Bravo TV has added another The Real Housewives series to its ever expanding franchise, The Real Housewives Of Dubai.
This is the 11th international city in the collection. Real House Wives has done a number of international spin-offs. In Africa, you might be familiar with The Real Housewives of Johannesburg, Durban and Lagos.
Like its location, the series is hot and is quickly gaining traction. The first episode aired on the first of June and so far there are two episodes out. The show follows the glamorous and dramatic lives of the fabulous cast members; Nina Ali, Caroline Brooks, Dr. Sara Al Madani, Lesa Milan and Caroline Stanbury. The show even features a Kenyan cast member, Chanel Ayan. She is of Somali descent but grew up in a humble village here but did not mention where.
The ladies who have stood out so far include Chanel Ayan, a model whose cattiness extends past the cat-walk. Caroline Stanbury, who some might call a cougar. This is because the show kicks off with wedding preparations for 46-year-old Caroline and 27-year-old Jose Carallo. Her second time hubby is a retired football player who played for Real Madrid.
Caroline’s hen night was the scene that set off the first sparks for drama on the show when Ayan was not invited. This lead to a brawl between Ayan, Stanbury and Carol Brooks where words were exchanged and wigs were shaded. Caroline Stanbury is probably one of the most famous members of the cast. She is no stranger to reality TV as she starred on ‘Ladies of London’ that aired in 2014 on Bravo TV. The show dealt with the social elites in London and ran for three seasons before being cancelled. Bravo say it would have continued had it been packaged as ‘The Real Housewives of London’.
Lesa Milan has been a fan favorite with her good looks and adorable family. The mother of three has become very successful in designing maternity wear. Her handsome husband, Richard Hall is an expert in all things investment and financing and they both make a beautiful, power couple. She seems to have loyalty towards Chanel Ayan who has modelled for her on many occasions. Leah says that when she first started her business there were barely any black models in Dubai and that Chanel was one of the pioneers.
Being set in Dubai, viewers expected the show to be a bit more conservative than the other Real Housewives. This was addressed in the very first episode. In fact, fans were skeptical about Bravo’s willingness to revoke backlash seeing as the UAE has discriminative policies towards women and members of the LGBTQIA+, who constitute for majority of the show’s fan base. The best person to address this is probably Dr. Sara Al Madani who is Emirati born and raised but is still very liberal. In regards to Dubai women she said “I am whoever I want. I want to show the world that we’re not submissive, we’re very free, we’re liberal.”
Nina Ali is another cast member that is detrimental to preserving Emirati culture within the cast. She is originally from Lebanon but was raised in Texas. Her and Dr. Sara Al Madani tend to converse in a mix of Arabic and English. Nina expressed on the show that she would like her children to speak more Arabic than they do and is trying to teach it to them. At the end of the day, the ladies are progressive and do not implore Emirati culture fully but still trace back to their roots.
From the two episodes we have seen thus far, it is safe to say that fans have a lot to look forward to this season. From scenes depicting top notch luxury, to drama and even romance. The reality recipe has been concocted perfectly and the pot is stirring. The Real Housewives of Dubai navigate ordinary experiences in extraordinary conditions.
