‘RHONY’ Stars Luann de Lesseps & Sonja Morgan Discover Simple Life in ‘Welcome to Crappie Lake’
Luann de Lesseps and Sonja Morgan are used to the good life filled with glamour and five-star accommodations. However, The Real Housewives of New York City besties find none of that on their travels to Benton, Illinois (Pop. a few hundred short of 7,000) for Luann and Sonja: Welcome to Crappie Lake.
This new fish-out-of-water Bravo series follows these Manhattanites over six weeks as they work alongside the Benton City Council to help the small town recover from the pandemic. It’s anything but a vacation, each rolling up their proverbial sleeves to complete the mayor’s to-do list. There is building of a new playground, lending a hand to a dog shelter, and revitalizing a local theater and motel.
Morgan and de Lesseps also pull from their cabaret and performer backgrounds to organize “Benton Follies.” A talent show showcasing local entertainers, all in an effort to bring the community together. Of course, through it all, these reality show icons find time for a little fun in the great outdoors too.
We chatted with Morgan and de Lesseps about their not-so-crappy time in Benton. They’ll also tease what’s to come on the RHONY: Legacy season 5 of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip fresh off filming in St.Barts.
How did the new show concept come about? Why Benton?
Sonja Morgan: We hadn’t filmed Real Housewives for a while…I knew this was going to be fun for us. Jeff Jenkins is involved and co-producer Russell [Jay-Staglik] is from Benton. The fact we were hand-picked out of every housewife out there was just thrilling. They believed in us.
Luann de Lesseps: For me, this is a dream job. You’re going into this small town, helping people out, and it’s a comedy along the way. Like did I expect to catch a catfish with my bare hands? No. Did I expect to go to a testicle festival? No. We were thrilled. This was an olive branch for us. We felt needed, and we can do it all. We are helping this town come full circle and help them come out of what happened to a lot of towns due to COVID.
Tommy Garcia/Bravo
Tell more about this testicle festival.
Sonja: Every day this town has an event. One of which is the testicle festival. I won that bouncy ball contest with this guy in his underwear. Then Lu ate the testicle. They were long and hanging. They fry them. I also don’t eat anything with hair on it.
Luann: I did all the heavy lifting. I ate the testicle. It’s like very bad fried chicken, but they love it.
What kind of challenges did you face while getting your projects completed?
Sonja: Both of us came in with a lot of good relationships, from tools for the contractors to finding funds. Just getting lumber and supplies was very difficult after COVID…We pulled it off. They weren’t used to getting these things done quickly, but everyone had a great work ethic. The town is amazing.
For the variety show portion, you enlist the help of Paula Abdul. How did she get involved?
Luann: We reached out and said, “Hey, we got a dance troop and want this show the ‘Benton Follies’ to be a great success for years to come. We need a little help with the dancers.” She came, and I got to give it to her. She is iconic and the mothers of the girls couldn’t believe it. Within 15 minutes she had them tight and right and made it happen. It was incredible.
Sonja: We got very lucky because she happened to be flying from L.A. to New York, so she could stop off. It came together like magic. She loves to do that kind of thing. The performers were also talented. We have a woman who sings the anthem you wouldn’t believe.
Luann: There was a 90-year-old woman in the show who was blind and played the piano and sang like Patsy Cline.
Was it hard getting any of the residents on board with such a negative connotation given to reality show stars?
Luann: There is a real sense of community there. Half of them didn’t know who we were. They thought we were from Hollywood. There was trepidation seeing these fancy girls coming in with their private jet. Like what are they going to do for us? They didn’t know us, so I get that. Most of them didn’t get us, but we both grew up in small towns. Our lives have changed, but we still have that down-home simple life mentality. We love people. So we bring everyone together, which is already strong.
Sonja: They are Benton proud. And we aren’t afraid to get our hands dirty and they were pleasantly surprised. We are doers, so we wouldn’t let anyone down. The town really also got behind us.
Luann: We did the grunt work. We got into it, the playground, the motel, the show. We got into the community, and they respected us because of it.
I see there might be some romance there too. How are the men in Benton?
Sonja: The guy I hooked up with in Benton was amazing. A real man, but I thought he was staying at the motel. When we got there, there were people who were living there. He was actually from New Orleans though.
Luann: We go mudding with these monster trucks and spend all day with these guys. Then it’s dinner time. We show up, and these men are in button-down shirts. We were like, “Wow, you clean up really well.” One of them says they only wear these kinds of shirts when they go to a wedding, a funeral, or court.
What comfort from home did you miss the most?
Sonja: Well, we didn’t have a kitchen. We had a toaster oven and a blender and fruit basket and a fridge.
Luann: I got to tell you. I just missed space. I had nowhere to put anything. I did have my Expresso machine and my linens. There were things I thought I can’t live without. That made it more comfortable.
Do you see this as a growing franchise spinoff?
Sonja: We would love to do it all over again in another town.
Luann: I think mayors need to say we need Luann and Sonja. I think we can take this anywhere. I think the Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip shows can have this sort of component. There are a lot of legs with this show. The world is our oyster.
Tommy Garcia/Bravo
How was reuniting and filming season 5 of Ultimate Girls Trip? You returned to a place you know quite well in St. Barts.
Sonja: For me, I was happy to be with my girls because we are real friends. I realized how much I missed them due to COVID. When I got back together with Ramona [Singer], I couldn’t believe how much I missed her. And we shared a room again. We were able to film with Dorinda [Medle] for a while. That was great. It was really nice.
Luann: I call it “Scary Island” part 2…Kelly [Bensimon]is there. We get to see another side of Kely. Ramona is up to her old antics of course.
Sonja, There is great food, a beautiful house, and great service. That was a big contrast from Crappie Lake.
Luann: Quite the departure from Crappie Lake. But that is what I love about Sonja and myself. We come from small towns. We lived a certain life and go from one thing to another. We’re just people who want to have a good time and spread some joy. We had a great time with the girls. There is obviously a lot of drama with the housewives. Drama happens at Crappie Lake too because when you spend six weeks with anyone, they are bound to get on your nerves. The girls’ trips are great because we can reconnect, break down that fourth wall, talk about things from the past, and shed light on that perspective people don’t normally see from the show.
Sonja: Viewers have been through our ups and downs for so long. To be with us in St. Barts is picking up where we left off. I love the fourth wall thing where you get to talk about your point of view.
How do you feel about the term of what the season is being dubbed as RHONY Legacy?
Sonja: The word legacy sounds like you have one foot in the grave. I don’t like it. We worked hard to build that jewel in the crown. It is a major part of the whole franchise
Luann: Legacy to me means iconic, that we’re still here and not going anywhere soon. What I love about Bravo is they recognize talent.
Luann and Sonja: Welcome to Crappie Lake premiere, July 9, 9/8c, Bravo
The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip season 5, TBA, Peacock
Luann and Sonja: Welcome to Crappie Lake where to stream
The Real Housewives of New York City where to stream
