Southern Charm stars Craig Conover and Austen Kroll have criticized cast members who shy away from sharing their real lives on the hit reality show.
Having wrapped up its tenth season, Southern Charm follows the lives of people navigating social, romantic and professional complexities in Charleston, South Carolina.
In a recent conversation with Newsweek, Conover, an original cast member, and Kroll, who joined in Season 4, expressed frustration with certain costars. They argued that authenticity is crucial for the show's appeal and that holding back from sharing personal struggles contradicts the spirit of the program.
Reflecting on filming, Kroll noted, "The more that you [film], the more it becomes just like second nature. You're like, 'This is what we're doing. Like, we're gonna open up and discuss things that are difficult.' And it just becomes like a second-nature thing, in my opinion."
Conover added: "Yeah, I mean, we would only be here if it was. I laugh because it's a fault probably. I mean, it's good for reality TV, right? But it's a fault."
Kroll echoed Conover's sentiment, admitting that he also occasionally wonders if their openness might be a personal flaw, yet he believes it's necessary for genuine storytelling.
Conover continued: "And I think like the only thing you run into is if someone doesn't want to, and that's when you're like, 'F this kid.' Even if you have a problem with your friend at the time, everyone can agree on like, look, we're in this to share our lives."
Kroll agreed, adding emphatically, "Be real, otherwise, get the f*** out of my way. Get the f*** outta here."
Conover also noted that cast members shouldn't "hide the bad parts" of their lives. Kroll further echoed this sentiment, criticizing cast members who act reserved or passive, saying they shouldn't be a "wallflower" at social events, as he considers it a waste of his time.
One example of not holding back is what transpired in Season 9, which Kroll said was a "heavy" season. One major storyline was the love square involving Kroll, his ex-girlfriend Olivia Flowers and former partners Taylor Ann Green and Shep Rose. The revelation that Green and Kroll hooked up added tension to the season, given the close friendship between the two men and two women. They both maintain that they only kissed, and did not have sex.
Meanwhile, Flowers faced a personal tragedy when her brother, Conner Flowers, died from an accidental overdose while the show was filming. Southern Charm captured her raw emotions and her friends' support as she processed this profound loss.
Kroll himself lost his sister, nine-year-old Kyle, when she fell off a cliff at Chimney Rock Park. He was seven years old at the time.
"It was a heavy season in so many ways. And then marred with other, you know, dramatics that were going on. It's tough to, I mean, personally, to pull yourself kind of out of, right? 'Cause you're living it," Kroll explained.
"You're living it and cameras are there and you're like, there's no road map to how to deal with grief or betrayal or all of these things that happened in Season 9. I mean, gosh, Season 9 was a roller coaster, I'm now thinking about it. What an absolute emotional roller coaster for so many reasons."
Conover added: "And producers are there, but their job is just to make sure they capture everything going on in our life. And so that's why having personal relationships with the people that you work with is good, because of when s*** hits the fan, and very real stuff happens, which happens in everyone's life.
"That's what I think is interesting about filming this show. The older I get, I realize that we were just going through a lot of things that most everyone else goes through and so their job is just to capture it and all we know how to do for better or worse is be ourselves."
The reality star said those who try to hide things going on in their lives don't make it, as audience members can sense what is going on.
"They can see right through it and it's not it's not comfortable because you feel betrayed. You know, you want someone that's just being themselves and that's who you can relate to," he added.
Bravo and Hayu have kept quiet about the exact premiere date for Southern Charm Season 10. As of now, it is expected to debut in December. When Conover and Kroll were asked about what to expect, both expressed excitement for what's in store for viewers.
"We get to meet a lot of people and Charleston's a very unique place and people love to visit through watching Southern Charm and we do a great job of showing off the city," Conover said.
"And we're in a very new chapter of our lives. Austin and I have to figure out where we fit into each other's lives and Shep is chasing that feeling that he used to have with Taylor, in my opinion, and that leads him into a very interesting situation."
Kroll added: "I feel like, gosh, it's been so long since we've been on TV, right? And I thought that we were following hot on the heels of a successful last season. All that does though, it like, it gives us all time to grow and do some things that when cameras you know come back we all have lots of things going on and I think that's the audience is just gonna be really pleased and engaged with this upcoming season."
Conover even hinted at a lighter moment: "I go beekeeping on camera. And if it gets cut, I want everyone to know that was filmed and it exists out there. Me and Paige [DeSorbo] go to beekeeping class, and that is out there."
Catch up on all seasons of Southern Charm on Hayu.
