What's the Reality? — The Valley's Zack Wickham: Vanderpump Reboot Hot Takes and Owning Your Pettiness

Date: January 28, 2026
Host(s): Blake & Angie (filling in for Amber Desiree/AD)
Guest: Zack Wickham
Podcast Description: AD from Love Is Blind and Perfect Match brings “your all-access backstage pass into the wild and unpredictable world of your favorite TV personalities and influencers.” Unfiltered, real, and often spicy.

Episode Overview

This episode is an energetic deep dive with Zack Wickham, known for his role in The Valley and as a longtime peripheral figure in the Vanderpump universe. With hosts Blake and Angie subbing in for AD, the group explores the unique (and often chaotic) joys and pitfalls of reality TV fame, navigating pettiness with pride, behind-the-scenes at BravoCon, relationships on and off the show, and—hotly anticipated—Zack’s unfiltered opinions on the Vanderpump Rules reboot and new cast. Full of hilarious stories, practical advice, and some delightfully petty anecdotes, it’s a must-listen for reality TV diehards and the Bravo-curious alike.

Key Discussion Points

1. Life After Reality TV Fame

• Being approached by fans — Zack embraces public attention:
  • “If you don't want people to come up to you and you don't want to interact with people, going on reality TV is probably not what you should be doing. Luckily, I'm a people person.” (01:53)
  • Pro tip: “Have the camera out, have whatever lighting you want ready, and I'm down.” (02:40)
• Parasocial relationships — “You're literally their pseudo or parasocial best friend now.” (02:20)

2. BravoCon: Next-Level Fame

• Intensity of Bravo fandom:
  • “It was almost like Beatle level status. Every single person was screaming your name. It was insane, but so much fun.” (03:44)
• Surreal moments:
  • “I didn't realize that every single person that was there had watched every single show that's on Bravo.” (03:44)

3. Meeting Other Bravo Stars

• Ayan of RHODubai as a highlight:
  • “She was so sweet and so kind, and I'm like, wow. You're the real deal. She's so amazing.” (06:05)
  • “Meet your heroes if I'm your hero, because I'm amazing.” (06:41)
• Comparisons to other reality crowds:
  • “Everybody was exactly how you think they are—behind the scenes as well.” (07:58)

4. Authenticity On and Off Camera

• No difference on-screen and IRL:
  • “I'm the same on camera as I am. That's why I'm on a reality show. This is me.” (08:13)
  • “With or without cameras, it's the same.” (08:45)

5. Pettiness: Art or Affliction?

• Owning your pettiness:
  • “Own your actions... If you do something and it's petty, say you did it because you're being petty. Don't say, ‘Oh my God, I had no idea.’ Come on, stop clutching those pearls. You know what you did.” (11:04)
• Petty confession:
  • “I took every light bulb out of every socket, including the ones in the hallway of this apartment complex... put them in a bag, crushed it, and left it on the doorstep.” (12:48)
  • “That's petty. And that's strategic.” (13:09 — Blake & Angie)

6. Personal Life and Relationships

• Meeting his boyfriend, Benji:
  • “We met on Grindr. Let's just be honest... If you want to date me, you're going to have to know I'm not going to ever lie.” (10:29)
• How Benji deals with the attention:
  • “He doesn't care to be [in the public eye], so it actually makes it so much better where he's just there to support me.” (15:30)

7. Jump from Social Media Management to Reality Star

• Background:
  • “My entire career has always been supporting other people's dreams, and now it's like my time to support my own.” (17:15)
• How The Valley came together:
  • “It just kind of happened and we fell into it... it's our real friend group.” (18:05)

8. Longtime Ties to the Vanderpump Universe

• Origin story:
  • “Brittany and I had met in college... The Vanderpump Rules universe became my friend group because Brittany was my only friend out here.” (22:08)
• Always the same Zack:
  • “I would have addressed [drama] anyway. I'm not one of those people that keeps it away, so I really didn't have a fear that it would change anything.” (23:39)

9. Handling Fame & Relationships

• On changing friendships:
  • “All my close friends... I don't think anything's really changed because I'm still myself, and I've never had an ego.” (25:14)
• On humility:
  • “I always say I'm humble. And then everybody laughs and says that's not the word they'd choose for me... but I do think I'm humble in the way that I never think I'm more than who I am.” (25:14)

10. Vanderpump Rules Reboot & Hot Takes

• Lightning in a bottle:
  • “That time period that they filmed it in, and those people and in that environment can never be recreated... that will go down in pop culture history.” (30:01)
  • “Twice lightning in a bottle. You're never getting that again.” (30:37)
• Advice on new cast and culture shift:
  • “If you take it for what it is... you can enjoy it and it stands on its own. But nothing will ever be the original cast.” (32:35)
  • “Gen Z stopped... drinking and I'm like, why?” [On nightlife changes] (32:57)
• Hot takes on new cast (“the twins/half-brothers, Natalie, Marcus”):
  • “I've met her a few times. We're friendly... Marcus is great. I gave him some advice: ‘Whatever you think is the worst thing, it'll pass... as long as you own your shit.’” (34:06)

11. Advice for Aspiring Reality Stars

• On honesty:
  • “If you're gonna hide anything, you're crazy because it will come out, and then people will just think you're fake.” (36:55)
• No regrets philosophy:
  • “Anything bad that would have happened to me would have happened off camera, so why not get paid for it on camera?” (38:50)
  • “Every job has its downside, and ours just happens to be public humiliation. So if you can deal with that, go make your bag, baby.” (38:54 — Angie)

12. Would You Rather: The Valley Edition (Game Segment, 39:42–41:59)

• Share your own secret or someone else’s?
  • Zack: “Definitely about myself... Again, vault, unless I don’t like you.”
• Would you rather have Sheena or Stassi join the cast full-time?
  • Zack: “Just because I'm closer with Sheena, I'd say Sheena... But imagine both!”
• Mediate a fight or be in it yourself?
  • Zack: “I mediate far too often... No, I’d rather be in the fight. 100%. Let’s go.” (41:54)

13. The Final Word

• On not taking things too seriously:
  • [On his social handles] “Some damn Gen Z person got the TikTok before, so I’m [thezackwickham]. I don’t care enough.” (42:26)
• Spotify’s age algorithm rant:
  • “I'm super mad whoever at Spotify decided to do the age thing... I'm like, excuse me, this is—I feel accosted by your generalization of what you think my age is. Based on what I listen to!” (44:00)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On owning reality TV stardom:
  • “If you see me out, this might be the only time that you see me out. So please come up to me.” (02:40 — Zack)
• On pettiest moment:
  • “I took every light bulb... put them in a bag, crushed it, and left it on the doorstep so that he knew exactly what I was doing.” (12:48 — Zack)
• Ultimate hot take on Vanderpump reboot:
  • “That time period and those people... can never be recreated... Lightning in a bottle. You're never getting that again.” (30:35 — Zack)
• Life philosophy:
  • "Even the bad things that happened to me, they're going to happen to me off camera, so why not get paid for them on camera?" (38:50 — Zack)
• Outlook on relationships and fame:
  • “I've never had an ego... I don't think I'm better than a PA on set. I don't think I'm better than the CEO. I think we're all equals.” (25:14 — Zack)
• Best advice for reality TV:
  • “Own your actions. If you make a misstep, just own it and move on.” (11:04 — Zack)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:44 — Zack on enjoying his newfound fame
• 03:44 — Describing BravoCon and fan intensity
• 06:05 — Fangirling at BravoCon and positive interactions
• 10:29 — How Zack met his boyfriend Benji
• 11:04 — The importance of owning your actions (advice for reality TV)
• 12:48 — Petty revenge story: lightbulbs
• 15:30 — How Benji handles appearing on the show
• 17:15 — Transition from social media manager to reality star
• 30:01 — Vanderpump Rules reboot hot take: “lightning in a bottle”
• 34:06 — Thoughts and advice for the new VR cast
• 38:50 — On why he has no reality TV regrets
• 39:42–41:59 — “Would You Rather?” game
• 44:00 — Angry at Spotify’s age algorithm

Tone and Style

Candid, humorous, and sometimes a little bit savage—in the best way. Zack is unafraid to own his actions, spill the reality tea, and take pride in his pettiness, while also emphasizing loyalty and self-awareness. Hosts Blake and Angie keep things brisk and playful, but always draw out the deeper—sometimes touching—insights on friendship, fame, and building a life around reality TV.

Final Thoughts

This conversation offers both juicy reality TV behind-the-scenes and lived wisdom about fame and authenticity. If you want advice on surviving (and thriving) in the spotlight, with a little bit of shade and self-deprecating humor sprinkled in, Zack Wickham delivers. “Lightning in a bottle” may never strike twice, but these reality personalities—and their petty stories—certainly keep the entertainment running.

Socials:

• Instagram: @zackwickham
• TikTok: @thezackwickham