In a week-long series, Alex Casey gets reality star Chrystal Chenery’s take on the world over coffee and scones. Her opinions about both her time in the spotlight and life in general were so fierce – and so candid – that we decided to publish them in a topic driven series. Click here for part one on The Bachelor, and part two on the difference between men and women.
Alex Casey: One thing I was particularly keen to ask Chrystal about over coffee was her often rogue approach to her Instagram account, and the different controversies that she has stirred up from simply posting an image. For someone who has not only been on the receiving end of online trolling, but also has the kind of public profile that frequently makes headlines, she has never seemed too concerned with censoring herself online. Here’s what she had to say about two of her most famous ‘grams:
*
Chrystal Chenery: All that happened was: I took a selfie in the bush, said I was the new Survivor co-host, and everyone believed me. With us reality TV stars, we actually don’t know what we’re getting ourselves into. I haven’t worked my whole life like actors and TV presenters have. I haven’t gone to broadcasting school. I took a selfie in the bush and said ‘I’m the new co-host of Survivor’ because I thought it was funny.
They rang me the next day and I had Andrew Shaw [TVNZ] on the phone. I honestly didn’t realise how much shit it would cause, until Mum said it was on TV. I had no idea it would make the news, I’m actually just a big kid. My inner child is right there ready to come out, always. I honestly just thought it was funny.
Andrew was half laughing, half pissed-off. He was like, ‘nobody announces that they are hosting one of my shows but me’. I tried spin it like I was just joking, but tried to make him see that it was kind of cool what happened. He was more focused on the fact that he had to release a formal statement.
I thought I was on a roll after Survivor, so I had this idea to put my two cents in about the flag as well, whilst wearing a flag bikini. But I was in Australia. Where was I gonna get a fucking kiwi bikini from in Australia?
I knew it was an Aussie one, but I just put it on and asked ‘is there gonna be a replacement bikini for us?’ Everyone was like, ‘you’ve got an Aussie bikini on!’ I got all of that usual trolling which I don’t actually mind, I just think the whole thing is funny.
I don’t like the new flag. I think just we should save the next government from spending all this money to do it again. All the sportspeople want it. They’re the ones going to the Olympics so they have to see it all the time.
If you’re not going to the Olympics in the near future I don’t think you should have a say. Do you actually, really, give a fuck? The next generation aren’t going to be so patriotic. We’ve just got to be patriotic about people’s well-being and the planet, that’s it.
We’re wasting time and precious energy speaking about this trivial shit that doesn’t matter. We’re wasting $26 million on a postal service that could’ve been done over the internet. It’s like ‘hi, it’s the 21st century, what are you doing?’
The new flag’s not any better, but just fucking change it.
All of our Bachelor coverage is brought to you by Lightbox, home of the amazing Bachelor-inspired drama UnREAL. Take a peek behind the curtains of reality TV by clicking below to watch:
