The Real Housewives of Dubai: Meet the new ladies taking Bravo by storm
TheGrio attended the NYC premiere party for the upcoming series which featured a livestream Q&A with the entire cast
The Real Housewives of Dubai, Bravo’s latest city in its sprawling franchise, premieres tonight on the network. It introduces audiences to a brand new and diverse cast of ladies, including three Black housewives who may change the reality TV game.
TheGrio has the first look at these new stars, as well as some details from the premiere party in New York City this week, which included a livestream Q&A with the entire cast.
Chanel Ayan
Kicking off the cast of The Real Housewives‘ first official international iteration is none other than Chanel Ayan, Dubai’s first Black supermodel. As she states in the trailer, “there’s a lot of gold here, and we have a lot of gold diggers, too.” Ayan is Kenyan-born, Somali and Ethiopian, working not only as a supermodel but a businesswoman. The personal life of the wife of 22 years and mother to a son is on full display in the series, but fear not, she is also in the drama within the group of ladies. Her endless confidence does not necessarily gel well with some of her co-stars.
Attendees at the premiere screening’s Q&A got a sneak peak at Ayan’s brand of confidence. When the women are asked who their favorite Real Housewives in the franchise, Ayan answers, “I think the best Housewife is me, because they’ve never seen me before, honey!” After her, she chooses The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City‘s Jen Shah.
Caroline Brooks
“The wealth differs in Dubai because you know if you can see wealth, it’s really there,” Caroline Brooks say during the Q&A. “You either have money or you don’t, and if you don’t you’re going home.” “Brooks,” as her castmates call her, certainly has it. She joins the cast as a proud first generation American and Afro-Latina, who after her divorce, became one of the first female real estate directors in Dubai. Brooks’ success has also taken her to the beauty sector. She owns the luxury salon, Glass House Salon and Spa and has a large Instagram following.
She also recently attended the 2022 Cannes Film Festival. As for her favorite of the Real Housewives: she loves Bethenny Frankel, Phaedra Parks, Lisa Vanderpump, Kyle Richards and Brandi Glanville.
Lesa Milan
Jamaican Lesa Milan, a successful fashion designer and entrepreneur, also joins the Dubai cast. Fans may remember the former Miss Jamaica winner from College Hill on BET. Of course, she fits right in with the group. Judging from the premiere, she seems to serve as some connective tissue between the women. Still, as the trailer previews, she is not to be played with. She states in a confessional, “Don’t play with me, I’m not the one!”
Viewers will also get an inside look at Milan’s personal life, including marriage to Richard Hall, a millionaire financier and real estate developer, as well as her three sons, Maximillian, Sebastian and Kristian. Her favorite housewives, like Brooks’, hail from multiple cities. She chooses Kenya Moore of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, The Real Housewives of New Jersey “OG” Teresa Giudice and Dorit Kemsley of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
The Dubai cast is rounded out by some other heavy hitters and it is one of The Real Housewives’ most diverse casts ever.
Nina Ali, who was born in Lebanon and raised in Texas, is a businesswoman and entrepreneur who has lived in Dubai for more than 10 years. Sara Al Madani is an Emirati local and a successful award-winning serial entrepreneur. Lastly, there is Caroline Stanbury. Fans may remember her from Bravo’s former series, Ladies of London. Viewers will catch up with Stanbury in a new chapter of her life, living full time in Dubai and gearing up for a wedding and more.
The Real Housewives of Dubai premieres at 9 p.m. ET on Wednesday, June 1 on Bravo. It will stream the next day on Peacock.
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