The Real Housewives of New Jersey was my gateway into the world of Bravo TV. I remember walking into my living room and seeing my mother watching a bunch of women sat around a table, one brandishing a book as though it was the Holy Grail, and another on the defensive, while a third looked ready to flip a table. Then, the table flip actually happened. My eyes were wide, and my jaw was on the floor. I needed to know everything about these people. My obsession was born right then and there, and suddenly, my Mum and I had something new to bond over.
“I don’t think that RHONJ could be anything but [a family-focused show],” says Dolores Catania. She’s speaking to me from her stunning New Jersey townhouse, which she shares with now-fiancé, Paul “Paulie” Connell. “It’s what New Jersey’s known for, and that’s why you would sit and watch it with your mom.”
Dolores has been a staple cast member on RHONJ since Season 7, but she made plenty of guest appearances along the way. Now, she’s recognized as one of the reasons the show has been so popular. She is undoubtedly the glue holding the cast together when times get tough; plus, she’s not afraid to handle her own.
“I feel like we’re very relatable,” she says of her co-stars. “I feel like each one of us could remind you of an aunt, mom’s best friend, a neighbor, things like that. We’re very maternal here. New Jersey, if I had to describe it, is a very welcoming place. It’s like a big hug with a rough around the edges attitude. Tough love, but we’re loyal.”
Dolores and Paul are getting married, but would she let RHONJ cameras roll on her wedding day?
“It’s a big yes-yes for me, and I’ll tell you why. I know what I signed up for when I did the show, and it’s all about being transparent,” Dolo tells me.
“I don’t call people fans, I call them friends, and I’ve embraced all of the Bravo universe and the people that I meet on the street like they’re my own friends and family. I really have a true love for them and their support, so I think that I would want them – of course, I can’t invite the whole world to my wedding – but I would want them to be a part of it, because I love them.”
We need Andy Cohen and a camera, stat. But, before Dolores and Paul’s big day, her son Frankie Jr. is set to tie the knot. At the mention of his name, Dolores beams with the ultimate pride.
“Me and Frankie are close, and I love [his fiancée] because she accepts that. She’s Portuguese, and they’re getting married in Portugal. I will have something for them here, because my family isn’t going to be able to travel. My parents are older now so they wouldn’t be able to get to Portugal.
“I think that the most important thing for me was for Frankie to find somebody that loves their family as much as we do, and that understands that dynamic. That’s everything.”
While a million heart broke after Frankie announced he was off the market, the Bravo universe couldn’t have been happier for him.
“He’s like something from Heaven,” says his mom. “The heart on this kid … he doesn’t even swear. Frankie finds a way to be kind even to people that aren’t nice to him. I don’t know where it comes from, because I am not that person.”
Dolores will appear on The Real Housewives of Rhode Island, so what should fans expect?
“It wasn’t [that different to RHONJ]. Filming with them reminded me a lot of the girls from New Jersey, and I fit right in with them. They were very welcoming to me, I’m very proud of them. I’m curious to see how people – what do they like, what do they not like – it’s a new franchise. They are the OGs of Rhode Island, think about that.”
Certainly, the recently-released RHORI trailer showed that these ladies aren’t playing up to the cameras. There’s no acting for fear of being cancelled here.
“I call them ‘green,’ … what I mean by that [is] they’re unapologetically themselves. They’re not emulating other Housewives, they didn’t come in with these catchphrase lines, trying to be something they’re not – they are themselves, which is something we’ve all been so hungry for, for so long.”
Dolores also recently spent some time filming RHUGT: Roaring 20th, on which her friend and RHONJ co-star Teresa Giudice is a main cast member. Appearing at the finale event with Tre and Melissa Gorga, I had to ask, could she tease anything at all?
“New Jersey behaved themselves; Rhode Island did not.” Bring on the chaos.
Dolores has a new partnership with Finish Jet Dry 3-in-1
Have you ever ran your glassware and cutlery through the dishwasher, only for it to come out streaky and looking miserable? It’s a problem many of us – including Dolores and Paul – were running into.
“We are sticklers with our glassware and our dinnerware,” she tells me. “There’s been so many times when our silverware would be cloudy and Paul would get frustrated, take everything out of the drawer, and rewash it, only to find that there’s residue on it again. So, I Googled what would be the best solution for that, and it turned out to be Jet Dry. I reached out to them to let them know how happy I was with their product, and they decided to have me speak on their behalf.”
As for table manners? “I’m obsessed with UK and Ireland’s table manners. The way you guys hold your forks, did you learn that in school?” Sadly not, I tell her, but I do have a grandmother who was a stickler for making sure I did my best. No elbows on the table!
“It makes a huge difference when you’re at a dinner meeting, or when you’re on a show like Traitors! How you eat, and how you hold your fork. I’ve been on dates with guys before, and they hold their forks like this,” she demonstrates. “And it’s like, a turn-off right away. Paul knows how to hold the fork and knife, and I’ve noticed everyone in his family is the same way.”
It’s true – the world needs more Pauls, and less Michael Rapaports.
“Even when you go to Ireland, it’s funny, all the Irish people I know [do the same]. They love their dinnerware and in this house it’s a serious thing, so Jet Dry is a staple.”
How will Dolores and Paul be spending Valentine’s Day?
“Paul should have some plans for me!” Dolores says. “That’s my favorite holiday. I put such an emphasis on entertaining and having the best and cleanest dishware and silverware thanks to Jet Dry. This is my holiday.
“This is the holidays where the Spagnolas (Dolores’ maiden name) are not coming for dinner, I’m not cooking for kids, I’m not taking care of 30-40 people – every other holiday’s on me – so Valentine’s Day is the only holiday that’s all about me. Not [even] my birthday! And I love hearts, I love the color red, the cute little decorations. I just go crazy. So, this is my time, and I’m looking forward to seeing what Paul has as a surprise for me.”
We will be keeping our eyes glued to Dolores’ Instagram on February 14. Paul, you better impress!
Dolores has partnered with Finish Jet Dry, which prevents spots, enhances shine and protests glassware so your dishes come out ready to impress, no matter the moment.
The Real Housewives of Rhode Island premieres Thursday, April 2 at 9/8c on Bravo.
TELL US – ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO WATCHING DOLORES ON RHORI? WHAT ARE YOUR TIPS FOR GETTING THE MOST OUT OF YOUR GLASSWARE?
