Fans are already loving “The Real Housewives of Rhode Island,” and many are saying it’s giving major old school “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” vibes — and Dolores Catania is right in the middle of it.
Dolores, who has long been a staple on “The Real Housewives of New Jersey,” is now appearing on RHORI as a friend of the cast, and she’s opening up about the experience.
Dolores Catania Says RHORI Cast Feels ‘Relatable’
The RHONJ star revealed she quickly bonded with the Rhode Island group after being introduced through Liz McGraw.
“Me and Liz became friends a few years ago. And we got very close, very fast,” Dolores said. “But because we have a lot of similarities, there is a certain loyalty I see in Liz that I really appreciate.”
She added that meeting the rest of the cast felt natural. “In a really crazy way, I felt like I knew them forever,” she said. “They’re all very relatable to me. Each person, in their own way, I very much understood and felt that I fit in.”
RHORI Cast Bonds Quickly With the RHONJ Star
While Dolores is embracing Rhode Island, she made it clear where her loyalty lies.
“Jersey is always in my heart, and comes first, and, you know, I’m loyal,” she said. “I will never disparage Jersey in any way. Do not talk s—t about Jersey.”
Still, she sees similarities between the two casts. “The cast is relatable, and I think that was a love that people also had for Jersey,” she explained.
Fans seem to agree, with early reactions praising RHORI for bringing back that classic Bravo energy.
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Dolores Catania Says Filming RHORI Was ‘Calm’
Dolores also noted a major difference in filming locations.
“It was nice to get away from the scene of Jersey,” she said. “New Jersey’s more of a fast hustle and bustle. So, for me, it was much more calm here.”
Her role as a “friend” also changed her experience. “Being a friend was certainly fun. I felt like I wasn’t involved in a lot of the visceral drama and the hard stuff,” she shared. “I actually really got to enjoy it, instead of being sometimes stressed.”
She joked, “I was also the wellness team behind the scenes — just letting you know.”
Her Biggest Tip for New Housewives
As a seasoned Housewife, Dolores didn’t hold back when it came to advice for the new cast.
“You’re putting your life out there. You don’t know what to expect. You don’t know what’s coming. There’s a lot of self-doubt. You have to be thick-skinned,” she said.
Her biggest tip? “Don’t look at social media,” Dolores insisted. “Don’t respond to negativity, don’t give it light. And try as hard as you can not to get into the habit of reading every bad thing.”
She added that she follows that advice herself. “I’m not gonna sit there and read stupid s—t comments by somebody I don’t know. I don’t really care.”
New episodes of “The Real Housewives of Rhode Island” air Sunday nights on Bravo.
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