Jen Affleck explained why she is happy that Stassi Schröder is now the show’s reunion host instead of Nick Viall.
In a moment from the Thursday, December 4, special, Jen, 26, admitted she was happy for the change, telling Stassi, 37, “I’m so happy it’s you because I know you’re completely unbiased.”
Stassi, meanwhile, highlighted how her experience on Vanderpump Rules helped her. (She also hosted the Villa Vanderpump reunion alongside Lisa Vanderpump earlier this year.)
“THANKS!” she told Jen. “Well, I’ve been in your shoes!”
Before Stassi took the job, Nick, 45, hosted the Season 2 reunion, which aired in July. Nick then received backlash for the way he directed his questions to Whitney Leavitt when she found herself in the hot seat several times throughout the meeting.
Nick tried to find out Whitney’s opinion on the behavior of her friend and partner. Demi Engemannwho was not present. The Bachelor alum also asked if Whitney, 32, thought she was “better than” Taylor Frankie Paul to assume its responsibilities.
“No, I don’t think I’m the one judging this,” she said, as Nick fired back, “I’m not asking you to judge it. I’m asking you what you think.”
Whitney clarified that she and Taylor, 30, are “equals” on this. “Just as good or just as bad?” » asked Nick.
Nick then responded to a poll asking which The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives stars thought Whitney was good at taking responsibility – and she received almost no support.
“It’s such a double standard. You just sat here and asked me, ‘Do you feel like you’re justifying your actions based on your feelings?'” Whitney told Nick. “GOOD, [Mikayla Matthews] is someone who constantly puts me down and hurts me. So, is she justified in her feelings for treating me this way? »
Whitney felt like she was “constantly being questioned” by Nick, which he denied. “Personally, I feel like I’ve heard Taylor take responsibility for a lot of things. She does a lot of things too,” Nick responded. “I don’t think I heard you take responsibility for what I saw.”
Later that month, Nick defended his approach as host.
“We’re upfront about the fact that we’re fans of the show. So, as a host, I’ve tried to have that balance between obviously being the host and being objective,” he explained on the “Viall Files” podcast. “I was also making sure everything was taken care of.”
Nick opened up about the tense moments between him and Whitney when she accused him of being too hard on her.
“I was a little surprised when Whitney didn’t like my questions,” he shared. “As far as the last two seasons go, I think Whitney’s perceived lack of responsibility is something I wanted to have a chance to address with her.”
Nick continued: “Whitney is one of my favorite characters – other than Taylor, she’s probably one of the most irreplaceable people in the cast. She’s one of my favorites.”
Ahead of the season 3 reunion premiere, Nick confirmed his exit as host due to his upcoming Netflix dating show Age of Attraction. The new project — which he co-hosts with his wife Natalie Joy — is on a different streaming service, which ultimately created conflict.
“Unfortunately, I won’t be hosting the Season 3 reunion. I’m sad because I love these women. I love this show and it was great to be a part of it,” he added in September about not being able to appear on the Hulu show. “But working with my wife with Netflix… you know.”
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives is currently streaming on Hulu.
