you flushing crazy.
[00:02:48] Speaker C: It's a lot. It is a lot.
[00:02:49] Speaker B: That familiar, familiar familiarity. I used to be smart. I used to be smart that I went on reality tv. I lost it all. But that. That recognizability is overwhelming sometimes.
[00:03:02] Speaker C: But you guys not only just have, like, normal, everyday fans, you have, like, celebrities who were so into both of you all shows. So who was the celebrity or known person that was a fan of yours that you were like, oh, my God, I had no idea you would be watching this show.
[00:03:17] Speaker A: There was, like, a few people, like, when I came off, like, the first person that comes to mind is Ryan Destiny. And it was so crazy to me because I get, like, a lot of comments from people like, oh, my gosh, you guys resemble each other. So. And I always, like, just loved her as a person, like, watching her on TV and stuff. So when I was coming off the show and I see someone like her who was, like, constantly, always, like, speaking up about the show and putting her opinion out there, I was like, oh, my gosh, this is crazy. Or, like, even certain people following me. Like, I know I've been following them for years, and I'm like, maybe inspired by their career or just, like, them as a person and just seeing that they're, like, kind of seeing me in that light now. I'm like, oh, my gosh, this is crazy. Like, I did not imagine.
[00:03:57] Speaker C: You go to their page, you see that follow back. You, like, they follow back. Like, follow back.
[00:04:02] Speaker B: I get back.
[00:04:03] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:04:04] Speaker A: And a lot of it was happening when I was in the villa, so I didn't have my phone or anything. I don't know what. I'm not caught up in real time on what's happening. So it's like, when I finally did get my phone, like, even still now, like, sometimes I'll be scrolling and I'll end up on someone's page. And I'm, like, following me. Like, what? I didn't even know you were following me. Like, it's crazy in that kind of way.
[00:04:21] Speaker B: Yeah. I mean, the Detroit thing was really big for me. I remember within 24 hours of getting off of Big Brother, Big Sean sent me a dm, and he was like, just show some love. You did your big one. And I was like, oh, my God, who else? James Gunn. I just learned he was a huge fan of Big Brother this year, and we've grown a really awesome friendship, so that's pretty cool. And then I think the one that, like, changed my life was Janet Jackson commenting. Oh, my God, Janet Jackson.
[00:04:51] Speaker C: Because I would.
[00:04:51] Speaker B: I listened to her albums when I was in the Big Brother house, and I would just talk about how, like, her music shaped my life. I just relate to her so much. I grew up on her music.
[00:04:59] Speaker A: That's amazing.
[00:05:00] Speaker B: And coming out and seeing her comment on my post, I was, this is not real. Like, 30 days and 30 nights, truly. Yeah.
[00:05:06] Speaker C: That's when you have to tell people, you know, you can't look me in the eye anymore. Cause Janet Jackson follows me and knows exactly.
[00:05:11] Speaker B: Kiss the rain.
[00:05:12] Speaker C: Yeah, exactly. That's what it is now. Of course, before you all were famous, you led very interesting lives. I mean, Shelly, you had about 50, 11 jobs. Listen, can you count them off for us?
[00:05:25] Speaker A: You know what? I'm still trying to count them out myself. Because every time I'm sitting there, I'm like, oh, wait, I did do this.
[00:05:31] Speaker B: Yes, because you used to day trade. Right.
[00:05:32] Speaker A: That was why I used to day trade. Even still now, that's something that I do. Like, that's something. A skill that I learned that I always want to keep with me. But I did so many different things. I was, like, on the track to becoming a nurse. I was working as a cna. I was a profit specialist at Victoria's Secret. I was a bartender. Like, so many different things, and especially living in New York, it allows you to do that. Like, I'm someone who never put myself in a box and always just had so many, like, expressions of myself that I just wanted to explore and find out. So living in New York, that's hustle culture right there for you. Like, if you want to do it, if you want to be it, New York is the place to do that.
[00:06:08] Speaker C: So it seemed like you were in jobs that. Where you were dealing with the public.
[00:06:12] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:06:12] Speaker C: So how did that maybe prepare you for being on Love Island?
[00:06:16] Speaker A: Yeah, one of My bigger things too was like I was. My main focus was modeling, so that that's a being in front of the camera type of situation. So I think that was a big preparation in itself. And then always working with people, it just made me have a certain level of like, relatability and understanding when it comes to people and being able to sit there and have conversations and dig deep with people and maybe even keep it surface level, but just enjoying being present with people. So I think those jobs like really helped shape me in that way.
[00:06:46] Speaker C: And Taylor, you came from the pageant world being Miss Michigan, being Miss Congeniality.
So when you think about that life versus the life that you're living now, that seems to be quite a switch. But in some ways, maybe not.
[00:07:01] Speaker B: It feels pretty one to one. I. I mean, my error era of coming from the patching world was when you started seeing more patch people get on reality tv. There's a whole phase where you went on the Bachelor after you compete at Miss usa, and the Bachelor reached out to me. I could have been on that season. God knows who the Bachelor would have been and I probably wouldn't be with them now.
You know, the one to one transition, it kind of feels like I call the pageant world like the Junior League of or like the Triple Z league before you end up in reality tv. Because that's just what fandom and fame is these days. But I'm a very introverted person. Like, I'm an only child. I don't have any first cousins. I had a very quiet household growing up. And so it takes a lot for me to be in public and be around the people.
So being in pageants was something that I felt like it was the right match for me. But it also pushed me to be more social when I am in public. And thank God I had those training wheels on because once I came off Big Brother, it was just balls to the wall.
[00:08:04] Speaker C: I mean, to be watched in that fashion. I know that you all, obviously you signed up for this show. I know you were recruited. I know what your backstory is with Love Island. But I'm assuming that it, for whatever you think the experience is gonna be like, it still doesn't match whatever was in your head. So, like, in what ways was.
Were you not prepared for what you were about to encounter on the actual show?
[00:08:33] Speaker B: Changing clothes sucks.
[00:08:37] Speaker A: Like when there's just so many things that you just can't predict unless you're in the situation. Like, no one tells you detail for detail. Like, okay, just know you're gonna do Your makeup three, four times a day or you're gonna be sitting around and waiting for the camera and just. It's just so many different things. I remember going into it, I didn't want to set any expectations, so I told myself, like, you know what, I'm just going open minded. Like, I'm not even gonna try to have an idea of what I think it's going to be like now. One thing I did think was that being that it's reality TV and having watched the show for the first time last season, I was like, okay, I kind of see what happened already. So I'm expecting this is what my experience will be like as far as, like, I guess you just talk to anyone when I want to and do whatever I want. This is my house, my world. And then when you actually get into it, it's like, no, this is very much still tv. There's still a certain order of things. Like, yeah, there's still some type of structure that you have to follow.
You know, just creating a show basically. So it's like, dang. It's not really like I just wake up and do what I want, you know?
[00:09:36] Speaker B: See, that's so interesting because Big Brother is literally wake up and basically do what you want unless we're playing a competition. But outside of doing the competitions, playing the costumes, all that stuff, it is wake up, brush your teeth, make breakfast, talk to whoever you want, whenever you want. It's a lot.
[00:09:52] Speaker A: Wow.
[00:09:53] Speaker B: But yeah, pros and cons. But.
But when you, you walk in thinking you know what you're getting into and I mean, like, let's just call a spade a spade, right? Love island is a phenomenon right now. Big Brother, when they recruited me, I was like, that thing's still on tv. Like people still watch that. And yes, people very much still watch it. But I didn't have a familiarity with it that I would have had if I was coming in on your season of Love island, right? And so I remember sitting in the sequester hotel room because they sequester us for two weeks and they give us a big pamphlet. And in the back, it's the rule book and everything. In back you have the FAQs and there's one question that says, will I get fame and fortune from my time on Big Brother? And I remember reading that thinking, who thinks they're going to get famous being on Big Brother? What type opportunities do you think you're going to have? If anyone thinks they're getting that, they're so stupid. And then I come out And I was like, oh, okay, I think I'm good.
[00:10:48] Speaker C: Like you understand it. It's true story. Like, I think it was 2018 or 2019.
I, they, they reached out to my agent for me to do Big Brother Celebrity.
And I know and my agent thought it was a terrible idea because especially I was coming off of espn and he's just like, I don't know if this is good for your branding, you know, being a journalist. He's like, you, you still want to continue your journalism career, you might have to worry about whether or not people will take you seriously, blah, blah, blah. So I didn't do the show, but seeing the nature of the show and being familiar with it, I don't know if I got the temperament for that kind of show. You know, I was like, you were you. There was so many situations that you encountered. The bullying, the racism, like, all these things. I was like, the way I like to cuss people out, like, nah, I don't even know.
[00:11:40] Speaker B: But when you got 7,50k at the end, this is very true.
[00:11:43] Speaker C: I'm saying like you, you can, there's
[00:11:45] Speaker B: an end date there. It doesn't.
[00:11:47] Speaker C: Zeros will keep you like zeros keep
[00:11:50] Speaker B: his lips shot for a little bit.
[00:11:53] Speaker C: But, but, but nevertheless though you're, you were watched 24 7, like, at least there was a few. I mean, there's obviously breaks for you. Even though you're on, you're still being watched. But you know what I'm saying, they have a live feed of like watching you 24 7. So when you're under that level of scrutiny, like, how do you adapt to that?
[00:12:14] Speaker B: You know, honestly, it made me feel the most safe because I love reality tv. I'm a student of these reality games. I know now especially handfuls of people who've gone their shows. And you always hear when I was on the show, what you didn't see or you don't see everything.
[00:12:31] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:12:31] Speaker B: And that is true. And what Big Brother gave me was the safety net of the live feeds. So you can't really.
[00:12:38] Speaker C: Some people couldn't lie on you necessarily. Like people can say something happened and it didn't work exactly right because you
[00:12:42] Speaker B: got 50, 11 million trillion people saying who watched it?
Because I was on a watch in the morning.
[00:12:47] Speaker A: Yeah, I, I personally never watched it before. So I'm like, I kind of want to understand it better because I'm like, like it seems like we had a similar like experience, but still different in a sense too. So I would love to like see it more.
[00:12:59] Speaker B: You're It's a commitment.
[00:13:03] Speaker C: Well, you know, the other thing I, I would say is like, my. I guess my other experience with reality TV is like, I did the show Below Deck on Bravo. I did it twice, right? So I did Below Deck and Below Deck Mediterranean, and. Come on, you got the one. You know, listen, there's a specific type of reality show I can do, one that involves a super yacht and you being catered to at every.
But you talk about the moments like that, you know, that people miss. And frankly, for what people saw on the show, I was grateful for what they didn't see because we was drunk on that show, like, a lot. I mean, it's a yacht, you know, like, that's what you're supposed to do.
But the thing is, like, I was. After a while, you do forget the cameras are there. I'm wondering, and I'll start with you, Shelley. Like, how.
How did you. Or how much did you think about what you were presenting on a show that is. That people are gonna consume, that is in the reality TV universe? Like, were you aware of it? Like, with everything you did? Like, oh, I don't want people to think this, or at what point?
[00:14:01] Speaker A: Maybe, like, maybe the first couple of days in there, I wasn't. And I still wasn't even, like, hyper conscious of like, okay, there's a camera here. I need to act this type of way. Like, I mean, I like who I am. I think I'm a pretty good person. So I'm like, I don't feel like I have to poise myself in any kind of way to make me be received well by people or anything. So it was just like, at first I was like, okay, but I am on camera. So one of the. Some of those embarrassing moments you have to yourself, I was being more mindful of that because I'm like, oh, they might try to use this. I don't want them to use that.
But then after, like, you know, the first couple days, the first week, I was just like, I forgot that the cameras were there. I was just waking up and like, wow, I'm really just in this place. So I wasn't trying to. I wasn't in my head a lot about how I should be acting or moving maybe sometimes when it came to making tough decisions, then it's like, you are on a reality TV show that's almost game based too. So you kind of have to think strategically. But even then, like, I'm like, what is the strategy? Like, I don't. Like, sometimes people were saying things like, oh, you got to play your cards right. I'm like, what cards? I don't get it. Like, how do I use the strategy? And I'm just like, you know, I don't care. I'm just here. Whatever happens, happens. And that's it.
[00:15:12] Speaker C: Yeah, it was different for you because you do have to strategize. I mean, that's the whole point of it. So.
[00:15:18] Speaker B: And I'm not good at it.
[00:15:20] Speaker C: I can't tell, you know, but. But still, much like I asked Shelley, like when you're on the show where people are watching you 24 7, like how aware of you, like of what you were presenting or how, how conscious
[00:15:33] Speaker B: of it were you almost immediately, specifically, because to my knowledge, I was the only monoracial medium to dark skinned black person on the season, Black woman on the season.
And that I didn't think it would be a challenge because we had other black people, whether they were light skinned, biracial, male, female, older, younger.
We had a good mix of people. I didn't expect all of us to work together and band together like had happened with the cookout the year before, but I did not think that there'd be some sort of like crabs in the barrel mentality. And that was really hard. And something that I felt and experienced almost immediately. It was the, the immediate something we talk about all the time, right? It's when you are so many things, woman, black, darker skinned, how quickly the burden of existing falls to the lowest on the rung.
And again, like I look at the whole spectrum of blackness, I'm like here, right? But by nature of where the spectrum was, I was here on the dark skinnedness in the house and the stereotypes that are put onto you when you're in that position, I think we're all familiar with.
So to know that this is what the house is projecting on me, not know feel, because I can't see the conversations in other rooms. Yeah, but when you walk into a room and one by one or in groups, everybody walks out until you are alone. And it happens for two, three weeks in a row. When people say that you use somebody's mom having cancer to twist it, to manipulate this person to self evict, which did not happen.
It's why am I the one that is being ostracized, bullied, treated this way. And so you feel that weight. And again, I think the benefit of Big Brother is being able to look directly at a camera and, and say, I know that these are the stereotypes or things that exist in the real world.
I know I Don't fit these things. But am I experiencing this because of what I'm feeling? You can talk directly to the audience and call that out. You can talk directly to the audience and walk through what's happening in your head. You could be wrong.
But again, it's that safety net.
Again, it's that safety net of feeling like, okay, I'm not going to process this on my own.
I'm not gonna make processing this on my own my responsibility. Everybody is going to experience this with me. And I think that's why the audience relayed to me so much, because I
[00:18:11] Speaker C: really let them in with what she said. It sounds like you, since you have some relatability with that, because, as I'm sure you were able to eventually see on social media, a lot of black women, a lot of black people, they were riding because they saw some of the microaggressions. They saw some of the things you were experiencing on the show. So, you know, how did it feel on the inside?
[00:18:33] Speaker A: What's so crazy is that you were speaking to, like, your experience of being on the set and, you know, with the people around you and how they made you feel. Genuinely, the people in the Villa did not make me feel that way. Like, I never felt like anyone was looking at me, like, making me feel like, I don't know, like, the word I'm looking for right now. But I didn't feel like my race was a determining factor inside the Villa. I didn't feel like anyone was trying to, like, point me out as being aggressive or this or that or anything like that.
It wasn't until I came out the Villa, and I see this whole thing about fans being parasocial and this and that. And that's where I started to feel. It was when people were saying, oh, Shelly's this and that, and she's a mean girl. Cause she said this and she did that. And I'm also kind of seeing the edits of the show. And the edits weren't something that was, like, terrible to me. I still don't feel like I would have came to the conclusion of certain people's character based off of what I was seeing, just based off of what they edited. But I feel like the audience, they use that as a means to say, oh, this person is, like, more vulnerable and soft and needs more tender and care. But you, you're aggressive and you're mean, and you're this and you're that. And it's like, what. What are we going based off of? And seeing how everybody reacted to certain people on the show, it would look like the black people on the show are getting the more, you know, villain edit or villain perception or whatever the case is versus our counterparts just being like, oh, well, it's a moment. It's this, it's that. So that's when I started to see the difference was when it came to coming into the real world and seeing what the world was making of the show. But actually being in the villa, I never felt like that. So it was just very crazy to feel that switch happening.
[00:20:14] Speaker B: Well, you.
[00:20:14] Speaker C: You guys both. You're not only in the world, but you watch reality. T you all's opinion about how black women are presented on reality TV in general?
[00:20:27] Speaker B: Well, I mean, I don't know.
I don't know how old you are, shelly, but I'm 28. Oh, okay.
[00:20:34] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:20:35] Speaker B: We have the same little bucket. Okay. I just turned 31, so I'm like, where am I falling these days? Don't worry about us.
But I grew up watching Flavor of Love. I love New York.
I didn't watch Bad Girls Club, but the amount of times I was walking down the hallway, I ain't getting no sleep because of y'.
[00:20:53] Speaker A: All.
[00:20:54] Speaker B: Y' all not gonna get no sleep cause of me. Like, that's. And growing up watching Omarosa on the Apprentice and now knowing her because she's played Big Brother and is a huge Big Brother fan, It's. The people that I grew up watching laid a foundation that I believe is necessary.
But I also think that we get into stereotypes.
[00:21:17] Speaker A: Exactly. We're expected to act.
[00:21:18] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:21:19] Speaker A: Those kind of ways. Or that's what brings, like, the Dr.
And the entertainment stuff. It's not when you're just there being present, but when it's like you're almost performing in a way.
[00:21:29] Speaker B: Yeah. I think the benefit of now is that we've done two completely different reality shows. We get to sit here existing as we are talking to you, and then baddies also gets to exist. And there's an audience for that. I'm not the audience, but it's.
But it's something that brings people joy. People love the baddies. People love the Housewives. And honestly, I think Housewives is one of the most progressive shows out there because we see women being fully glamorous, unglammed, ridiculous, going through turmoil. Turmoil. Like, you see the holistic nature of us.
And I think it's nice in 2026 to now have different silos that we can turn to so that we aren't just pigeonholed into behaving one certain way anymore.
[00:22:17] Speaker C: Well, reality TV has always been polarizing, and there are conversations about whether or not, especially for our community, whether it's a negative or a positive. How do you all see that? Because some people feel like when they especially see some of the more polarizing shows you mentioned, baddies like that being one, or love and hip hop or some other ones, that people feel like that they don't represent our community in the best light. How do you all feel about sort of those criticisms?
[00:22:49] Speaker B: Our community's not a monolith.
I understand wanting to put our best foot forward. I think every minority community will feel that. But I think a community grows and strengthens when there are different aspects and facets that are highlighted and championed. So again, like I said, values, not my. That's not my persuasion.
[00:23:10] Speaker A: But there's a lot of people who do enjoy it. Like, I was.
I was sitting down having a conversation with one of my best friends, and her lifestyle is nothing near like the baddies lifestyle, what is going on on that show. But she's like, this is like kind of like a peace of mind for me sometimes. Like, sometimes I just want to, like, sit back and just enjoy something that's just like.
I don't know, like, maybe a little chaotic, maybe a little crazy, but this is actually people's lives. Like, some people can relate to this and maybe learn something from it. I don't know. But it shows the.
The.
I guess the. What is the word?
Yeah, like the different. Like just different lives that everybody lives. Like, not everybody has the same life, you know? So I feel like to see it on tv, maybe it does something for the person who's consuming and like, I don't know. I don't really watch it. So it's like, I don't know what it would do for me, but to hear my friends say that, I'm like, you really watch it? She's like, yeah, I love it. She's like, did you see what happened? Well, you didn't see what happened, but let me tell you, I'm like, okay.
[00:24:07] Speaker C: Like, listen, I don't judge people's reality TV show taste because I love love after lockup. That's my show, right?
I ain't never been to prison. I ain't never dated nobody in prison.
[00:24:18] Speaker B: But don't plan to go.
[00:24:20] Speaker C: Don't plan to go.
[00:24:20] Speaker A: But you're learning about some of the
[00:24:22] Speaker C: stuff the way I'm here for some prison love. I'm like, do y'. All. Come on. But it is. It does teach you about how difficult it can be for people coming out of prison to reintegrate in society and what they're up against.
It's a lot of craziness. But I'm, I'm here for the mess. It's just, it's real, though. It. It is very real.
[00:24:42] Speaker B: And we all have different types of crazy, too. Exactly. Honey Boo Boo. Run tlc. And they got. And they got Beverly Hills Housewives.
[00:24:48] Speaker A: Okay. Hello.
[00:24:50] Speaker C: To that end. What are you all watching when it comes to reality tv?
[00:24:55] Speaker B: Yeah, I know you're watching right now.
Coming.
[00:24:59] Speaker A: Honest, I don't. I haven't watched.
I'm so serious. Like, I'm, I'm. I don't know. I'm always asking people like, oh, what are, what are we watching?
But no, I haven't watched anything. Like, especially coming off of the show, I'm like, I could take a little break from reality tv, actually.
[00:25:17] Speaker B: Did you watch your season back?
[00:25:19] Speaker A: No. Well, I got halfway through it and then I just stopped because I'm looking at. I'm like, this is. I want to remember my experience for what it actually was. Not. I don't want to mix it up with. Now I'm watching this edit and it's like, that's not really directly. So I'm like, you know what? I'm good. I don't want to watch it no more. But then some days I'm like, let me go see. Maybe I missed something. Let me go see what's going on.
[00:25:38] Speaker C: Did you watch your.
[00:25:40] Speaker B: No. I know how it ends.
There are some moments that I like to relive, but I haven't watched it all the way through.
[00:25:48] Speaker C: I hope you. One of those moments is when you gave that hell of a speech at the end where, you know, you gave us a little King Kong ain't got on me.
[00:25:56] Speaker B: Right?
[00:25:58] Speaker C: Yeah. So she, you know, for those who may be listening or watching, please, YouTube Taylor's epic speech at the end of Big Brother. It is. It is quite phenomenal. So it's fun now, Shelley, when you're. Because you are on a dating. We're on a dating based show.
[00:26:16] Speaker B: Oh, yeah, I'm watching Traitors.
[00:26:18] Speaker C: I love Traitors.
[00:26:18] Speaker B: Oh, yes, that's right.
[00:26:19] Speaker C: You didn't answer the question. So you're watching Traitors.
[00:26:21] Speaker B: I love traders. I've always been a Bravo girl. Like from what's about to be 20 years of the Housewives, from when they first came on in Orange county, when they had that redhead girl out in New Jersey. I was watching her. I love, love, love, love all the Housewives franchises, and I look crazy at people that are like, oh, I don't watch Atlanta or Potomac. Why?
[00:26:43] Speaker C: Why? You know, the one I just got into is Salt Lake. Woo.
They might be the craziest. I'm not even playing.
[00:26:49] Speaker B: I didn't watch Salt Lake for a while because one of the ones who. She's not warmed up on me. She looked like my dad's crazy ex girlfriend. I had to take a break.
[00:26:57] Speaker A: I don't know what.
[00:26:58] Speaker B: I had to take a break.
[00:26:59] Speaker C: So you got Traders. You're Real Housewives fans.
[00:27:02] Speaker B: If I'm. If I'm being really real about it, I think the younger generation shows on Bravo are kind of trumping the Housewives right now. It's like, I love the Valley.
[00:27:10] Speaker C: Oh, okay.
[00:27:11] Speaker B: I love the Valley on Bravo, and
[00:27:12] Speaker A: I'm making, like, I'm making a list.
[00:27:15] Speaker B: Did you watch it yet? I love the Valley, and I, like, I hate Vanderpump rules. I'm sorry.
But Summer House is my show, and they're, like, in a renaissance right now, so I love it for them. Okay.
[00:27:26] Speaker C: And you have to get that spin off. And I understand you were asked to be on Summer. Was it Summer House?
[00:27:29] Speaker B: You do your research. For real.
[00:27:31] Speaker C: I know some things.
[00:27:32] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, the Summer House, Martha's Vineyard, the black summer house.
They were looking to revamp for season three. And I, like, that was my life. A lot of my family friends grew up going to the Vineyard, still have houses there, and it would have been a really fun experience.
[00:27:49] Speaker C: Would have been. So you said no?
[00:27:51] Speaker B: I said yes. But the show, it's on pause.
[00:27:53] Speaker C: Okay, got you. Okay.
[00:27:56] Speaker B: If it comes back. Yeah.
[00:27:57] Speaker C: Come, let's go.
[00:27:58] Speaker B: Let's take over that house.
[00:27:59] Speaker C: Okay, Now, Shelley, being that you were a part of a dating reality show, you go into it, are you. Because, you know, the role of the show is to choose and get chosen. Right. So do you go into it?
Does it alter how you want to, you know, come off to make? Like, do you feel any pressure or how much pressure do you feel to, like, maybe I need to make myself more open in this way or more palatable in this way? Like, how do you approach that?
[00:28:26] Speaker A: Yeah, my biggest thing was, like, I was, like, reflecting on, like, just, like, my history and dating. And what do I think? You know, I was doing really good with, and what do I think I could do better with? And one of those things was, like, just being more vulnerable.
So when I was coming into this, I'm like, okay, I'm going on this show to find love. That means I can't hold back. I need to go in there with all of me and really just put it out there. Because the whole point is like, I want to find someone. So I went in there thinking, like, okay, I'm gonna be the most open, honest, vulnerable that I could possibly be and hopefully that will attract me to my person. So that's kind of what my mindset was going into there. Because I'm like, I don't want to repeat the same things, like just being surface level and hoping like I might click with someone. Like, no, we need to get down to it because I'm sitting with you every single day, morning and night, like for two months straight. It has to be for something, you know.
[00:29:25] Speaker C: Now you all both found love on your shows and I know those relationships are no more. And you also have dated in the sort of reality universe, if you will, if you, you know, in thinking about those relationships, like what?
I guess for others that are on reality shows, like, sort of what. What did you learn about what it's like dating somebody inside of that bubble and like, what might you not do again?
[00:29:57] Speaker B: It publicly?
Right?
[00:30:00] Speaker A: You wouldn't. It publicly, definitely. I 100% agree with the public.
[00:30:06] Speaker C: I mean, you were a little different because people saw it.
[00:30:08] Speaker A: Well, yeah, they saw it. And just even like the aftermath though, like, you know, in the villa, I didn't have control of it, but I do. So I definitely would want like, whatever relationship I have to be more private. Just because there's just no room for a lot of noise. Like you already have to navigate life itself. Like, you don't need the extra noise.
[00:30:26] Speaker B: Yeah, there's just so much incentive to do it publicly. And outside of, you know, engaging with the fans, which can be a double edged sword, there's also a huge monetary incentive to do it.
What's the.
[00:30:39] Speaker C: What could be gained financially if you do it?
[00:30:42] Speaker B: Millions of dollars. Millions of dollars.
[00:30:45] Speaker C: Is this through branding?
[00:30:46] Speaker B: Is this through. It's through the platforms that you're on. Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok. There's opportunity there. I remember when I first got off Big Brother, I won. I was the first black woman to win Big Brother in the show's 24 year existence.
And someone working in PR came to me and said, a lot of these brands really want you to talk about the person that you fell for on your show.
I was like, well, that's part of it. I think being in love is beautiful and exciting and I commend the people that do want to talk about it publicly. But what I Achieved is greater than the person that I'm connected to, and my partner understands that, and I need the world to understand that. So I really struggled with trying to highlight this really beautiful thing that I had and also celebrate myself equally, if not more. And that's not the reason why our relationship ended. We ended on really good terms.
But as far as dating for public consumption, that's just not something I'm interested in doing anymore.
[00:31:43] Speaker C: Now, both of you all are in the phase now where you. You pivoted sort of away from the shows that people know you from. So from a business standpoint, how did you manage that pivot? Like, with brand association? Like, how did you navigate? Now you're in the career part. How are you all navigating that?
[00:32:01] Speaker A: I think a big thing is like, before the show, there was already, like, I'm a very creative person, and I know that there's so many different things that I want to pursue and things that I want to do. So when coming out of the show and just seeing how much, like, exposure it brought and opportunity it brought, it was like, okay, well, the show was never supposed to be or I never looked at it as being my moment of, you know, being famous or anything like that. I did go on there to find love. And coming out of it, it came with also fame. So it was like, okay, let's not make it about the show, though, because I don't want to be known for. Oh, Love Island. Love Island. Love Island. Like, I want to be known for my. Who I am as a person, the talents that I have, the things that make me excited, the things that I want to share with the world. So that's something that I was very adamant about when talking to, you know, teams that I was building and stuff was saying like, hey, yeah, I came from this show. Yes, this is how people are getting to know me. But that's not what I want my story to be. These are the things that I love. These are the things that I want to pursue. How can put me in these spaces? Like, what will that look like? Especially looking for longevity in this. Like, what steps do I need to take to make sure this is lasting and growing?
[00:33:09] Speaker C: Yeah. So how do you approach it?
[00:33:11] Speaker B: I've been really lucky in the Big Brother universe, if you will. I've hosted the jury roundtable, which was a really big deal when it happened. I've hosted a spin off talk show for Big Brother. I've done podcasts, and CBS has taken good care of me. They've had me host the Grammys Carpet. So hosting is my bread and butter. It started when I was in middle school, high school. I started a new media journalism club. Cause we only had a newspaper. And I was like, get with the times. We're an expensive, private high school. People pay so much money. We should be on the Internet, people.
So I've always had that within me. And, you know, I'm three years removed from being on my first reality show. And I think something that I was very adamant about was I'm never gonna do reality TV again.
I'm above this. I don't want to do it. I want to touch it.
I did a Big Brother spin off Christmas show, the Amazing Race. Just did the Amazing Race. And I'm more comfortable telling myself that it's okay to still enjoy doing competition reality shows. It has not taken away from me going on carpets, doing interviews, podcasting. So, you know, I am comfortable being a public figure, not just a host, not just a reality TV star. But I think failure is when I define myself as just one of those things. And I'm really, really happy to feel more confident in saying I can be all these things.
[00:34:35] Speaker A: And not exactly, but you don't have to be in a box.
[00:34:36] Speaker B: No.
[00:34:37] Speaker C: You thought you'd never do reality again.
What reality shows would you like to do?
They've always been approaching you.
So, like, what. What would be one that you. Would you be a real housewife?
[00:34:51] Speaker B: I. I don't want to say. I'm talking.
[00:34:52] Speaker C: Or a friend of.
[00:34:54] Speaker B: I could be a friend of.
[00:34:55] Speaker A: Put your foot in there.
[00:34:57] Speaker B: Yes. Extremely unmar.
I would also like, if they brought back that Martha's in your summer house, I'd do that in a heartbeat. I would do Traders in a heartbeat. Dancing with the Stars. In a heartbeat.
[00:35:05] Speaker A: Oh, my gosh. I always say Dancing with the Stars.
[00:35:07] Speaker C: Okay.
[00:35:08] Speaker A: Is that I love dancing.
[00:35:09] Speaker C: Okay.
[00:35:09] Speaker B: You would do Dancing with the Stars.
[00:35:11] Speaker C: All right. Any others? You would.
[00:35:13] Speaker A: I always say, like, even the hosting. So I always say, like, with Love Island, I would not be a contestant again. I wouldn't want to do that. But if there's any opportunity where you guys want me to, like, maybe host a challenge or like, just a certain segment, then I would be open to doing something like that. But as far as, like, at least dating, so no, that's okay.
[00:35:32] Speaker C: When it comes to life, you're like, no, thank you.
[00:35:35] Speaker A: No, thank you. But anything else, I'm like, I'm. I'm always open to trying something, you know, like just learning new things, trying new things, finding, like, you know, things that I Like, so I would be open.
[00:35:45] Speaker B: But dating, I can see me a competition girl.
[00:35:48] Speaker A: Yeah, I'm very competitive. Okay.
[00:35:51] Speaker C: I can see one for you. I'm gonna tell you off air because it's a different network. I, I.
[00:35:55] Speaker B: You can say what networking is.
[00:35:56] Speaker C: I got.
[00:35:56] Speaker B: I'm not under contract.
[00:35:57] Speaker C: I'm good. Yeah. You know, the show I could see you doing is. And this is one of my favorite reality competition shows is the Fox Special Forces show.
[00:36:05] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:36:05] Speaker C: I could totally see you doing this.
[00:36:07] Speaker B: Special Forces, the one where they, like, they make you like, a Army Ranger or, like a Marine. Yeah.
[00:36:11] Speaker C: You're like a seal. That's SEAL training. And you have to. It's like, if I had more guts, I would do this show.
[00:36:18] Speaker B: I would do that in a heartbeat.
[00:36:18] Speaker C: In a heartbeat.
[00:36:19] Speaker A: Because it's, like, the only thing I can't do, too. Dating and, like, the survival stuff, like when they put you in the woods.
[00:36:24] Speaker C: Oh, okay.
[00:36:24] Speaker A: Is that what that is?
[00:36:27] Speaker C: It's some elements to that, because you are. You are in basically a base camp. Like, it's military training. You have to do some things that are.
[00:36:35] Speaker B: Your people's just, like, dilated.
[00:36:38] Speaker C: Yeah. You have to get dropped. You got to jump out of helicopters. You have to do, like.
[00:36:42] Speaker B: Yeah, it's.
[00:36:43] Speaker C: It is crazy.
[00:36:43] Speaker B: I just went skydiving on the race.
[00:36:47] Speaker C: I feel that that's on my bucket list.
[00:36:48] Speaker B: I'm not there yet. Skydiving. I said I would only do it on the Amazing Race, and they took us out to the middle of nowhere, Romania, and said, jump out of this plane. That's got duct tape holding it together. I was like, oh, okay.
[00:36:58] Speaker A: Yolo.
[00:36:59] Speaker B: Yolo. Literally.
[00:37:01] Speaker C: So that's why I said. I was like, I feel like you could do this show.
[00:37:03] Speaker B: That'd be fun. Call me.
[00:37:05] Speaker C: Yes.
[00:37:06] Speaker B: That's the only thing I want you to call me for. Fox.
[00:37:07] Speaker C: That's what I'm saying. Say fox.
[00:37:09] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:37:09] Speaker C: Hook it up. All right, so now we get to the game. Okay, let's go. The game is very simple. I give you two choices. You got to pick one. It's called this or that. Don't invent a third choice. Oh, don't ask. Don't ask for a lifeline. Ain't nobody going to save you.
[00:37:20] Speaker B: Okay, wait. We got to negotiate.
How much money's on what do we win at the end?
[00:37:25] Speaker C: What you win is the love of the people and dignity. This is what you win.
[00:37:29] Speaker B: As long as dignity. That's great.
[00:37:32] Speaker C: All right. Renaissance or Cowboy Carter?
[00:37:35] Speaker A: Oh, Renaissance.
Yeah, Renaissance.
[00:37:38] Speaker B: Cowboy Carter was fabulous, but Renaissance has No.
[00:37:40] Speaker C: Okay. Did you guys go see Renaissance?
[00:37:42] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:37:43] Speaker C: Twice. You went to see it twice?
[00:37:45] Speaker A: What? Oh, my gosh.
[00:37:47] Speaker C: Okay.
[00:37:47] Speaker B: In Detroit. First time.
[00:37:49] Speaker C: Of course. Because where else would you see it? That's right. Put that money in Beyonce's pocket. That's drums or flats when it comes to chicken.
[00:37:58] Speaker A: Y' all just like, girl. No, but serious. Like, we're here. I don't know.
[00:38:04] Speaker B: Big hunk at the top, and then I gotta do, like.
[00:38:06] Speaker A: No, I like the flat. And it has a little crispiness to it on the edge, which I love so much.
[00:38:09] Speaker B: So you get more that seasoning in it. See? Okay, I feel like you guys knew
[00:38:14] Speaker C: these questions ahead of time, but.
[00:38:15] Speaker B: But you did. Didn't.
[00:38:17] Speaker C: Team Molly or team Issa when it comes to Issa.
[00:38:20] Speaker A: Oh, Issa.
[00:38:21] Speaker B: Molly.
[00:38:22] Speaker A: Oh, my God.
[00:38:23] Speaker B: I know, I know.
[00:38:25] Speaker C: I know.
[00:38:26] Speaker B: Molly was wrong a lot of times, but I. I'm sorry. I'd rather live in her apartment. I'm sorry.
[00:38:30] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:38:30] Speaker B: I'm sorry.
[00:38:31] Speaker A: There's certain qualities about Molly that I really, like, enjoy. Where I was like, oh, I could see me being her some days, but a lot of the times I'm like. I really just resonate with Issa, though. Like, I love that. Just awkward, carefree, like, whatever personality.
[00:38:45] Speaker B: So, yeah, look, Molly was wrong a lot of the time. Okay? She was. But she ended up with a man that had a baby.
[00:38:51] Speaker A: Damn.
[00:38:52] Speaker B: Anyway.
[00:38:53] Speaker C: Damn, that was a shot.
[00:38:55] Speaker B: I didn't like that ending. I didn't like that ending.
[00:38:57] Speaker C: You didn't like the ending? I. I mean, like, you didn't like her going back to Lawrence?
[00:39:00] Speaker B: I didn't mind her going back to Lawrence. I wish Lawrence didn't have that condolence child.
Thoughts and prayers, sorrows and condolences,
[00:39:09] Speaker A: but
[00:39:10] Speaker B: who am I to judge since you
[00:39:11] Speaker C: guys are out in these dating streets.
Fancy restaurant or Cheesecake Factory fancy restaurant.
[00:39:19] Speaker B: I don't ask, answer dumb questions.
[00:39:23] Speaker C: Josh farted.
[00:39:24] Speaker A: No, you. I know people who really love. Like, some people have a tie to, like, Cheesecake Factory. They really love it. Like, you know, me personally, I never really like being younger. I never had it, so I never understood the hype. So when trying it as an adult,
[00:39:37] Speaker C: I'm like, this what y' all was.
[00:39:39] Speaker A: This was like, yeah, you know, we're also. I think I had to have tried
[00:39:41] Speaker B: it as a kid at the steakhouse house to see.
[00:39:43] Speaker C: You know what? Yeah, okay.
[00:39:45] Speaker B: All right. I'm not above or. Okay, look, and I say this as someone who has a slice of cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory in her fridge right now, but I order a delivery for myself.
[00:39:54] Speaker C: You're like, I ain't going. I'm not going.
[00:39:56] Speaker A: You know what I mean? Also, too, like, I would go. Like, I would prefer the fancy restaurant, but if I'm with my person, we're going back to, like, just, like, just things from our past that it's like, you know, I just want to go.
Yeah, like a nostalgia type of thing. Like, yeah, let's go. Like, the other day I went to ihop. I love ihop.
[00:40:12] Speaker B: See what I'm saying?
[00:40:13] Speaker A: I didn't want to order it to my house because I'm like, it's not the same. Like, I need to sit there and be fresh. Like, you could never go wrong.
[00:40:19] Speaker C: See, that's how I feel about Red Lobster. Oh, I'm a hit. Real lobster.
[00:40:22] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:40:22] Speaker B: But no, okay, I hear you. I hear you.
[00:40:24] Speaker C: Okay.
[00:40:24] Speaker B: I would always get the lobster tail with my great grandma before she passed. Cheddar bay biscuits are amazing. You can buy the cheddar bay biscuit mix at the store make.
[00:40:32] Speaker A: It's not the same. I've tried all the.
[00:40:33] Speaker B: The freezer jumping me, Jumping me, the jumping me.
[00:40:37] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:40:38] Speaker C: That's like saying because we're from Detroit. That's like saying White Castle is the same when you get the.
I don't want to buy White Castle. I need it fresh.
[00:40:45] Speaker B: I gotta go right there.
[00:40:46] Speaker A: I love an artichoke dip from Fridays. I tried order.
[00:40:49] Speaker C: Try to get that frozen restaurant, but yet what I'm here.
[00:40:54] Speaker A: We're trying to go on a nostalgia route. I'll go to those places because they still have some of my favorite things there. No one has Friday's artichoke dip.
[00:41:02] Speaker C: Now, just as a slight follow up, because this is as, you know, a thing on social media. Is a 50, 50 day acceptable.
[00:41:10] Speaker B: No,
[00:41:16] Speaker A: You don't answer it
[00:41:19] Speaker B: with me and my girlfriend.
Me and my girl, we.
[00:41:22] Speaker A: Because even my homegirls, like, my friends, we always like, I got it, I got it. Like, you know, so not really here for it, but whoever is, to each his own.
[00:41:30] Speaker B: I like being transparent with the girls. I'm like, okay, we can split this and we can both get points on our cards. Or, like, if we're traveling soon, you need a little more help on that. Get the.
[00:41:38] Speaker A: We're making sense of these things.
[00:41:39] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:41:40] Speaker A: I think first date, no.
[00:41:41] Speaker C: You're like, no for a date. Not gonna happen.
Hey, fellas, I tried to help y'.
[00:41:45] Speaker A: All.
[00:41:46] Speaker C: Real Housewives, that franchise are loving hip hop.
[00:41:49] Speaker B: Real Housewives.
[00:41:50] Speaker C: Okay.
[00:41:50] Speaker A: Yeah, I guess Real Housewives. I honest, I never really watched. Yeah. So I'm like, I really don't know.
[00:41:57] Speaker B: You probably know more memes from the housewives.
[00:41:59] Speaker A: I do know a lot of memes and stuff.
[00:42:01] Speaker B: Cultural impact.
[00:42:02] Speaker A: Exactly. Yes.
[00:42:03] Speaker C: Now, this is Is.
This is the closing question that I've asked every guest that has appeared here on Image Unscripted. This will determine a lot of things,
[00:42:13] Speaker B: because whether we keep our dignity or
[00:42:14] Speaker C: not, it's missed some answers that is gonna get some people in trouble.
[00:42:17] Speaker B: But here we go.
[00:42:18] Speaker A: Oh, man.
[00:42:18] Speaker B: Oh, here we go.
[00:42:19] Speaker A: Should I be nervous?
[00:42:20] Speaker C: Sugar. Sugar on grits or salt on grits?
[00:42:22] Speaker A: Oh, my gosh.
[00:42:22] Speaker B: Oh, salt. Oh, okay. The answer is salt.
[00:42:28] Speaker C: But you, like.
[00:42:29] Speaker B: I don't. I've never put sugar on my grits. I've never put sugar on my grits. Okay. I do like to, like. Oh, my God, y' all can get me killed. I do like to mix the food on my plate. Oh. Because I don't got all these extra.
[00:42:40] Speaker C: Like, you mix the grits with, like, the eggs. Is that what you mean?
[00:42:43] Speaker B: The jelly on my toast?
[00:42:45] Speaker A: Oh, like jelly on the toast with the grits. Yeah, I've tried that. I put a little bit on the toast, and I'll bite it, and sometimes I need that. But that's not my.
[00:42:53] Speaker B: Put the sugar in the grits.
[00:42:54] Speaker C: But, like, I like the jelly, like, a little.
[00:42:56] Speaker B: When the jelly just happens to get in there, I'm like.
[00:42:58] Speaker A: That reminds the sweetness of people who put sugar in their pasta. Like, every time I make pasta, I have friends who will put a whole lot of sugar on top of it. And I get it. It's supposed to tone down the acidity of the tomatoes.
[00:43:09] Speaker B: But no, they're making black spaghetti.
[00:43:12] Speaker A: No, that is.
[00:43:13] Speaker C: That is black spaghetti a thousand percent.
I grew up, though one of my mother's friends used to watch me used to put sugar on my rice. I don't do that anymore.
[00:43:23] Speaker B: Oh, no.
[00:43:23] Speaker A: Why were you doing that?
[00:43:24] Speaker C: I didn't know she did it. And I grew up to. I, like, enjoyed it. And my mom was like, stop. You, like, That'll be messed up.
[00:43:32] Speaker B: See, you know what?
[00:43:32] Speaker C: I knew you ladies. We're sharp, smart, beautiful, all these things, but the fact that it's salt, pepper, cheese for the grits. We are in community.
[00:43:39] Speaker A: We are. And I love it here.
[00:43:41] Speaker C: It's the only appropriate answer.
[00:43:42] Speaker B: Cuz, listen, I was. I always get nervous. People are like, I'm gonna take your black card.
[00:43:45] Speaker C: I'm like, why?
[00:43:46] Speaker B: Why?
Why?
We just swipe it a few more times?
[00:43:50] Speaker C: No, it's. You have endless credit. Don't even worry about it. Well, listen, thank you both for joining me here on Image Unscripted. It has been wonderful to get to know you a little bit more and to hear your and everything. And you all keep, you know, sort of pivoting and doing all the things, all the creativity, because I know you guys are just getting started. So thank you both, Taylor and Shelly, for joining me.
[00:44:12] Speaker A: Thank you.
[00:44:12] Speaker C: Good luck with everything that you're doing. Thank you.
[00:44:15] Speaker B: And can I just say, the support and presence that you have, being where you are in your space, for people like us, it means so much.
[00:44:22] Speaker C: Thank you.
[00:44:22] Speaker B: I think a lot of people can get threatened when you hear women come in and say, I want to host. I want to do this. And you're humble, you're steadfast, you're funny, and sitting here with you is really cool.
[00:44:34] Speaker C: Lottery does kind of get you everywhere.
[00:44:36] Speaker B: I noticed it.
[00:44:37] Speaker C: Well, I can just say, too, as somebody who's from Detroit and seeing you and how you represented our city, it was really heartwarming because, as you know, growing up in Detroit is that people tend to think, people that come from places like ours, that we don't deserve nice things that, like, there's a certain kind of person from this type of city. And thank you for showing how multifaceted people from Detroit can be. So I say I greatly appreciate that. And plus, just like me, you are a big cash doll fan, so we also got that period.
[00:45:06] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:45:07] Speaker C: I just want to know. I just want Cash down to put me on her hair stylist, because.
[00:45:13] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:45:13] Speaker C: Yeah. You know what I'm saying? All right, well, thank you both and good luck with everything.
[00:45:16] Speaker A: Thank you so much.
[00:45:18] Speaker C: That's it for this episode of Image Unscripted and NAACP Image Awards production. Huge thanks to Taylor and Shelly for pulling up up and keeping it real. Now, if you enjoyed this conversation, share it with a friend, watch on YouTube, and if you're listening, set your alerts on your podcast platforms so you don't miss the next episode. Until next time, keep it black, keep it brilliant. Keep it unscripted.
