Shake(ing) things up in the ‘House of Villains’
|Published
Abishaik (Shake) Chatterjee is America's favourite, and possibly only veterinarian/DJ combo. He’s also no stranger to living life on his own terms, even if it means ruffling a few feathers along the way. Since his time on Season 2 of Love Is Blind, Shake has brought his talents and continues to save puppies by day and drop beats by night.
Hailing from some of the most popular reality television franchises, these notorious villains meet their match as they must outsmart, out-manipulate and out-scheme each other through a series of challenges in order to win a $200,000 cash prize and the title of “America’s Ultimate Supervillain.”
Each week the contestants compete in a battle-royale challenge that tests their physical, mental and emotional strength. The winner of the challenge is safe from elimination and at the end of the week one villain is sent home. The show is billed as the battle of the century as alliances are made, trusts are broken and the villains scheme their way to the top.
But for Chatterjee, his villain alter-ego only comes out when he’s forced into a corner.
“You go into the show knowing you’re going to complete. It’s not something I turn on, the show brings it out. But in my day-to-day life, it doesn't really happen,” he said.
The puppy- lover said he doesn’t have a clear strategy for House of Villains.
“Every day brings a new surprise. One day you are friends with people, the next day you are not. But, you can form life-long friendships with people that you meet in these shows. I have met people that I still text from previous shows,” he added.
Chatterjee said in House of Villains he formed a close bond with co-star, Johnny Bananas, known for his strong athletic abilities, methods of manipulation and dynamic sense of humour. Johnny isn’t a reality star, but a reality supernova to be reckoned with.
Chatterjee is also close with Jonny Fairplay, a reality TV icon and a Survivor Hall of Famer where he created his infamous move, “the Dead Grandma Lie.” He’s been featured on more than 90 individual television shows, most notably winning Ty Murray’s Celebrity Bull Riding and being the only co-host of Fear Factor. He’s a proud father to his two children and hosts his own podcast, The Reality After Show with Jonny Fairplay.
Then there’s Omarosa, who made her first reality appearance as a contestant on the first season of The Apprentice in 2004. Since then, she has appeared on numerous spin-offs of the show as well as Fear Factor and Celebrity Big Brother. In addition to her television portfolio, Omarosa is an accomplished businesswoman and has thrived as an executive in real estate and development. She previously served as the Director of Communications for the Office of Public Liaison in the White House and was an aide in the Office of Presidential Personnel as well the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).
Omarosa is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and a much sought after motivational and inspirational speaker.
“We have tremendous respect for each other. We have developed a fondness for each other and yes I do sleep peacefully at night. I have realised that if you can resist being impulsive and think clearly, the show will not get the better of you,” he smiled.
But Chatterjee admitted that there’s no love lost between him and co-star Jax Taylor, an international television personality and former model. As for the villain label, the veterinarian/DJ said it can come in handy under the right circumstances.
“I am very comfortable with that side of myself. Everyone who knows me, knows that I am good at my job. It actually never really crosses my mind. I am not a villain in real life,” he added.
And while he’s not phased about his larger than life personality, he admitted that sometimes it can take a toll on his family.
“My family mostly thinks it’s hilarious. But I know that my personality can be too big for them at times. Things can also be taken out of context. The hating doesn’t get to me,” he said.
In his previous reality show, Love is blind, Shake became one of the most controversial contestants after placing a lot of emphasis on appearance and weight while searching for his future wife. He also made a number of hurtful remarks about his fiancée on the show Deepti Vempati behind her back.
But the much-loved vet said he doesn’t have much to hide and that he doesn’t really have all that much in the way of shame.
The show is available on the E Channel and the full season is on Universal.
Saturday Star
norman.cloete@inl.co.za