Reality TV star Craig Conover joins Cheddar News to discuss his new book 'Pillow Talk: What's Wrong with My Sewing?'

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'Southern Charm' Star Craig Conover Talks New Book 'Pillow Talk'

between 1000 cheddar news and baker machado and new york jumping from your tv screen to the list of must reads, our next guest book southern charm star craig Conover debut in his new book pillow talk you see right there, what's wrong with my sewing, reflecting on his past experiences from being bullied in high school to his addiction to Adderall, how fame has also impacted his relationships. The book dives deep into his character and he chose readers just how vulnerable he really is. So joining us now to talk about the book himself is craig Conover craig, good to have you here. Thanks so much for joining us of course, always great to be in the cheddar said yes you are, yes, you are the hot seat, the cheesy seat. So you actually posted on your instagram stories earlier. A few of the rave reviews that you've been getting so far and you dive into your Delaware upbringing and the early love for sewing as well. So what was your experience like recounting a lot of these things to put this into a book afterwards? I mean it was a giant therapy session essentially and I was like, maybe maybe I should have gone to therapy earlier and uh in life, but it really was the first time that I really had to look in the mirror that strongly and it was an incredible process of really kind of making amends to myself and to my past and and you know, I was always so good at blaming, you know, anyone else or anything else for a lot of the mess ups that I had in life and this was my chance to be like, you know, take accountability for it and let everyone else know, hey, tomorrow is the next day of the rest of your life. It's not too late to like to do something and that's exactly was there something that prompted you to want to get to write this? Was there just like one day you're like, you know, I have so many interesting things, I could say I should write a book on this. I actually was very humbled when it got brought to me because I always wanted to do a cookbook. Like I learned how to cook the same year, I learned how to sew and basically a literary agent was like, hey, I really think you have a story that could help people right now. And I was like, there's no way. But as the process started, uh you know, the book started to come together, I had no idea how long of a process it is, but how long with the process, how long did it take you to write all this? At least a year and a half, wow, that is a lot. And I was like writing like every weekend for a year and a half. So I had a writer blake, which was awesome. So I would get in my car and just drive around and just talk and talk and talk and basically you're like, oh we can edit this later. So I was completely honest and then you get to that phase and you're like let's just leave it in right, right. Well part of the honesty and I think this is part of why everybody is really sort of gravitating to this book is your recounting a lot of dark periods in your life, especially your addiction to Adderall. Which I thought was also interesting as somebody who also abused was addicted to Adderall in my college days as well. I want to read one quote of this in your book. You said it was towards the end of my first semester junior year that my roommate gave me Adderall telling me it would help me study. I've never taken a pill like that before. But damn did the little thing work? It was like a light went off in my brain that said this is what I've been needed all along. When did you sort of realize that you wanted to sort of talk about sort of these dark things in your life because look a lot of people have you know abused and been addicted to a drug like Adderall. But there are a few people talk about it because you don't realize that there's anything wrong with it because your doctor gives it to you and it was so good at a certain point in your life for you. So the season six reunion on Southern charm Andy was just grilling me about all of these issues in my life and I finally just answered truthfully and I was like, it's because of Adderall, I'm hooked on Adderall and he even told me this past week, he was like, it all made sense. And so now I've been clean for three years and that shame leaves you, you know, once you actually get out of it, you're not a shameful anymore. And this was my way of being like, maybe someone will connect with my story and you know, it's a little different than hearing it from a doctor or therapist, but when you hear someone maybe like me tell you like, hey, I was in a dark dark hole with this and uh You know, I've already gotten a ton of messages, I mean I haven't been on Adderall in 10 years and it wasn't the biggest process to get off of that possibly. You also talk about your relationship with Naomi on the show as well and we, as viewers of the show know about that relationship. Has she said anything about sort of the revelations in the book about your relationship with her. Have your castmates said anything about the book? Well, thankfully, Naomi was interviewed for the book. Okay, so that would have been yes, hello, there's a book and revealing a lot of very intimate details about, you know, that happens, but that I would be nervous, right? So my writer got to talk to Naomi a lot, which was awesome, and I'm very appreciative that she, you know, let me tell our story. Um you know, I mean, Whitney and Shep Shep probably won't care, Whitney might not be too happy, but um you know, it's just kind of an honest take on telling the rest of the story. Now, you also have a podcast, it's called pillows and beer. You're on tour right now as well. Do you almost feel like you have a certain new connection now to your fans because of all these things that you're revealing, but also you're on so many different shows, You've got this podcast, you've got this book, you now have this whole nother level of connection now to your audience? It's incorrect. So it was always the goal to get to a point where I could really interact with people the way we are now and the more people you can connect with either the store at our pillow party, you know, tour stops, but you also feel a whole new level of vulnerability where you're like, oh my gosh, if I do something wrong, is it all gonna come crashing down? And unfortunately my girlfriend pages great about like, stop stressing about stuff, just enjoy it. You love this and I truly do. Okay, so all over the bravo universe, Winter House, we've got Southern charm. Is there a different sort of thing between all of the houses that you go to and the different castmates, like you sort of have to have like a different connection with each one, knowing that the southern charm people are gonna be different than the winter house people. Yeah, Winter House and Summer House are very different and yeah, I totally forgot about Summer house, it's crazy, you know 20 surveillance show is different than Southern charm and it was great that you know paige got to come see how we film at southern charm so she realizes why we're as crazy as we are and it's just I don't know if we should be doing surveillance shows anymore than me in Austin but uh you know it's it's great to kind of be, we basically have this multiverse in the bravo universe now and we weren't allowed to do crossovers for so long but we really are such good friends and I think bravo con really helped kind of show that we all hang out. Is there one bravo show quickly you haven't been on yet that you want to be on the Vanderpump? Yeah, I've been on set like I've been there before but I wasn't part of what was going on, so maybe we could, you know spice each other's last, I love it, I'm into it, let's make craig Conover a new cast member on Vanderpump reality tv Star craig Conover, his book pillow talk. What's wrong with my sewing available now wherever you buy your books craig, thanks so much for joining us