“Entertainment Weekly” takes you behind-the-scenes of the new season of E!
’s wacky, unserious, meta competition series.
“It’s just like prison can any of you relate to that?”
‘House of Villains’ season 2 cast.Trae Patton/E! Entertainment
after McHale jokes about the $200,000 prize money getting taxed.
“Theyre really trying to figure out how to win, and its more cutthroat.
We have some louder personalities too.
Richard Hatch, Tiffany “New York” Pollard, Larissa Lima, ‘House of Villains’.Trae Patton/E! Entertainment
So far its pretty wacky.
Its a powder keg just waiting to blow up.”
The fuse has already been lit by multiple cast members who built their careers on winning strategic competition shows.
Wes Bergmann, Jessie Godderz, Safaree, ‘House of Villains’.Trae Patton/E! Entertainment
“I’m going to wipe the floor with these people,” Hatch tells EW on set.
“They’re not even people in my mind.
That’s going to happen on a schedule that suits me.”
Safaree, Teresa Giudice, Richard Hatch, ‘House of Villains’.Trae Patton/E! Entertainment
“This is the apex of my reality television career,” Bregmann tells EW on set.
“I’m going to bring misdirects, humor, manipulation, lying, backstabbing, three-dimensional chess.
It feels so free.”
But once she learned the offer was real, she got serious about winning immediately.
“This is a chance to redeem myself,” she tells EW on set.
The showrunner confirms that New York has learned from her mistakes.
“Shes digging in harder to try and figure out how to win this game,” Irwin says.
It’s not just the cast who’s bringing elevated gameplay this season.
The showrunner reveals that the challenges are “more connected to villainy” now too.
“We wanted to make them more fun and lean into the genre more,” Irwin explains.
“Everybody knows what theyre signing up for,” the showrunner adds with a laugh.
But what feels revolutionary aboutHouse of Villainsis how everyone is in on the joke.
“Mr. PEC-Tacular” can’t stop doing push-ups in between takes.
“We lean into our mistakes,” Irwin says.
“At every turn this year, were amping it up and making fun of it.
That is our show the wheels are falling off all the time.
Were not playing by the rules as a show Survivorcant do that same thing and get away with it.
The purists would be like, ‘You cant do that!’
That’s whyHouse of Villainschanged the set where all the “Hit List” and banishment ceremonies take place.
“The cheesier the better, honestly,” Irwin says.
“This feels like the Dr.
Evil lair, truly inspired fromMike Myers, and I like it so much better than last seasons cave.
Just get ready to see the fallout from what goes down in here.”
The only thing missing?
The perfect evil laugh.
“It’s so bad.”
It continues the following night on Thursday with a new episode airing at 10 p.m. ET/PT on E!
After the first week, the show will air Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on E!
