I recently had the opportunity to interview Real Housewives of Vancouver star Amanda Hansen! Amanda talked to us exclusively about her upcoming projects, love life, and of course about The Real Housewives of Vancouver! Amanda dished about her current friendships with her former co-stars, fashion, upcoming business ventures and what she's been up to since being a Real Housewife and much more. Read our Exclusive Interview with Amanda Hansen below!
iRH: Hi Amanda, welcome to iRealHousewives. How where you approached to join RHOV?
Amanda: Well I was friends with Mia for a while and she had put my name forward and they just randomly called me one day while I was in the gym working out.
iRH: Did you had any reservations on joining a reality show such as 'The Real Housewives'?
iRH: Did you had any reservations on joining a reality show such as 'The Real Housewives'?
Amanda: You know my maiden name is Ball I think I was blessed with some big ones! I just went in knowing I'd be judged, alienated and probably disliked by some, none of this was new for me, sadly it was normal.
iRH: During the show you were very public and open about being a recovering alcoholic, were you at all nervous about opening that part of your life to the world?
Amanda: I think regrets are pointless, I have none to this day! I am a realist and see people and things for how they really are. I wanted those who suffer with this disease to know they are not alone and that I'm no better than anyone, I'm simply the same as everyone else. I just happen to be very honest about the things I have suffered from.
iRH: What type of reaction did you receive from fans when you opened up about your alcoholism?
iRH: What type of reaction did you receive from fans when you opened up about your alcoholism?
Amanda: My fans were so supportive and sent me lots of love in messages on my Facebook page. It was something I hadn't expected was to personally hear from others who were struggling with addiction or having been sexually abused.
iRH: Where you a fan of the show before becoming part of it?
Amanda: 100% I loved it!! I had no idea how those crazy broads had so much to bitch about... And Volã there is TV for you.
iRH: Reality TV has a thing called editing, were you pleased on how they portrayed you on the show?
Amanda: Even though my character only showed one side of me, I knew we wouldn't even get picked up if there wasn't any drama. With it being the other women's second season they were not wanting the ridicule from the audience that they had gotten from being out spoken in season one so it was either I pipe up or have nothing worth filming. The Housewives series was not a BFF’'s, Kumbyah concept in the first place. If nothing more it certainly showcased the wealth and the insanity that exists among some Gucci strutting women. I hopefully it helped women to appreciate what they already had rather than want to be in someone else's YSL's.
iRH: What do you think is the biggest misconception people have of you from watching the show?
iRH: What do you think is the biggest misconception people have of you from watching the show?
Amanda: The biggest misconception that people seem to have from watching the show was that I'm a bully! I'm anything but and the furthest from that myself. I'm upfront and don't tolerate manipulating, mean or self centered people. I made a decision early on to be Jody's friend and there's lots of real conversations that weren't seen or filmed attempting to help her make peace with her enemies but she's strong headed and had good reasons not to like the women she disliked. She just didn't have the best method of showing her side, instead it came across as her being a bully. In Reality she's funny and crazy but very much not someone you'd want to cross.
iRH: Do you still keep in touch with any of your former cast members?
Amanda: Yes I do keep in touch with a few of them, I'm very close friends with Ioulia and Mia and I have been friends for a long time now. I chat with Robin and Ronnie from time to time too.
iRH: What has been your best and least favorite scene from RHOV?
Amanda: That's hard to say I only watched it once when I had to preview each episode so I can't really remember. But from what I can recall I didn't like how I was portrayed in Toronto with Ioulia or with my Mary out burst. But my favorite scene by far was with my sister Denise while I was in Toronto talking about Kyle getting a junk lift lol! Filming with her was really fun!
iRH: I know you were friends with Mia prior to the show and before going to rehab, you two used to party together. What was one of the craziest things you guys did together?
Amanda: Yes that's true, Mia and I used to party together and we were wild for sure! I think the funniest thing was Mia declaring the guy that I met as being unworthy of me and made the cab driver stop and she kicked him out of the car, if only she had been my wing girl in my late teens and very early 20's I may not have had dated so many losers. Excluding my ex husband of course, he was the best decision I had made until that point in my life.
iRH: I know you’re a fashionista and lately we've seen you doing some fierce modeling, are you going to continue to model or do you plan to do your own fashion line in the near future?
Amanda: I'm no model but when approached to help out a friend or support a company I like then I'm all in. I'm loyal to those I love and what I love, that's just me. So when I was approach to do a photo shoot with Kris Por (#camergod) for the Lords of Gastown Mortorcycle Chruch clothing co I had to do it! Kris Por has extreme talent and the guys at www.lordsofgastown.ca are simply badass. Tyler Hazelwood is clearly balzy and has some larger than normal sized balls to start a motorcycle church in a biker city like Vancouver , I appreciate that trait. I have already started two clothing companies Vicious Cut Manmade clothing and Evil Empire C.C inc.
iRH: It's my understanding that you are working on a fashion line, can you give us a hint of the style and when can we expect it to be available for purchase?
Amanda: Yes that’s right I have started two clothing companies but am going in very slowly since my first company at 20 ( Bomma gear -graffiti undies) blew up so fast that I couldn't keep up with orders and it caused me to shut it down out of fear and being overwhelmed. Making the front page of the business section in the National Post News at 20 years old was a big deal! So this time I'm starting slow. I have already been doing well with Vicious Cut Manmade clothing VC.MC for short. That's my line of denim and leather vests which will also have tanks, tees and hoodies coming soon, it's a more skidly biker style look that I love so much! Growing up in a biker town Oshawa Ont. where Satans Choice M.C ruled the roads and the underworld it's just what I was raised seeing family and friends wearing... Lots of leather and denim vests. Evil Empire Custom Clothing Inc. is my other side it's geared more towards the hustlers and has a strong hip hop vibe. Both lines are in the works. I expect the lines to be in full force within the year. For more info on them you can reach me at viciouscut.mc@gmail.com
iRH: How's your love life? Are you single or seeing someone special?
Amanda: Well my love life is always hot and heavy, its usually pretty note worthy. As for now I am dating someone he's super attentive, loving and appreciates me and my crazy ways. It's nice to be bizarre and to not be ridiculed or reformed. He was a athlete for many years playing hockey and has that sexy hockey bod that's super nice to cuddle up too!
iRH: I must say I love how edgy and rock and roll you are, you're my type of gurl. How many tattoos do you have in total and do they have a special meaning?
Amanda: Thank you, yes I'm very Rock n Roll, I love music more than fashion it just happens that I can't sing a tune or write a song! But music is my medicine. I have many tattoos with meaning they all mean something but my most meaningful is my Grime Reaper tattoo. I got it when one of my closest girl friends passed away from a drug and alcohol overdose. It was to remind me that while "god only whispers to me the devil screams loudly in my ears" every day the amount of deadly things that cross my mind to do would make your head spin. I may be doing good but I am far from a saint and the devil has a hit on me. My tattoo reminds who is knocking on my door everyday and and I know that if I'm not carful, one day I too could answer his call.
iRH: Speaking of tattoos, I know you and your bestie and co-star Ioulia got matching tattoos recently, can you tell us what lead you two to decide to get matching tattoos?
Amanda: For sure, yes Ioulia and I are very close, clearly. I'd say we are more like sisters than friends I know we fight like true siblings and are blood tight like sisters too. We wanted something to just show how tight we are and the star was what she wanted, I wasn't too picky it's good luck and means goddess.
iRH: If Slice decides to do a season 3 of RHOV, would you come back and if so who would you like to see return?
Amanda: If they did do a 3rd season I think I'd pass on it even though I did love doing it. I have a really amazing TV show concept that would show strong women taking over in a man’s world. It's so edgy and never been done before in any manor it's straight up genius and that's saying a lot since I'm extremely hard on myself and I don’t pump my own tires often. I am hoping to bring my idea into fruition but I have yet to discuss it with any production companies. I have my first meetings on it next week.
iRH: I know during your time on the show you were close to Jody, do you still keep in touch with her?
Amanda: Yes I was tight with Jody but we haven't spoken in a long while. I'm still tight with Mia and we'll always be friends.
iRH: Can you update us on how you’re beautiful children are doing? What do they think about their mommy being on a successful reality TV Franchise?
Amanda: My kids are doing great! They loved filming the show and were very supportive with everything. They think their mother is crazy but love that about me too! There's never a dull moment in our house. I feel so blessed to have the best kids!!
iRH: Any upcoming projects that you can share with us?
Amanda: The only upcoming projects I have is the startup of my two clothing companies, Vicious Cut M.C and Evil Empire C.C Inc. and the possibility of a new reality series but life's wild and you never know what's going to happen. I'm open to experience something new and look forward to my future with my kids, my businesses, my man and maybe a new reality show.
iRH: Anything you would like to say to your fans?
Amanda: I'd just like to thank my fans for being so supportive, I'm clearly not the most loved. I seem to always struggle to fit in anywhere, I don't seem to have a category that defines me. What I can say is there will never be a box big enough to fit me in and there's no shape that exists with more sides than what I have. It's a struggle when who and what you are isn't definable. But for those that can see past the one side that the RHOV showed of me thank you, at least I know I'm not so rare that I'm alone, it just happens that I belong to much smaller gang of odd balls and I'm ok with that. Thanks so much for those that took the time to read this... My love goes out to you, may our demons settle so we have more to offer than the lies our heads tell us.