On Monday, December 1, Beyond the Gates kicked the week off Bravo-style as Gizelle Bryant and Wendy Osefo, from the Real Housewives of Potomac, guest-starred as two diva country club members who experienced a shock courtesy of Vanessa and her escort company.
If anybody knows about living their best life in the DMV, it’s Bryant, who recently chatted with Soap Hub about her fun appearance. It’s an experience she says she would love to repeat. “She needs to start some mess in that country club, okay? She needs to throw a party, she needs to start some drama, she needs to be somebody’s mistress, she just needs to do it all.”
Key Takeaways
- Real Housewives of Potomac‘s Gizelle Bryant and Wendy Osefo guest-starred on Beyond the Gates on Monday, December 1, 2025.
- Vanessa’s escort-app gamble backfires when two elite “Icebergs” unleash drama at the country club.
- Gizelle Bryant shares behind-the-scenes stories about filming and finding inspiration for her diva character.
- Bravo stars Gizelle Bryant and Wendy Osefo bring their signature flair and humor to Beyond the Gates.
- The BTG cast and crew offer full support, giving the RHOP duo a glamorous and welcoming soap experience.
Vanessa Versus The Icebergs
Photo Credit: Quantrell Colbert/CBS ©2025 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Now that Vanessa (Lauren Buglioli) runs Joey’s (Jon Lindstrom) escort app, she solicits customers from several avenues, including the Fairmont Crest Country Club. Although after Monday’s episode, she may be rethinking that strategy. When she enlisted two of the club’s most elite members, things didn’t go as expected. Vanessa has to deal with “The Icebergs,” according to Dani (Karla Mosley).
Cold enough to freeze you out. Show you just the tip of their power. Just enough to sink you. Majestic. Frozen. And always alone.
Vanessa gets on the wrong side of The Icebergs when they realize they contacted the escort service. They are happy in ther repective marriages, thank you very much. They have no need for such a thing.
Soap Opera Support and Inspiration
Bryant says she and Osefo filmed their appearance months ago, and she’s glad the world finally got to see it. Working with Buglioli and Mosley was a great experience. “They really made us feel super supported. They gave us clues and cheat sheets,” Bryant explains. “I wanted to make sure I was prepared. So I knew my lines, and I was ready for action.”
While she had no trouble memorizing her lines, the entrepreneur adds that Buglioli and Mosley really put them at ease. “They were like, we forget our lines all the time, so it’s no big deal. It’s okay, just relax. And it’ll come. So, that’s what I did.”
To get into her character, she channeled someone familiar to Real Housewives fans. “I dialed into my inner Karen Huger,” she reveals. The Potomac alum and OG cast member had her own memorable guest-star appearance in the debut episode of BTG. “Listen, I’ve spent, in my real life, many a days in a country club, so I had many ladies that I have bumped into in those clubs to tap into to become my character.”
The Production
The reality TV star notes how there is a big difference between filming a soap and filming a non-scripted entity like RHOP. For a reality show, the cameras are “just observers to what’s going on with you and your life, and the girls. If you’re sitting down at lunch, you’re talking to whomever you’re talking to, and they are following the reality.”
However, “in the soap opera space, it’s really like, okay, get on your mark and let’s shoot this scene. So you have to be ready. You have to be prepared, and you have to be highly professional. There’s a lot going on, and you can’t waste anybody’s time.”
Not only did the cast support Bryant and Osefo. But the behind-the-scenes crew — the hair, makeup, and wardrobe departments — did too. “The team that they have assembled, they are top notch,” the podcaster explains. “I always say that Housewife glam is top tier, right?” The same thing goes for soap operas. “They got me together, sat me in a chair, and turned me into a goddess.”
The RHOP breakout had a really nice, poignant moment on set when somebody from the crew shared something heartfelt. The person told her, “This is my mother’s dream. She loves your show. She watches it all the time, and she’s so excited that you guys are here.” Bryant can relate, because her own mom watches Beyond the Gates every day, religiously. “She was so happy that I was able to do it.”
BravoCon and RHOP
Bryant recently came back from Las Vegas, where she participated in BravoCon, a fan convention that celebrates Bravo shows and the celebrities who populate the channel’s various shows and franchises. Bryant says her experience there and filming BTG couldn’t be more different.
In fact, it’s “apples and oranges. [BravoCon] is a whole monster, in a great way. It’s really nice to interact with the fans. Bravo fans are like no other. They are truly dialed into each and every moment that they watch as it relates to all the shows.”
With her BTG experience, she will undoubtedly get to know soap fans, which she is excited about. Something else to be excited for is the second half of RHOP’s tenth season. “The back half is insane. We take a trip that it’s…not to be compared to any other trip we’ve ever been on,” she teases. “The ladies are just wildin’ out. They’re doing their own thing, and we’re trying to make it work.”
The Real Housewives of Potomac airs Sundays at 8 PM ET/PT on Bravo. Beyond the Gates is broadcast on weekdays on CBS (2:00-3:00 PM, ET/1:00-2:00 PM, PT) and is available to stream on Paramount+. Take a look at Bryant’s BTG appearance below.
