I had the privilege of attending Watch What Happens Live earlier this week, which films in one of the most gorgeous parts of downtown Manhattan.
WWHL is a show that’s been on for several years, with host Andy Cohen serving up an endless buffet of hilarious moments with guests that range from several Real Housewives all the way to Meryl Streep. His charismatic and colorful persona makes it easy for these celebs to open up to him about a bevy of topics including ones that are super personal (asking Shaquille O’Neal how big his d**k is for instance).
The taping of WWHL that I went to with one of my BFF’s took place on Tuesday, February 26. The guests that evening were a super fun duo: Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Dorit Kemsley and fashion legend Isaac Mizrahi. So I knew we were in for a fun night ahead with this pairing as well as the sheer excitement of being part of such an iconic show.
My experience at WWHL was quick but memorable as you get there shortly before the show begins and leave right after it ends. We arrived at the building they film it in roughly around 10:00 PM. I quickly realized just how small the Bravo Clubhouse is even before I went inside of it due to the small amount of people who were waiting with me. I’ve been to other talk show tapings, like The Wendy Williams Show, where there were at least four times the people compared to the ones waiting with me at WWHL.
A very energetic employee got us all hyped up for the show in the lobby before we made our way up to the floor where they film the show. The elevator doors then opened, where we found ourselves in the world of all things WWHL, with a bar only that greeted us right upon arrival and a ton of related items surrounding it. It’s several social media moments all in one place for everyone that attended, as we took photos with cardboard Andy, under a sign that says Mazel, and replicas of the Bravo Clubhouse.
And yes, you can drink. You’re allotted two drinks total, as no one likes a messy drunk during a live taping. I mingled with the other guests, some who lived locally in New York City and others who came from all around the world to see the show. The levels and depths some went to get the tickets was quite interesting to where it almost seemed like this was a Willy Wonka type of situation. They simply found their golden ticket and were ecstatic to be there.
Dorit and Isaac were seen entering the part where we were chilling prior to the show beginning. That only enhanced the excitement for everyone in the room as the minutes to the live taping continued to count down. We were then brought inside the Bravo Clubhouse, which is so much tinier in person than it appears on television. Think of it as a fully furnished basement at your friends house that you were jealous of growing up.
We all sat down about 10 minutes before Andy, Dorit and Isaac went live. The guest bartender that night was Andy King, who became infamously known as the guy who would’ve sucked d**k for water in the Fyre Festival documentary on Netflix. I giggled at first when I saw him, as his part of the explosive doc was just so iconic in so many ways, but my focus quickly shifted when the show began.
The live taping of WWHL was thrilling. Getting to see everything from an audience perspective as opposed to watching at home was so different yet enjoyable at the same time. The commercial breaks went quickly, however Andy was nice enough to engage with all of us, where he happily talked about his son Benjamin. He even showed us the baby monitor where his newborn was peacefully sleeping.
WWHL then ended which transitioned into the after show which was filmed minutes later. That finished, Andy and co bounced, and we were brought back to the elevators to continue our night. All in all, It’s a 90-minute experience that’s worth going to if you are lucky enough to get seats to arguably the hottest late-night ticket in town.
For more on WWHL, click here.
This is the opinion of one contributing writer and not that of Instinct Magazine or other Contributing Writers.