They have the most expensive lips in London. Another once made a cake for Queen Elizabeth II’s birthday.
And a third has managed a rather remarkable feat by turning an angry criticism of Paddington (the area, not the bear) into a dance number.
Welcome back to the gloriously shiny, often troubled world of The Real Housewives Of London, which returns for a second series this week.
Six glamorous businesswomen form the core cast.
Former model Amanda Cronin runs her own beauty salon and wellness clinic in Belgravia. Iranian-born Panthea Parker has been a fixture on Mayfair’s social scene since the 1990s, while Nessie Welschinger swapped a successful career in finance for the Chelsea Cake Company.
Former fashion publicist Juliet Angus is now an influencer, former actress Juliet Mayhew runs an events company and Karen Loderick-Peace is developing her own fashion label.
Season two takes the women through charity galas, Fashion Week runways, Chinese New Year celebrations and a spectacular trip to Antigua.
Welcome back to the gloriously shiny, often troubled world of The Real Housewives Of London, which returns for a second series this week (photo Amanda Cronin)
Karen Loderick-Peace is developing her own fashion label (pictured at the launch of series two on Thursday)
But beyond the fantastic dresses and inevitable consequences, there are some surprisingly emotional stories about friendship, motherhood and challenging relationships with parents.
Amanda certainly has plenty to celebrate. Her infamous row with Juliet Angus in the first series produced the immortal instruction ‘Go back to Paddington’.
The gloriously petty dispute was over Julia’s address: Amanda insisted that Juliet did not live in fashionable Notting Hill, but in the less salubrious neighboring area, and mentioning the postcode became one of the show’s most talked-about moments.
“I tried to get closure and at one point I verbally sent Juliet back to Paddington,” Amanda recalls.
‘I was trying to point out that she doesn’t live in Notting Hill, she lives in Paddington. I got so frustrated that I even stood up to her.
‘When I came back after filming I was full of shame. I thought, “Oh no, how is this going to portray me?” You become so invested in the pettiness. When you look back on it, it doesn’t seem that important.’
Still, the line became iconic, so much so that Amanda released a dance track called Back To Paddington in May.
‘It’s a summer blast!’ she declares. It also turned Amanda into an unexpected gay icon and she was mobbed at the Mighty Hoopla festival in London. ‘I felt like Madonna. I literally couldn’t take a step without people chanting, “Queen! Queen! We love you!”
Welcome back to the gloriously shiny, often tricky world of The Real Housewives Of London (L-R) Amanda Cronin, Nessie Welschinger, Panthea Parker and Karen Loderick-Peace
This season, Amanda, 57, is back in CEO mode and renews her friendship with Juliet Angus, 50.
“I realized that we really had a very deep and sisterly relationship,” Amanda says. “We were very close, but I think that got contaminated. I’ve discovered that I’m not a people pleaser anymore. I’m not intentionally mean to people, but if you come at me, that’s your business. Don’t poke the bear if you don’t want any consequences.’
51-year-old Panthea, who has what the program describes as ‘the most expensive lips in London’ after her high-end fillers, is unlikely to bite her tongue either.
‘They say I came in like a cannonball in the first series, or that I tried too hard. But that’s really just me. People have said to me, “You’re exactly the same in real life as you are on television.”
‘I was trying not to create drama, but then Juliet Mayhew greeted me as if we were best friends, even though she had completely ignored me at polo just two weeks earlier. I couldn’t pretend everything was fine just because the cameras were rolling. That’s my problem: I’m incredibly reactive.’
But this season brings something much more poignant for Panthea, as the show explores her relationship with a highly critical mother and the father who disappeared from her life. “My father left when I was 12, and for a long time I felt like I needed a father during those teenage and young adult years,” she says. ‘Eventually I accepted that he wasn’t there and moved on with my life.’
It was Juliet Angus who gave her food for thought as she has her own emotional storyline this season and travels to Poland to lay her father to rest. “Hearing her talk about her relationship with her father planted a seed,” Panthea says.
“I realized that even though my dad always ‘likes’ my Instagram posts, he never actually contacts me. The girls, especially Juliet, encouraged me to reach out.
“She kept saying, ‘You’ll regret it if you don’t do it.’ Behind all the arguments and entertainment are real friendships and real support.”
The new series also offers plenty of glorious escapism as the women take a break in Antigua, hosted by Karen. Despite the luxurious setting, friendships are once again fractured, with Amanda describing their nine days away as ‘absolute highs, lows, trauma, luxury and debauchery’.
But there are also unexpectedly intimate moments on board their yacht, eating together on their laps and watching TV together. “It was like a big pajama party on a superyacht,” Amanda remembers.
And maybe that’s the secret of The Real Housewives. Take away the couture, the cocktails and the fabulous zip codes and these women are faced with reassuringly familiar things: children, husbands, parents, growing older, loneliness, friendship and loss. They happen to do it on a superyacht.
The Real Housewives Of London starts Monday on Hayu.
