MTV has a new show on the horizon and we were not expecting it! The Real Friends of WeHo is almost a spin-off of The Real Housewives franchise, as we follow five gay men as they go about their lives. No doubt spats, eruptions and plenty of drama is on the cards. We can’t wait.
What Is Real Friends Of WeHo?
This MTV show will follow a group of friends who live and work around West Hollywood. We can see how they interact with each other socially, how they are at work, in their personal lives; basically, just diving into their lives as a whole.
The official logline reads: ‘[The Real Friends of WeHo] is an unfiltered and honest look at a select group of friends living, loving and pursuing their passions in the West Hollywood community.’
The show aims to shed more light on LGBTQ+ representation, mental health, wellness and inclusivity in TV.
Who Is In The Real Friends Of WeHo?
The cast is made up of five well-known queer personalities.
Todrick Hall is a singer, dancer and performer. He gained attention on American Idol as well as through his YouTube videos of parodies and original songs. In 2016, Hall became the resident choreographer on RuPaul’s Drag Race.
Canadian personality Brad Goreski is best known as a celebrity stylist, previously working closely with Rachel Zoe. He appeared as a co-host on Fashion Police in 2015 and is now a regular judge on Canada’s Drag Race.
Jaymes Vaughan is currently co-hosting Celebrity Page for OK! TV; a role he has had since 2014. Vaughan has appeared on many reality TV shows such as The Amazing Race and Reality Relapse.
Founder and CEO of Buttahskin, Dorión Renaud, is best known for being a skincare mogul. He has also worked extensively in the modelling industry, before switching lanes to start his business.
Finally, Curtis Hamilton is best known for his roles in films such as Surviving Compton (2016) and The Kings of Napa (2022).
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Real Friends of WeHo’s first episode will air on 20 January 2023, exclusively on MTV. Due to geological restrictions, viewers in the UK will have to watch through a streaming VPN.
Controversy
Before the show even aired, it was already coming under fire. One reason was because of its chosen timeslot to launch.
Due to the first episode of Real Friends of WeHo airing, episodes of RuPaul’s Drag Race season 15 have been reduced to one hour, and the secondary show, Untucked, was postponed. Fans have argued that the new MTV offering is trying to take fans from an already successful queer show by taking its airtime.
Additionally, one of the cast members, Todrick Hall came under fire after his appearance on the third season of Celebrity Big Brother. He made several insensitive comments to and about other housemates.
Other negative comments Hall had made on Twitter and during his career then resurfaced and #TodrickExposedParty began to trend. Some people thought that giving Hall the opportunity to be on Real Friends of WeHo meant that his previous comments and faults had been ignored.
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