‘I’m a simple Durban-born girl’
OVER the past two seasons of The Real Housewives of Durban, Maria Isabella Valaskatzis has trended for everything, from catfights to plastic surgery.
But don’t be fooled by the drama, she claims to be “a simple Durban-born, family-orientated girl”.
The TV producer and presenter, who grew up in Chatsworth, Durban, entered The Real Housewives of Durban franchise in season three.
Valaskatzis has returned to the spotlight in the latest season, which is streaming on Showmax.
In the previous season, she got into catfights, made new enemies and lost old friends. This season, she is working on settling old beefs.
Valaskatzis said: “When we concluded season three, there were too many things that were not settled for me. A lot happened and I needed to understand.
“I lost real friendships and we weren’t given the opportunity to speak about it. Season four gave me the opportunity to have those conversations, which I needed for closure.”
The Glow TV Medi Talk host revealed that while she enjoyed producing and presenting shows, she had always wanted to be on a reality TV show.
“I’ve always been in TV. I’ve just never done reality TV and I think we all have a bucket list. So it was a great opportunity to be associated with the
franchise.
“Putting my life out there for everyone to see was the greatest adjustment. Reality TV is very different. You’re putting your life out there so people can judge you, and they do.
“The biggest thing for me in season three was the body-shaming, not just by the cast, but by the public in general. It was really crazy.”
In the show, Nonku Williams called Valaskatzis’s lips “huge”, and Jojo Robinson said she needed to “deflate” them.
“Since I was young I’ve always had body issues, and I worked through that. Coming on to the show and having those wounds open up again was really hard for me, but I worked with a psychologist. That’s why I think in season four, I came from a place of healing.
“I don’t want to hide or be ashamed of it because I’m not the only one who has been through this experience.
“There are so many women who have been through the same or similar experience, who hide in shame, are too afraid to talk about it and go through depression.
“It was very important for me to say: ‘Listen, it’s one of those things, we can work through it.’
“After we started speaking about it, I was inundated with messages on social media from women and young girls who are being body-shamed daily. They shared their stories, so at least one good thing came out of that.”
Other important lessons she took away from the show was that loyalty and true friendships mattered.
“I think when you’re in a group like this, people look for alliances and not true friendships. When you find that friend who is with you, you guard that friendship,” Valaskatzis said.
“In season three, I was finding my feet. I didn’t realise that there was a ‘game’ that was being played. I didn’t realise there was a division in the group. I went in trying to be everyone’s friend, and in the process I was hurt.
“This season I went in understanding and knowing everyone. I’ve seen the game, I’ve seen them play it and I’ve chosen my side.”
While Valaskatzis serves up plenty of entertainment on the show, her main priority remains her family.
“My son is 16 and he is my biggest fan. When the episode drops on a
Wednesday, he asks: ‘Are we going to watch it?’, which is most adorable.”
She said on weekends she prioritised spending quality time with her son, whether it was swimming, bowling or a quick getaway to the Midlands.
“We have the most incredible bond and I also know that I only have so much time with him before he decides to have a girlfriend. I spend as much time as I can with him, and we do simple things.
“Family is everything to me. There is nothing more important to me.
“My parents will always be parents. They will let you know that you can fly as high as you want, but I am very grounded when I’m around them. They will put me in my place very quickly.”
Valaskatzis said it was most important to be humble, kind and to never change who you were.