Six months into her relationship with her boyfriend Daniel Wai, Ariana Madix knows this one thing: She does not want it to end.
As the Vanderpump Rules star, 38, opened up about her long-distance relationship with Daniel, commented on Jax Taylor‘s “villain” label, and addressed the highly-anticipated opening of her and Katie Maloney‘s sandwich shop, Something About Her, she also revealed some behind the scenes secrets about Pump Rules, including if any member of the cast actually works at SUR.
“No one from the cast actually still works at SUR,” Ariana confirmed to Us Weekly on October 20.
Filming is also not as glamorous as one might assume. As Ariana explained, she and her co-stars aren’t pampered with hair and makeup teams, aside from “when it comes to our cast photo shoot.”
“We never get wardrobe provided to us from the show,” Ariana shared, admitting she’s the one who takes the longest to get ready.
They even have to pay for their own drinks if they surpass Bravo’s complimentary two.
“There is a drink limit while filming,” Ariana revealed. “If you want to drink after that, you have to pay for it yourself … [And] if you’re going to have any drink whatsoever, they will order you Uber or Lyft.”
As for cast trips, the group gets no say in regard to the location, and inviting guests can be tricky.
“When it comes to attendees for cast trips, it’s up to you if you’re the one planning the trip sometimes, but even then not really. But if you don’t want to go, you don’t have to,” she noted.
Then, after stating that “Scandoval,” which saw her long-term boyfriend, Tom Sandoval, 40, cheating on her with their friend and co-star, Rachel “Raquel” Leviss, 29, was the only “major secret romance the cameras didn’t catch,” Ariana credited her ex with bringing the most drama to the show.
“I would say given the events of earlier this year, my ex [Tom],” she explained, adding that Lala Kent, 33, also “kills it.”
During another interview, on October 19 interview with Access Hollywood, Ariana said she and Katie’s sandwich shop will be open sometime “soon.”
“It’s really fun. I’m really excited that other people are excited as well. Katie and I are both so proud of it so I’m really excited for people to actually be able to come inside,” Ariana shared.
For now, Ariana is focusing her attention on her ongoing role on Dancing With the Stars.
“It is really insane. I do train a lot. I don’t know that I’m in the best shape of my life but I’d like to get there before I’m not on the show anymore,” she said.
Throughout her weeks-long run, Ariana has been joined in the ballroom by some of her castmates.
“It’s been really cool. [Scheana Shay]’s been in the audience a number of times and it’s so nice to see her there and Katie’s gonna be coming pretty soon,” she revealed.
As for who she’d like to do a duet with, Ariana named Lala.
“Lala would be fun. That would be really fun,” she said, then adding, “I would like to see a Vanderpump cast, just the girls and [James Kennedy], like a team dance.”
Moving on to her thoughts on Jax, 44, who is currently starring on E!’s House of Villains, Ariana said his devilish persona is all in good fun.
“I feel like he definitely has villain-esque qualities, but I think we all do to some extent and I think what’s fun is like, at least Jax is like a fun villain,” she explained. “Sometimes people are just villains and it’s not fun.”
Also during her chat with Access Hollywood, Ariana admitted that while there are times when she wishes her boyfriend Daniel wasn’t living in New York City, it’s been a good thing for their relationship thus far.
“It’s honestly, of course, there are moments where I’m like, ‘I wish he was over here,’ but I think that long distance has been really good because it has allowed me to focus on me and not be jumping into something after everything I went through,” she stated. “I have so much more time to be able to process and also really be able to get to know somebody purely on a mental and emotional level as opposed to us being physically together all the time.”
As for what drew her to Daniel, she gushed, “He just brought so much positivity and support and just, he just gets me in a way that makes me think, ‘I don’t want this to end.’ So I’m gonna keep it going.”
Although Ariana isn’t yet sure if Daniel is “The One,” she hopes her past hardships will ultimately work to her benefit.
“I think I’m also coming into my own, too, as a woman and I think that I’m learning so much about myself and I hope that the lessons that I have been able to learn over the last few months are something I’m able to carry with me into a new relationship,” she shared.
Vanderpump Rules season 11 is expected to premiere on Bravo sometime later this year or early next year.
