Katie Flood is the talk of the reality TV world after hooking up with Tom Schwartz.
Katie Flood is the talk of the reality TV world after hooking up with Tom Schwartz.
Kiwi Below Deck Mediterranean star Katie Flood is the talk of the reality TV world after hooking up with former Vanderpump Rules star Tom Schwartz on Bravo reality series Winter House.
Currently streaming on Hayu, it takes a bunch of stars from various Bravo shows, puts them in a flash house in Steamboat, Colorado, and lets the cameras roll.
Coincidentally, Flood shares the same first name, middle name and star sign as Schwartz’s former wife of 12 years, Vanderpump Rules co-star Katie Maloney.
Although her fling with Schwartz fling is said not to have lasted past the show, this week Schwartz told Peoplethat he thought Flood was awesome and he was honoured to have been in the 31-year-old Kiwi’s orbit.
Flood, who is currently in New York, was thrilled with her time on the show. “I’m a big believer in that you should take any opportunity that comes your way,” Flood tells Spy.
“It was a really unique experience to go through with cameras in front of your face.
“I always like meeting people – the people that you meet, you become very close, because you have this bond from what you share.”
Schwartz told People that he thought Flood was awesome and he was honoured to have been in her orbit. Photo / Getty Images
The Below Deck world is becoming populated with Kiwis; Aesha Scott and Luka Brunton are on the Downunder spinoff and Colin MacRae is in the Sailing Yacht version. Last month all four were in Las Vegas for BravoCon although, with very different schedules, they couldn’t all catch up.
It was Flood’s first time at the event and she says the energy was “absolutely insane”.
“I don’t think I’ve ever experienced anything like it. For me, it was such a beautiful experience to have such positive engagement with fans and people who are genuinely there for you, for the network and the shows.
“There can be a lot of negativity in this industry with online trolls and social media slamming, so to have a super positive was amazing.”
Flood says that, with so many events, fan interactions, panels and after-parties, the only place she could catch up with Scott was in a hotel room, where the pair shared the same stylist (also from New Zealand).
Yesterday MacRae was due to finish his Pacific voyage in Okahu Bay aboard his boat the Parley Revival and told Spy he was hoping to catch up with Scott then.
As for Flood, who will return to her day job of crewing superyachts without cameras filming, she does not think she will make it home this summer, but she is a proud Kiwi. “I love my country, my friends and family are still there.
“I guess the opportunities and where my life is going unfortunately aren’t coinciding with New Zealand, so I’m kind of just riding this wave and see where I end up.
“I’m very lucky. Both my parents, my brother, my whole family are very supportive of my reality TV work.
“They also believe that you should take any opportunity that comes your way.”
