Raymond Santana and Deelishis on VH1’s ‘Couples Retreat’
Exclusive: The newlyweds dish to theGrio about the new season of the VH1 show
Raymond Santana and London “Deelishis” Santana are going on a couples retreat (and bringing their fans with them). Not even a year after their whirlwind wedding in the summer of 2020, the newlyweds are headed to VH1’s Couple’s Retreat alongside many other famous celebrities such as Ray J and Princess Love, Yandy Smith-Harris and Mendeecees Harris, and more. The couples go on a trip together to strengthen their bonds in one of the world’s most unprecedented times.
In an exclusive interview with theGrio, the couple opened up about their relationship, their decision to join Couples Retreat and what fans have to look forward to in the highly anticipated season.
When asked about what made the couple decide to share their lives on TV, Deelishis explained, “Well, they called us! When they first contacted us, we weren’t sure that we needed anything. But, after they spoke to us we were like, ‘Yeah, that is kind of a concern, and that too and that too.’ So after going back and forth with a few of the producers, we realized that not only would we participate, but we would get something from it because we didn’t have therapy prior to getting married. We got married during the pandemic, so this was going to serve as a therapy that we needed. And then we were going there with friends, you know, a lot of the cast members we knew before we got on the show. It was cool to do!”
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Santana joked that they didn’t know exactly what they were getting into before signing on, saying, “You think it’s going to be all fun and games, like a vacation, and then they got challenges for us to do. But, in the process of doing those challenges, you start to see things that you can work on as an individual. That’s when it becomes beneficial. It’s like,’Oh, OK, see what’s going on here.'”
“They tricked us!” Deelishis joked.
The couple also revealed that they were able to take away some major lessons by the end of the show. Santana said, “I know for me it was about the patience, because here it is, due to the pandemic, we’re put in this situation like a pressure cooker, right? Twenty four hours, seven days a week, and then we’re still constantly learning each other. So, for me it was about the patience and it was definitely about the communication.”
Joking about what living in such close quarters revealed about the couple, Santana quipped, “She’s waking up and she’s finding out that I snore!”
Deelishis jumped right in, saying, “And he’s waking up and finding out this is a wig!”
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The couple also gave some advice to our readers, many of which have been quarantined with their significant others for over a year now. Santana explained, “I know for us, one thing that was really key for us was set boundaries, understanding what it takes to put in the work into this relationship, right? Having that communication constantly, you know? If you don’t like how things feel, express it.”
Deelishis also chimed in, saying, “Another way that they can actually learn from it is when they’re watching the show to not characterize us, but to take away the lessons, from these different couples, because it’s a big deal putting your relationship in front of the world for them to see.” She concluded, saying, “Yeah, don’t look at us as characters. We’re real people just like you.”
Couples Retreat premieres on Monday, April 19th at 8/7c on VH1.
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