Amanda Batula calls Paige DeSorbo's Bravo exit ‘taking a summer off': She's ‘not done with TV'

New York Post

a day ago

Giggling at the idea of having Paige DeSorbo back on TV.
After the podcast host, 32, announced her exit from 'Summer House' after seven seasons, her longtime best friend, Amanda Batula, is holding out hope that this is merely a break.
'She FaceTimed me and Ciara [Miller] and told us, and it was really tough to hear,' the swimsuit designer, 33, recalled exclusively to the Post while promoting her partnership with Swiffer.
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'I think I was sort of expecting it just because she had such a rough time last summer, and you can really tell that her anxiety was taking her over. She stayed back a few Fridays, would stay back a weekend. She was really struggling, and I think that it's the best decision for her.'
10 Amanda Batula.
AmandaBatula/Instagram
During Season 9, viewers saw DeSorbo navigating her relationship with her now ex-boyfriend Craig Conover and preparing to go on her 'Giggly Squad' tour with her podcast cohost Hannah Berner.
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'I'm calling it taking a summer off,' Batula teased. 'I'd like to think that she's not done. I know that she is not done with TV. That girl was born for TV. So I know we'll be seeing plenty of her. But I mean, it's exhausting to go out to the Hamptons every single weekend, driving back and forth, sitting in the traffic, all the partying, the drinking. It's a lot. And I think she went through it last summer, and she just needs a break. And I respect that.'
'But we're very sad. Ciara and I are very sad,' she went on. 'We just kind of looked at each other and were like, 'It's just the two of us.''
10 Paige DeSorbo, Amanda Batula at Caesars Forum in Las Vegas, NV on Friday, November 3, 2023.
Todd Williamson/Bravo via Getty Images
However, there is hope of having the reality star make a cameo or two.
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'If we can get it together to throw a second annual snooze fest, I know our girl won't miss it,' Batula said. 'So hopefully we can make that happen.'
After DeSorbo announced her departure, she shared a series of throwback pictures from her time in the house, including photos of Berner, 33. The comedian, who used to be a cast member, previously had a falling out with Batula and her husband, Kyle Cooke, 42.
10 Paige DeSorbo and Amanda Batula.
Charles Sykes/Bravo via Getty Images
'There were so many moments and so many photos that we have that bring back these amazing memories that the three of us had together,' Batula gushed to the Post. 'It's very unfortunate how it all fell out, but that doesn't take away from the fun, amazing times that we did have together and how much we all got along. So it's nice. I mean, every relationship changes. People grow apart sometimes and it doesn't have to dampen those memories that you had. It was really sweet to see.'
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As for if a friendship reunion is in the cards, the influencer never says never.
10 'Summer House' stars Amanda Batula and Paige DeSorbo.
NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images
'I'm not someone that holds grudges, and I think mine and Hannah's falling out was an unfortunate series of events that a lot of factors played into,' Batula admitted. 'I would love to get back together, somehow make amends, especially for Paige's sake. But we're both busy girls now, and people aren't just getting together to hang out on a normal basis. So it will probably take a lot of effort. But there's no negativity there whatsoever.'
DeSorbo, meanwhile, wasn't the only cast member to announce her exit in recent days. Newcomer Lexi Wood also shared she won't be returning for another summer.
'I just saw the post a little bit ago,' Batula confirmed. 'I had to read it twice over. And I asked Kyle, I was like, 'Does this mean that she's not coming back?' I was confused with the way it was worded. And he's like, 'Yeah, don't think that she's coming back.' So that's a bummer, too.'
10 'Summer House' – Season 9 reunion.
Jocelyn Prescod/Bravo
'I think she had so much potential. Also, I think it's unfortunate how it all played out with the Jesse [Solomon] stuff. Lexi and I knew each other before,' she continued. 'I think It would have been great to have a girl summer, but I can't control what people decide to do.'
With lots of cast shakeups, including longtime star Lindsay Hubbard, 38, becoming a new mom to her baby girl Gemma, rumors have swirled if the remaining stars will even make it back into the house.
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Some fans have even speculated that cameras may now focus on Batula, DeSorbo and Miller, 29, as they navigate life in the Big Apple.
10 Paige DeSorbo, Amanda Batula, Ciara Miller.
Sean Zanni/Bravo via Getty Images
'There are rumors all the time,' the reality star admitted. 'I would love to stay [home.] I think Ciara, Paige, and I would all love to stay home and film. That is like the dream. But no one's presented me with anything yet. So, right now, it's just business as usual. But if anyone wants to put together a show for three girls that love to sleep in bed, we're open and we're taking offers.'
In the meantime, Batula is busy with her new line Amanda Batula Swim.
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'We're doing our second and third drop at the same time,' Batula said about her collection at South Moon Under. 'And they're kind of very European-inspired. A lot of neutrals and inspired by my time in Italy and just the surroundings.'
10 Kyle Cooke and Amanda Batula.
Instagram/@amandabatula
'We did some different silhouettes. We listened to a lot people's feedback, tried to incorporate one piece, high-waisted bottoms, thicker straps, different things to sort of appease everyone. Made adjustments to the fit of things – we're learning. But I'm really excited for people to try out these new styles and new fits and see these two drops that we've had a bit more time to work on because I'm very passionate about them.'
Each swimsuit has a special meaning to Batula: in the form of her girlfriends.
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'All the pieces are named after my best friends,' she explained. 'So my friends from high school, college, and then the girls from the show. So I incorporated everyone into my drop. I had texts from friends being like did you name this after me? I was like yes. So it's not just the girls from the show, it's any girl, any woman that has been a big part of my life, I named a piece after them.'
10 Kyle Cooke and Amanda Batula share honeymoon photos.
Kyle Cooke and Amanda Batula
Not only is Batula booked and busy, she and Cooke have been focusing on trying to better their work/life balance since tying the knot in 2021.
During part two of the 'Summer House' reunion which aired in May, the fashion icon confessed that she and the Lover Boy founder had some struggles last year.
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Despite fans not seeing their issues play out during season 9, Batula still felt compelled to open up about what they went through.
10 Ciara Miller, Amanda Batula, Carl Radke, Jesse Soloman, Paige DeSorbo, West Wilson, Kyle Cooke, Lindsay Hubbard, Gabby Prescod, Imrul Hassan, Lexi Wood.
Kareem Black/Bravo via Getty Images
'I've always just been very honest and transparent about everything in my relationship and I'm always willing to share whatever on camera,' she said. 'I don't hold anything back. It's unfortunately not up to us what ends up getting used and what doesn't but that is something that we were going through and I just felt like it was important for people to see the full transparency.'
Luckily, the pair worked on their problems and were able to come together, because, as fans know, summer is suppose to be fun.
'They see us having a great summer together and we did because there were those changes made. But it wasn't a natural occurrence. There were reasons why. I just felt like I just need to be honest and transparent with people at all times. And I feel like that was a huge piece of missing information. We filmed it so I didn't know that they weren't going to use it. I was fully prepared for everyone to see that conversation too. I just feel like everyone should know everything. I don't hold back.'
10 Season 8 of 'Summer House.'
Bryan Bedder/Bravo
Batula noted, 'We just actually both put in the work and had a really good Summer, which is probably why they chose not to show that beginning clip because it was irrelevant at that point because we were fine.'
And with summer right around the corner, Batula and Cooke are still trying to navigate the perfect balance as they head back to the Hamptons.
'The man is never around,' she teased. 'In fact, he's here right now in the office working. He is always traveling. We will be traveling to France together in a week or two. So maybe we'll be able to reconnect and spend some quality time together there.'