Paige Desorbo had the overwhelming feeling that “(She) couldn’t go back” to “Summer House.” She told Byrdie in a new cover story.
“I know I was at a disadvantage with (the show). They were hoping to show up at a certain level and I couldn’t give them that,” she explained in a joint interview with fellow “Summerhouse” alum Hanna Burner who left the show in 2021.
DeSorvo, 32, was also reflected in the final season of the Bravo series during the chat. At the time of filming, the camera followed the emotional ending of her relationship with ex-boyfriend Craig Conover.
“It’s a harsh word, like brainwashing because I’m on reality TV. It’s not real life,” she admitted. “You’re not stopping people on the street, so you’re like, ‘I thought I didn’t like my boyfriend.’ ”
Despite DeSorvo’s intuition, she felt that her time on reality television was over, but leaving the show wasn’t an easy decision for her as she was afraid of her “career ending.”
“There’s that show and networking element of thought that reminded me that Hannah isn’t in charge of where you’re in your career,” she recalls.
Instead of spending her summer at a shared Hamptons home, as she did for the past seven years, fashion influencers spent focusing on the “Gigsley Squad” podcast, which she co-hosted with Burner.34.
“We told us verbatim people (from “summer houses”). “I don’t want to focus on your friendship this season,” DeSorvo shared. “That’s why we started a ‘laugh-like team’. Because we were thinking, “We have more to say, and no one is listening to us.” ”
“I think I’ll say more about the pods because I know how it comes out. On the other hand, when I’m on TV, I can say something personal, but I don’t know how it’s framed, and in what context it is.”
DeSorvo announced its departure from Summer House in June.
“Being part of this show is one of the most rewarding chapters of my life: friendship, drama, Giggles. It’s all unforgettable,” she wrote at the time.
She also pointed out that she was “thank you” to her memory and thanked her “castmates, fans, and (her) NBCU family for all her support.
“I couldn’t imagine what this journey would turn into, and how many of you would ride. And you’ve never seen my last one. I promise.
The founder of Daphne Loungewear made his reality TV debut with Burner in Season 3. The comedian left two seasons after various fallout with several other cast members. DeSorvo, meanwhile, has become a fan favorite and has come very close to his fellow castmates.
She began dating 36-year-old Conover in 2021 after filming season one of “Winterhouse” together. However, the beloved Bravo couple split in December 2024 after months of troubled breakup rumors.
“Craig and I have decided that we’re not together anymore,” DeSorbo announced via her “Gigslee Schood” podcast. “I love him. I think he loves me. I think we will remain friends. No one did anything. That wasn’t a bad thing.”
“I think we’re both really mature and saying things that we want and we don’t want,” she continued. “I think it’s very powerful to be able to express how you feel in real time and what you want in your future.”
DeSorvo reportedly moved to marketing executive Joe D’Amelio. Sources told Weekly in July that the two had been dating “for a while” and that their romance is “really well done.” Desorbo representatives did not respond to a six-page request of comments at the time.
