When reality TV pays dividends.
Bethenny Frankel, of The Real Housewives Of New York, reveals how she capitalises on her celebrity status. Sarah Nealon reports.
Anyone who thinks appearing on reality television is a bad idea should take a long, hard look at businesswoman Bethenny Frankel.
On a visit to New Zealand, Frankel, who is best known for The Real Housewives Of New York, says reality TV changed her life “immeasurably”.
“I don’t know my old life in a way,” she says. “But I’m the same person humour-wise, personality-wise, intelligence. But my life is very different. I have a lot of responsibility. I’m successful now.
“I have money in the bank. I can afford to take my daughter and travel and do wonderful things and do philanthropic works.”
In the US, Frankel, 47, is a household name who has turned her celebrity status to her advantage. She has written books, launched various products and appeared on a long list of TV programmes including her own talk show.
The Real Housewives Of New York is now in its 10th season and Frankel, who came runner-up on The Apprentice: Martha Stewart in 2005, was there when it started. “I was asked to be on Manhattan Moms, which was a show about mothers, and they ended up turning it into the Housewives after we had wrapped. I was just a single, broke, natural-foods chef trying to make a living.” Frankel, who has a seven-year-old daughter, left Real Housewives after its third season but came back for its seventh. “I left and did a spin-off,” she says. “I felt (Real Housewives) was a little bit dirty, a little bit dark and I left and the ratings went down significantly. “I was courted back and the ratings increased significantly so I’m proud of that. “There was a lot of pressure. There is always a time that you should leave so I’m right now thinking about when that time is. You can overstay your welcome. You don’t want to be the last one at the party.”