DUBAI: It’s the talk of the social media town – who will be in the cast of Bravo’s “The Real Housewives of Dubai?”
So Arab News tracked down some of the likely candidates to find out who will be taking part in the cult reality TV show.
Andy Cohen, the show’s executive producer revealed that the hit series will see its first international iteration in 2022, making Dubai the 11th city of “Real Housewives,” with the official hashtag confirmed by the network to be #RHODxb. The show has yet to start filming and the cast is yet to be revealed.
Speculation has reached fever pitch across social media, as fans try to figure who they think will be on the show that matters.
We at Arab News are just as curious – here’s what we found out.
The responses we received ranged from an emoji-packed “no comment,” to flat-out denials and those who declined to issue a statement, proving this is still anybody’s game.
Sara Al-Madani
The Emirati businesswoman is one of the few names that have been circulating on social media. Renowned fashion designer, CEO of several companies and the youngest board member of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry are only a few of the achievements the self-proclaimed “serial entrepreneur” has under her belt.
Al-Madani declined to comment when contacted by Arab News.
Karen Wazen
Of the cast, Bravo has said to expect “a group of women navigating their relationships, careers and supremely lavish and ultra-wealthy lifestyles in the United Arab Emirates.” The Lebanese blogger, who juggles her social media empire and sunglasses company - Wazen Eyewear - with raising three children with husband Elias Bakhazi, seems to fit the description. However, the influencer’s representative declined to make an official statement on the matter.
Deema Al-Asadi
The 33-year-old is an Iraqi influencer with an acute eye for style. Before the content creator amassed 1 million Instagram followers, she was training to be a dentist. Today, she is married to Mohammed Awwad and the couple have a baby boy together.
Despite fans online hoping the star will make an appearance on the show, her representative told Arab News that she is not part of the cast.
Farhana Bodi
While the Dubai-based Indian influencer’s 1.2 million Instagram fans would no doubt have been delighted to see the 35-year-old on the small screen, Bodi has confirmed to Arab News that she is not taking part.
Rawan Bin Hussain
The Kuwaiti influencer and mother-of-one would have certainly made an exciting addition to the show. However, she revealed to Arab News that she is not part of the cast “as far as she knows.”
Chanel Ayan
Based in Dubai, the Kenyan model, born Ayan Pillot, has worked with prestigious brands such as Chanel and Prada, and posed for renowned magazines, including Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar. She met her now-husband when she was 17, and the couple have been together for 20 years. They have a 16-year-old son together, who followed in his mother’s footsteps and also models.
Caroline Stanbury
The British fashionista, who has previously been romantically linked to Sylvester Stallone and Hugh Grant, previously starred in Bravo’s other reality show “Ladies of London” from 2014 to 2017. She recently relocated from London to Dubai, where she lives with her fiancé, ex-footballer Sergio Carallo.
Lesa Milan-Hall
Born Lesa-Gayle Wee Tom, Milan-Hall a former beauty queen — she was a contestant in Miss Jamaica Universe 2009, Miss Caribbean World, Miss Hollywood Teen USA and Queen Miss Jamaica Caribbean World pageants in 2010. She is married to British financer Richard Hall with whom she shares three sons. No stranger to reality television, Milan-Hall appeared in BET’s College Hill in 2008.
Arab News reached out to Ayan, Stanbury and Milan-Hall, but no response has been received at the time of publishing the story.
