Stassi Schroeder on Mormon Wives Reunion, Her Show Stassi Says, Future

Stassi Schroeder knows a thing or two about being a prominent reality television star, so who better than her to host the reunion for Hulu’s buzziest unscripted show, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives? 

A self-proclaimed fan of the series, Schroeder got her start on the small screen on The Amazing Race in 2005. But it was her leading status on Vanderpump Rules that turned her into a certified reality TV legend, a title she’s carried, lent to her former boss and current co-star Lisa Vanderpump’s mint series Vanderpump Villa. 

But when it was announced that the Stassi podcast host joined the season two cast, it was also revealed that she landed her own development deal with Hulu. As part of that deal, Schroeder will bring her show Stassi Says to the Disney-backed streamer. She’s filming for the docu-comedy, and she tells The Hollywood Reporter, “We’re wrapping soon,” and that working on the series has “just been a dream.” 

So it makes perfect sense that Hulu would tap the reality TV maestro to host the season three reunion of Mormon Wives, having previously recruited her to head the Vanderpump Villa reunion. However, this reunion special marks Schroeder’s first solo hosting gig, and to be frank, she “fucking loved it.” 

“I loved every second. It was the most chaotic day,” she adds of leading the season three reunion. “It’s incredible to watch, and they’re all so authentically them. It doesn’t feel like any of them are putting on a performance. … They’re exactly what you’re seeing. And I think that is what is so great about this show.”

Below, Schroeder dishes on how she approaches hosting hectic reunions, what topics she wishes she could have addressed with the women of Mormon Wives (something about a breakfast food…), the status of Stassi Says and what’s to come from her sprawling future with Hulu.

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After the season two reunion came out and Nick Viall hosted, and this offer came to you to host the season three reunion, what was your reaction?

I literally was at the Hulu offices and I was like, “I was offended you guys didn’t ask me for the second reunion.” It was like, “I don’t even care how much you guys pay me. Like, I’m making this happen.” And it was actually really hard to make happen because I was going to film Vanderpump Villa, and I had to leave a week early because they couldn’t move around schedules. And I’m like, “I don’t care what we need to do to make this happen, I am hosting this reunion.” Like, I was meant to host this reunion. I think also because I really love those girls, I met a bunch of them in Italy at the villa before their show had even come out. Every time I get to be around them, I’m like, oh, I love them. It’s a weird thing to be such a fan of the show, and then also like, oh wait, but now I feel like I’m your mama bear. Like, I’m protective of you guys.

How do you juggle that? Feeling like you are their mama bear while hosting the reunion, combined with your fanfare for the show. 

It gets kind of difficult because when you’re hosting a reunion, my number one thing going into it is, like, this is not about me. I’ve been in their situation, I’ve been in the hot seat, I’ve been on the other side of this. My job going into a reunion is to provide a safe space where everyone feels comfortable enough to say exactly what they want to say. It’s not about my opinions. It’s not about my judgments. I’m there to try and just make them feel comfortable enough to get the truth out and to get them talking, and to steer the ship. I take my personal relationships and how I feel as a fan and as a viewer out of it, because it’s not about what I think, it’s about what they think.

Before this, you also hosted the Vanderpump Villa reunion. How did hosting the Mormon Wives reunion compare to hosting the Vanderpump Villa reunion?

Oh my God, they could not have been more different. First of all, the Villa reunion, Lisa was there with me, so it felt like it wasn’t completely my own, you know. This was the first time that it’s not Vanderpump-related in any way and I’m doing this solo, and I fucking loved it. I mean, I loved every second. It was the most chaotic day. Like, how Andy Cohen does this all the time is so wild to me, because it’s so much work. You fly into Utah and you have a meeting for five hours to go over questions and you’re up until late at night with the producers of Mormon Wives and the producers of the reunion. Then you wake up the next day and you do it again with Hulu, so it’s hours of that. And when it comes down to the day, it’s almost like a 12-hour day. It’s the ultimate multitasking job where you have an earpiece, you have your teleprompter, you have your cards, but you also need to be a really good listener, so while you’re doing all those things, you need to be paying attention to what everybody’s saying so that you know how to keep things on track. What made this one so different is that they were also filming at the same time. We’ve seen on the show, that they film while they’re promoting their show, which I think is cool to see. No other show I feel like has really done that before, so to have all of their cameras there and have them fighting off set, I’m like, “Wait, should we be, like, saving this for the reunion? Or should we be giving this to season four of Mormon Wives?” Trying to juggle what to keep in the reunion and what to save for their show, it was a circus in the best way possible. It was also like I had a front row seat of my favorite show.

We have this big reveal in season three involving Dakota and Taylor, with Dakota’s inappropriate communication with Taylor’s family friend. What was your reaction when, after noting that Dakota only agreed to sit down for the reunion if the women of MomTok were not present, Taylor and Macyi came on stage to confront him?

Well, funny you should bring that up, because we did a bunch of takes of this. When we were talking about how this was going to go down, I was like, “I don’t agree with this.” Like, I think this is so messed up that he’s making the girls leave their own set. Like, this is their show ​​— this isn’t the dad’s show. This is the women’s show, and we’re making them all get up and leave the room so that he can have his moment? I did a bunch of takes being like, “I don’t agree with this, but we’re going to do this anyway.” And once he came in, I then quickly realized, I was like, I kind of understand why he asked for it. Because when Taylor comes in, they just yell and shout over each other. So I’m like, I don’t agree with it, but I understand why you wanted to be solo. But when she came storming in, it was just like, Oh my God. Taylor is a reality TV pro, and she’s only done it for like a couple of years. It’s incredible to watch, and they’re all so authentically them, you know what I mean? It doesn’t feel like any of them are putting on a performance. If you were to tell the average person who’s never seen the show, like, “Oh, give me a break, they’re not like that.” No, they are. They are. They’re exactly what you’re seeing. And I think that is what is so great about this show.

We saw you try to throw Dakota a bone and help him just flat out say that he was wrong for the communication that he had with Taylor’s family friend, but didn’t really accept your help. Was it frustrating for you hearing how he navigated expressing his side of this story?

Well, it’s kind of frustrating dealing with Dakota because he’s very long-winded, you know (Laughs). Like, very long-winded. So I’m like, Get to the point. Let’s get to the point. Like, don’t forget why you’re here. Aren’t you here to apologize? And I don’t know if he was. I don’t know if he was actually there to apologize.

There were a lot of dark themes tackled in the reunion. As the host, how do you juggle making sure each cast member feels heard and seen, while also navigating such dark themes?

That was, I would say, probably the hardest part of hosting the reunion, because I know what it’s like to be on the other side of it. As somebody who’s attending a reunion, you want to be heard, but there’s only so many hours in the day, and there is a schedule to follow. I will say there were a lot of times that I had someone in my ear being like, “Tell them to wrap it up.” And I’m like, “No, I can’t.” If you want to get to a real place with everyone, then you got to let everybody talk for a little while and say what they want. I know this. I’ve been there, because when we feel like we’re being rushed, or not listened to or [like], Oh, what I have to say kind of doesn’t matter, you clam up, you put a wall up and you’re not really engaging in the remainder of the day. I had to make decisions on the spot and be like, “No, I’m gonna let each person say as much as they can.” And then, of course, it gets to a point where I’m like, “Okay, you guys, I really need you all to shut up.” 

The reunion cut was only roughly an hour long, but I have to assume, and from what you’ve said, it seems like you filmed for much longer.

I got there, I feel like, 9 a.m. and I left at, like, 11 p.m. It was a very long day — this should have been a three-part reunion.

Yeah! Why was there only one part? (Laughs.)

I think also part of the reason that they might not be doing three parts is because they are filming, they do want to save a lot of you know that story for next season. Which is, again, new and fresh and fun and cool, so I get it.

There’s so much that has happened with the women, even just from when you were filming the reunion. Were there any other drama developments or moments that have come out now that you wish could have been addressed at the season three reunion?

Are you joking? I mean, hello, Fruity Pebbles. All the Fruity Pebbles things. Like, I don’t want to actually talk about it, I feel physically uncomfortable, but I would carve out an hour. And it’s not just about the Fruity Pebbles of it all — I’m more interested in the way that Demi and Jessi are fighting online. That, to me, is also so new in terms of reality TV. It’s like in real time, we’re watching their story unfold on social media, and I think that’s something that I would have really liked to explore, like, if I would have known that they were gonna go rogue. You know, they all went rogue!

Another element that I wish we could have at least seen something of was Dancing With the Stars.

I was just about to say that too. Yes. But this was early September. I don’t know that they had started [the DWTS season] yet. I think they were about to, or they had just went to L.A. for the first time, and then flew back. They weren’t, like, fully in it yet, so there wouldn’t have been that much to talk about anyway.

Do you think that they should have waited a little bit longer to film the reunion, so they could have captured some of those moments?

Yes, yes, I do. You know, at the same time, let’s just say we filmed it a month ago, all this would have still went down after the fact. It’s like, they’re always doing something. So I guess technically, it doesn’t really matter (Laughs).

When you filmed the season three reunion, had it already been announced that Taylor was going to be the next Bachelorette?

I think it was a few days after. I don’t think so. No, yeah, I don’t think that that was a thing.

What do you think of ABC’s decision to name Taylor the next Bachelorette?

So I haven’t watched The Bachelor in eight years, and now is going to be the first time I do. It could not be more brilliant. In my early 20s, I was Bachelor obsessed, and then I felt like it kind of just got a little, I don’t know, stale — I fell off of it. This is gonna be the thing that gets all of us millennial women who fell off of it, this is gonna get us back watching because everyone loves Taylor.

Her casting speaks to this cross functionality between the wider ABC universe, which you have joined via your connection to Hulu from Vanderpump Villa and your own Hulu series in the works. How has working with this network been different from your past home of Bravo?

It’s night and day. When we were on Vanderpump Rules, we were kind of always treated just like, you’re lucky to be here. You’re lucky to have scraps, that kind of thing. And since joining the Hulu/Disney family, they make me feel like they’re honored to have me. And it’s a really rewarding feeling, that they foster this energy and vibe of just, like, we want to nurture our talent, and they appreciate their talent. I’m very, very fucking happy to be here.

Speaking of Vanderpump Villa, it’s revealed in the season three reunion that DadTok is going on the next season. What can you tease from their upcoming appearance?

That was so stressful because I [was] literally about to leave to go film their reunion, and [DadTok’s trip] was before I got all the screeners, so I hadn’t seen season three. All I was going off of was season one and two, and I will say that the guys tricked me a little bit. I fell for their stuff. I was like, “Oh, you guys are actually so innocent,” and then I watched season three, and I came into the reunion angry because I was just like, “You guys pulled one over on me.” Lots went down.

You have also been filming for your new Hulu show, Stassi Says. How close are you to that show coming out? Do you have an update?

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We’re in the middle of it and we’re wrapping soon. It’s just been a dream. It’s been something that I’ve been working on for three years. I think people have this idea in their head that like, oh, if you’re already somewhat well known or you’ve been on a reality show, that people will just give you a show, and that’s not how it works — or at least not for me. Like, this is something that, with two of my really good friends that were producers on Vanderpump Rules, we’ve been working on for three years, and it’s our baby. We’ve been taking care of it, and we’ve had to fight for it and fight for it and fight for it. And now that it’s happening, it just feels like, not to be cheesy, all my dreams are coming true.

What can you tease about how Stassi Says is going to differ from your past experience on TV?

It’s lighter. You’re not gonna watch this show and feel depressed. I will say that. I think that what makes Stassi Says — again, this feels so weird to talk about — so special is that this isn’t just about me. This is an ensemble cast, and it’s following a group of people that are my chosen family, in really real, authentic situations that I feel like people are starving to see themselves represented properly in a reality show. It’s like, you have something like The Kardashians, where it’s so aspirational that it’s awesome to watch, but can’t relate, not my life. And then you have these other reality shows, and I won’t name names, that are just really dark and bleak. And you’re like, [I] can’t really relate either, but I still want to watch because it’s a train wreck and I can’t look away. And I think we fall somewhere in the middle, where most of the world will be like, I relate to this. I relate. 

Have you seen any of the Vanderpump Rules reboot and what do you think about Lisa Vanderpump‘s decision to reboot the show?

I’m gonna check it out, because I feel like it’ll feel nostalgic, and I don’t think it’ll feel triggering. Like, sometimes when I watch some things that are Vanderpump Rules related, I’m just like, I feel a little triggered. I need to turn this off. But I think it’s like a whole new group of people working there. It’s like a different generation, it’s Gen Z, you know? And I still have such fun memories of working at SUR. It really was like, even though men were there, it felt like a sorority before the show happened. And I grew up a bit there, you know, I’ve formed part of my personality there. I think it’s fun to just keep it going.

Let’s circle back to Mormon Wives. If the offer was presented to you, would you host a potential season four reunion?

I have plans. You’ll see a lot of me on Hulu in 2026.

You were in the Dancing With the Stars audience on the day they announced you were hosting the Mormon Wives reunion. Would you ever want to do Dancing With the Stars?

This is literally my worst fear, because I’m a bad dancer and I watch these people, and I’m, like, in awe of what they’re able to do. I have made it my new mission to get [my husband] Beau [Clark] on Dancing With the Stars.

What if you did it together?

That could be fun.

Competing against each other!

I think about it, I’m like, Oh my God, I’m gonna throw up on myself. Like, that is something that would make me so nervous. But Beau, he used to teach ballroom dancing lessons to elderly people, and I just think he would thrive. I would love to be there every Tuesday with our kids, cheering him on. Like, that would be so fun. But I also love competition, and especially with my husband, so I didn’t think about that. If they brought us both on, I’m in it to win it. I don’t know how, because I don’t know how to shake my ass, but I’ll try.

I love that you mention that you love competition. Are there any other competitive reality TV shows that you want to go on? The Traitors is the big one right now.

No, no, no. That’s floated across my desk a bunch of times. No. I’m so happy doing my show right now. I love that I’m getting to host these reunions. I love that Hulu is allowing me to host more things and they’re encouraging me to host more things, and I really want to focus on that, because I’m enjoying the hell out of it. And I’ve realized like, oh, I’m good at it. And we don’t need to be doing everything, you know?

What is next to come from Stassi Schroeder? 

I’m just gonna say lots of Hulu things in 2026. You’re just gonna be like, “What the heck, does she own Hulu?”

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The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives season three reunion released on Hulu Thursday. All 10 episodes of season three are now streaming.