Vinny Guadagnino Compares MTV’s ‘All Star Shore’ to Old Days of ‘Jersey Shore’
Q&A
After taking a Double Shot at Love and hitting the ballroom of Dancing with the Stars, Vinny Guadagnino is venturing to Cartagena, Colombia for season 2 of All Star Shore. The Jersey Shore OG joins other recognizable reality show faces from around the world. They’ll party it up but also break off into teams to compete in a number of party-style challenges with up to $150,000 on the line. The events leading up to the finals reward the winners with luxurious upgrades with losers forced to endure in less than favorable conditions under exile.
Joining the “Keto Guido” is Chantelle Connelly (Geordie Shore), Chase Demoor (Too Hot To Handle), Fabio De Pasqual (Germany Shore,) Hati Garderobe (Germany Shore), Gui Evaristo (Rio Shore), Isa Castro (Acapulco Shore), Marnie Simpson (Geordie Shore), Melinda Melrose (Too Hot To Handle) Patryk Spiker (Warsaw Shore), Tamaris Sepulveda (F Boy Island), and Xavier Ulibarri (Acapulco Shore).
Guadagnino looks to best his fellow cast member Angelina Pivarnick, who was part of the first season last year. Here the reality show vet talks about adding another show to his “Jerzday” schedule and what’s to come on Jersey Shore Family Vacation.
You’ve done a lot of shows before. What made you want to do this one?
Vinny Guadagnino: Jersey Shore Family Vacation is something we dedicate our lives to full-time. So when I get other TV opportunities, I look at my calendar and see if I’m free from filming. Then I suss it out. I say no to different things a lot too. However, playing games, party games, and having a competition in a Jersey Shore kind of way, seemed kind of fun for me. It was cool seeing one season of it transpire with Angelina, just so I knew what I was getting into. I’m single and have no kids. It was a fun, different project and undertaking for me.
How crazy is it that among the field of stars are cast members from Shore offshoots from around the world?
That’s always fascinating to me. I haven’t traveled around the world too much, so to see my show that I started with my cast and crew be able to be all over the world. Places I’ve never been to. I have never been to Germany. I’ve never been to Acapulco and all these different places. To know Shore shows are there. A lot of them had never seen Jersey Shore before. It’s amazing what we’ve built has transcended all over the world. It’s a proud moment.
Did you do anything to prepare for the trip?
No, because I knew it wasn’t going to be The Challenge. That would be a show I wouldn’t ever do because it’s so physically demanding. I can’t see how they want you to be in super good shape when you’re partying every night. I’m always healthy, but there is nothing you can do to prepare. One day you might have a game that requires you to run fast. One day you might have a game that requires you to not spill a beer into a jug. You just don’t know.
What were your first impressions of the rest of the cast? Did you already eye your competition?
The only one I recognized was Melinda. I had met Chantelle before. That was really it. The other ones were kind of new to me. Everyone was nice at first. I’m not like a dramatic guy. I let the drama people fight with each other. Chase is a huge guy. I knew he would kill anything physical. The rest of it was a crapshoot. I will say I’ve been doing reality TV long enough to try to decide who is the most unassuming or unexpected person there. They are probably going to win. I know the way these twists and turns work.
Jersey Shore Family Vacation
You look to be at the center of some drama between Tamaris and Melinda. What can you say about that?
This was cool for me because it’s the first show I’ve done in a while where I’m singling and mingling, mixing around and vibing. Being around cute single girls. That’s my strong suit I think in my life. Don’t let single Vinny out of the cage. I think people are going to see some of the old Vinny come out that was in the early years of Jersey Shore. I don’t get to do that anymore really because everyone on my show is married. I’m like the only single one.
What were the conditions like in Colombia?
We are on a remote island in the middle of nowhere. Whenever there was an exile, it wasn’t like we were shooting a show in Los Angeles in a studio and they put in some props that made it feel uncomfortable. Like if we were spending a night on a farm, it’s truly a farm in the middle of nowhere on an island in the middle of the ocean. It’s not a farm like 20 minutes away from Burbank. We were truly out there. It’s very rough conditions. There were nice moments, especially when you won. The other ones were rough. It felt like you were on Survivor at times.
Did you receive any advice from Angelina?
Not really. We’re two completely different people. I’m glad she got to be the guinea pig and do the first season. She was giving me a heads-up on the games and how they play them. But Angelina needs to ask me for advice.
How is it having Sammi [Giancola] back in the Jersey Shore family?
Very unexpected. Great surprise. We always get knocks at the door and it’s either Uncle Nino or a clown or something stupid. Seeing Sammi back gave everyone this rejuvenation, a pick-me-up. We had a lot of time to make up.
How do you think she fit into the group again?
It was freaking me out a bit. It’s surreal like holy crap she is back. She and I were close off the show. When Jersey Shore ended. I hadn’t talked to her since then She snapped back really quickly and we were roasting each other in no time.
What can you say about the next couple of episodes? You seem like the guy with the proverbial popcorn in hand while the drama unfolds.
We go to Orlando together. The girls started fighting again. They fight over comments that were made about going to Mike’s [Sorrentino] wife’s store. It seems like we spend the first couple of days of a vacation making up. Lots of flingering drama that enters into Orlando. We do follow the story of Angelina’s father. Ronnie [Ortiz-Magro] also kind of started to come into the equation a little bit.
Who do you think from the Jersey Shore house would do well on All Star Shore?
Pauly [D Delvecchio] would do well because he is athletic. Pauly can thrive at anything. Mike has a great attitude for this type of stuff. It’s hard for them though because they have families and kids. All Star shows are like going back to the old days of the Jersey Shore. We’re OGs so any of us can go there and kill it.
How would you sum up the experience? What did you walk away with?
From a personal point-of-view, get me the hell out of there. It was a very humbling experience showering outside for a month. What is cool is people will get to see OG Vinny thrive in more of an environment that is conducive to where I am in my life. Not that I’m the biggest partier. I like a good time. I like mingling with the ladies. I‘m a little bit of a ladies man. You get to explore and see that side of me. You truly might find me liking someone over there. People haven’t really gotten to see that.
Did Mom try to smuggle any pasta or chicken cutlets?
I couldn’t even get a bag of chips over there let alone pasta.
Jersey Shore Family Vacation, Thursdays, 8/7c, MTV
All Star Shore season 2 premiere, September 21, 9/8c, MTV
Jersey Shore Family Vacation where to stream
