Alex McCord and Simon van Kempen haven’t been off TV for long, and already another network has come knocking at their door wanting them on their reality show. It was announced today that the Big Apple duo will be on VH1’s second season of Couples Therapy! This makes them the first axed Real Housewives of New York stars to make a reality TV return.
(Though not on a reality show, Jill Zarin will also be returning to the small screen by joining Good Afternoon America for a weekly segment discussing reality TV. Kelly Bensimon, you’re up next!)
Couples Therapy season 1 wrapped earlier this year and featured such celebrities as Linda Hogan, Vienna Girardi, Kasey Kahl, and DMX. Alex and Simon are the first names released for the show’s sophomore season, with no word on who will be joining them. Also unknown is just how the couple will be worked into the show. Last season, the cast all lived together under one roof, but with their two kids, that is likely not possible for Alex and Simon.
A source tells Huffington Post, “For a couple of days last week, they were being trailed by a film crew, both in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Cameras were seen loading in and out of their Brooklyn brownstone, and they shot in at least one restaurant. It was just them with no other cast members involved.”
The source also claims that Alex and Simon will be discussing life following Real Housewives of New York and becoming famous in the world of reality television. The couple had been with the show since the start, but after four seasons, were given the boot along with Jill Zarin and Kelly Bensimon.
Alex and Simon’s relationship was often the topic of debate on Real Housewives of New York. Many of their fellow cast members didn’t understand why they always seem to be attached at the hip and were quick to criticize them for it. During one episode, for example, Jill, Ramona, and LuAnn were appalled when Alex brought Simon to what was supposed to be a girls’ day.
So what do you think about Simon and Alex returning to reality TV — and doing so in the context of relationship therapy? I always liked the pair, but I’m not sure I’m sold on watching them talk at length about who does the dishes more often or who wears the prettiest pants.