Erika Jayne on 'RHOBH' and Rebuilding Her Life

I’ll start with a few questions that I asked some of my Housewives super fan friends—the number one question was to ask about your boyfriend. Is he still on the show?

Oh, God. Yeah, we're still dating. He doesn't watch the show, and he's not on the show—

What do you think of Amanda, the new cast member?

You know, I just—I've always said this, I said this from the beginning, I think Amanda's too young. I think she's a sweet girl, but I think she's too young. I think that Housewives, need to be of a certain place in life where they've had a lot of experience under their belt, both good and bad and I just think that she's too young.

What about Rachel Zoe? How have you gotten along with her?

I like Rachel very much. Rachel has fit into the cast seamlessly. She's a professional. She knows what she's doing, and she's having a great season.

People also ask me about the big renovation you did on your house. Do you still like it? Are you gonna do more renovations? How's your house doing?

I actually am sitting in the living room right now. I love it. I think it's just perfect the way it is. It's a cute little home, exactly what I needed when I left my husband almost five and a half years ago. I enjoy my little home here.

Have you guys already shot the reunion?

No, that's coming up in a couple weeks.

Okay. Have you picked out your look for the reunion?

We just got the mood board last night, so the answer is no.

They send you guys a mood board for the reunion?

They did, yes.

That's interesting. I had no idea.

Well, yeah. Think about this. You've noticed that most of the reunions are coordinated, right?

Absolutely.

So they'll send you something and, you know, "We're thinking these palettes." I'm like, "Oh, cool! Okay."

I love it. How was your residency in Las Vegas? Do you love Las Vegas? I actually saw you do your Pretty Mess show in Atlantic City, which is not Las Vegas, but it is—Oh, wow! Well, the residency is over.

Bet It All on Blonde was a great experience. I loved performing in Las Vegas. I look back on that time as a very special time. It was challenging. However, it was really great. It's really great to have your own show, and Las Vegas is one of those things you check off as a performer in my opinion.

There have been seasons in the past where you were the one who was in the hot seat—How would you describe this season? Like, is this a more happy, relaxed season for you?

Yeah, I think that my life over the last couple—last two seasons has been a very nice rebuild from a very long fallout. I still have challenges ahead of me, but I've definitely been able to enjoy life a lot more. It's been a much more calm, peaceful time for me.

Is there any past housewife who you miss and wish was back on the show?

Well, I was just at Lisa Rinna's book party two days ago. I wish Rinna would come back because she was such a great asset to the show.

I agree. It's interesting you saying—Rachel being a pro. You have to know what the show needs in order for it to be a good show.

That's right. And it's not necessarily you being a nice, regular, easy person—there needs to be excitement and plot twists. You need all different personalities.

Let's talk about your glam a little bit. Do you kind of approach each season with a thinking like, "Oh, I need some new looks," or do you just go for the classic Erika Jayne sexy look?

... No, I think—if you think about it from a realistic point of view, you're sitting on a couch. There are only certain silhouettes that really look good being seated. Only certain hair looks good. You don't want to be fighting with your hair all day. You don't want your hair, like, all around your neck. You try to keep your neck clean.

Mm-hmm.

You dress for the occasion, and this occasion requires a very specific—You know, how does this dress look seated for twelve hours?

Yes.

That's really what the day is, and then how does it end up looking? Your shoes are shown a lot, and so what are you really giving? You know, is it clean? You don't want too many things going on. You are on a sofa with other people. It can get crowded. It is not comfortable.

The glamour of television.

You want to look good. You want to look present. You don't want to look like you're fighting with your costume.

You've returned to DJing, DJ Pretty Mess.

Yes.

Did you miss it? What do you love about DJing?

The fun part is you get to play other people's records and you get to have a good time doing it. It's actually an escape. DJing is something that's fun. I grew up in the club scene, and Erika Jayne has a lot of club records. My first husband was a DJ. I mean, I thought it was my job to go out to every nightclub in New York City in the late '80s and '90s. So it's just something I really enjoy.

Do you work in Erika Jayne songs into your sets usually? Does it depend on the night?

The very last one, the very outro, that's it. The point is to play this—every crowd is different. Every audience is different. So, if you're playing for someone in Australia, where I'm going on Tuesday, that'll be a different style than playing at the fair, you know? So it's a custom-made situation for each set, and different records are played. Erika Jayne is always the outro.

I love it. And have you been to Australia before?

I have. I've only been to Sydney, so I get to go to other cities this time, and I'm super excited about it.

You're a Cancer. Do you believe in astrology? Do you think you're a typical Cancer?

I'm a double Cancer with an Aquarius moon.

Wow!

So, what are you?

I am Libra with Sagittarius rising and Moon in Leo.

Well, you know what? Here's the thing. I think there's a little bit of truth in all of it. I'm not going to bet the house on astrology. However, do I see myself in some of the things that are described? I do.

And what's your boyfriend's sign?

He's Cancer.

Images courtesy Erika Jayne