Stars Say 'Southern Hospitality' Finally Brings Diversity to Bravo in an 'Organic' Way (Exclusive)

Southern Hospitality is back and better than ever, and for stars TJ Dinch and Bradley Carter, the drama on the reality show is "as real as it gets."

A Southern Charm spinoff courtesy of Leva Bonaparte, Southern Hospitality follows the young staff of the restauraunteur's Republic Garden & Lounge in Charleston, South Carolina. Messy, dramatic and always entertaining, this crew brings everything, from exciting cast trips, workplace drama, and even a cheating scandal involving Luann De Lesseps (literally). As Season 3 airs on Bravo, Parade caught up with TJ and Bradley, two mainstays on the series, breaking down how it feels to be three years into the reality TV game, why this season is their best yet and what fans can expect from the episodes ahead.

"We're a solid group of friends and we also work together," TJ explains, promising that the drama on the show is very real for them. "All the feelings and emotions and drama ... it's hard, but it also can be rewarding."

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"We have a lot of difficult conversations, and I think it's part of that process," Bradley adds, calling the show a "pressure cooker" situation that tends to expedite a lot of situations. "Something that might necessarily take three months to figure out with your friends, now you're having that conversation in a week. It definitely brings a lot of hot and heavy emotions, but there's a little bit of beauty in that too."

Season 3 certainly has a rapid speed compared to the previous installments, due in part to them picking up filming after a dramatic reunion in New York, where Joe Bradley's alleged tryst with Luann was brought up by TJ. "I will say that you get to see that throughout the season," TJ teases, as he and Joe, once-close friends, work to repair their friendship.

"A lot of repercussions that come from the reunion definitely carry over right into filming all over again," Bradley confirms, as this season marks a new page in his once-tense relationship with Maddi Reese. "Before all of this started, me and Maddi had a really great friendship ... it was just time to move forward, bury the hatchet and start fresh."

A big secret to the show's success is the shared history of this cast, who have known each other for years before the show was even greenlit. "There's so much history and friendship that started before we even started filming season one," Dinch explains. "We have stories and history that lead up to emotions that are happening within seasons one, two and three."

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Another strong aspect of this series, that certainly sets it apart from other Bravo offerings, is its diversity in multiple ways, from race, to sexual orientation and even class. As Bradley explains, the representation is certainly unique, especially for a show set in the deep south. Compared to Charm, which until recently featured an all-white cast, Hospitality continues an exciting shift in Bravo overall, with Bradley, a Black castmember, and TJ, an openly gay one, both serving as major players on their show.

"It's fun having someone that looks like you in the same space as you, and also showcasing Charleston, which is in the deep south," Bradley explains. Speaking to his "organic and real" friendship with TJ, who is openly gay, he adds, "It's not like I checked a box or something, it's organic and real. Nobody here thinks of that or looks at us differently like it's not all buttoned up and pristine."

As for what they're most excited for fans to see this season, Bradley teases their cast trip to Vegas. "You could've made a season out of our trip to Vegas alone."

For TJ, the vulnerability his cast shared throughout the season is the highlight. "I think everyone does a really good job at opening up and being their true selves," he explains before quipping, "Well, mainly everybody."

Southern Hospitality airs Thursdays on Bravo, with episodes streaming next day on Peacock.

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