The next Real Housewives is… Rhode Island? Before you say “huh” and “why?”, grab a regular coffee from Dunks and take a look at the cast and first trailer for the latest addition to the Bravo series franchise.
Speaking as someone who was born in Rhode Island, this show is probably going to shock the average viewer. Granted, I grew up on the other side of Rhode Island, as ridiculous as that might sound for a state so small, and I am neither rich nor Italian. I do and I don’t know people like this, you know? But I grew up drinking from the bubbler (read: bubbla) when I was wicked thirsty like anyone else. I obviously do know Del’s Lemonade, the official state drink runner-up that partnered with Narragansett Beer (also a RI staple) for a canned shandy you can spy briefly in the trailer. I can also attest to the accuracy of the accents, which sound exactly what a place between NY/NJ and Boston should sound like.
The mansions of Newport are just not really my scene–though, no shade, judging by the trailer they aren’t theirs either. Here’s an official sneak peak at the Real Housewives of Rhode Island to wet you whistle:
Hopefully we see some other local essentials, like Chelo’s, Newport Creamery, the Big Blue Bug, and the dozens of Mr. Potato Heads that Providence commissioned years ago if only in passing. The gorgeous ocean views alone are reason enough to tune in. This is gonna be fun!
As for the cast, there are, to put it lightly, a lot of brunettes. To help you distinguish them before the show starts, here’s a quick and easy guide to the cast of The Real Housewives of Rhode Island:
Alicia Carmody
Follow her on Instagram: @aliciac143
According to Deadline, Alicia Carmody is on the fence about officially tying the knot with her fiancé Billy Kitsilis, who runs a restaurant in Cranston, Rhode Island called Pizza Mamma.
Rosie DiMare
Follow her on Instagram: @therosiewoods
Rosie DiMare and her husband are both performers based in North Kingston, Rhode Island. He’s a lounge singer. She’s a former news anchor and DJ. Can I make it any more obvious, etc.
Liz McGraw
Follow her on Instagram: @elizabethjosephmcgraw
Liz McGraw is known as the Cannabis Queen of Rhode Island. They have a mansion in Cranston. With her husband Gerry McGraw, she runs the largest dispensary in the state called The Slater Center.
Rulla Nehme Pontarelli
Follow her on Instagram: @rullanpbling
Rulla Ponterelli means business. She’s a certified financial planner and wealth manager.
Kelsey Swanson
Follow her on Instagram: @kelseybswanson
Kelsey Swanson is a former Miss Rhode Island USA and works as a makeup artist.
Jo-Ellen Tiberi
Follow her on Instagram: @joellentiberi
Jo-Ellen Tiberi is a Cranston, Rhode Island-based blogger with three kids. She always knows the gossip.
Ashley Iaconetti
Follow her on Instagram: @ashley_iaconetti
Hang on now, that’s a Bravolebrity! You may already know Ashley Ioconetti, a.k.a. “Ashley I” from Bachelor Nation. She appeared on The Bachelor, Bachelor in Paradise, and as the winner of the one-shot favorite of mine The Bachelor Winter Games. Ashley now lives in Rhode Island with husband Jared, who she first met on Bachelor in Paradise, and their two kids. They run a coffee shop in South Kingston, RI.
The trailer positions Ashley as the outsider to the group and the New England lifestyle in general. That’s honestly a smart (read: smaht) choice. There are things about this area that are so specific to Rhode Island, but aren’t necessarily stereotyped across the country like New Jersey or Orange County. It’s good to have one, or two, people there who ask questions.
Dolores Catalina
Follow her on Instagram: @dolorescatania
Finally, the “friend” joining the official housewives on this season is none other than Dolores Catalina, who you know from The Real Housewives of New Jersey and The Traitors. She’s friends with McGraw, who as the trailer points out could easily be her twin sister!
(featured image: Bravo)
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