Ashley Iaconetti is back on reality TV, but she says joining “The Real Housewives of Rhode Island” was nothing like her time on “The Bachelor.” The 38-year-old returned to screens as a full-time cast member on Bravo’s newest franchise, which premiered April 2 — and quickly realized she was stepping into a very different world.
Ashley admitted the transition wasn’t exactly what she expected.
“That was a learning curve for me because I think that I expected one thing and then had to settle into another,” she told People. “But I’ve always felt pretty comfortable in front of the camera.”
Ashley Iaconetti Says RHORI Was a Learning Curve and Very Different From ‘The Bachelor’
Ashley, who first found fame on “The Bachelor” and later “Bachelor in Paradise,” said she has always been open about her life on camera.
“I‘ve never been like, ‘Oh, I have to shield that from the camera.’ I’ve never had that resistance to share my life,” she explained. “I love sharing motherhood on social media, I loved sharing my search for love via social media and, of course, ‘The Bachelor.’”
Still, there are limits.Ashley said she and her husband, Jared Haibon, are more cautious when it comes to their kids.
“I don’t want to obviously have my kids out there too much, but in the little doses that we had on the show, Jared and I feel comfortable at this age,” she said of their sons, Dawson and Hayden.
RHORI Star Reveals the Cast Was Skeptical and Teases Drama
One of the biggest surprises for Ashley was how the cast, including Alicia Carmody, Rosie DiMare, Liz McGraw, Rulla Nehme Pontarelli, Kelsey Swanson, and Jo-Ellen Tiberi, reacted to her — especially since she wasn’t from Rhode Island.
“They are super weirded out if you’re not from Rhode Island,” she said. “They cannot place you. They’re like, ‘What’s she about if she’s not from Rhode Island?’”
Ashley said her reality TV background didn’t help her fit in.
“This cast was so skeptical of me, and they did not give a crap about the fact that I’d been on reality TV,” she explained. “They were skeptical of me because I wasn’t from Rhode Island.”
She added, “They’re like, ‘But we don’t know anybody who’s known her personally in the past, how can we let her in?’”
Despite that, Ashley said fans will still see the version of her they know — just more grown up
“It’s the same old Ashley… just more mature, evolved,” she said.
She also teased plenty of drama ahead.
“They definitely have a different personality than I’m used to,” Ashley shared. “They’re a lot more rough around the edges, a lot less filtered. They’ve got stuff going on… They put shame to calling a ‘Bachelor’ season dramatic.”
“The Real Housewives of Rhode Island” airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo, with new episodes streaming the next day on Peacock.
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