West Wilson, the son of a cattle rancher and an OBGYN, is quickly becoming a Summer House fan-favorite. After getting laid off as a sports journalist, he’s introduced to the Hamptons crew via Lindsay Hubbard in Season 8 of the hit series — and with only five episodes under his belt so far, viewers have already dubbed him the “future of Bravo.” In case you were wondering, we couldn’t agree more.
Wilson’s undeniable charm and relatable sense of humor almost immediately caught the attention of Summer House veteran Ciara Miller. Following a couple of flirtatious weekends in the Hamptons, the duo finally went on their first date, where they chowed down on crispy jalapeño deviled eggs and sealed the evening with a goodnight kiss (with “full tongue,” as Wilson points out in the show).
“I think Ciara is very authentic to who she is,” he told Decider ahead of tonight’s new episode. “I feel like everything she said was truly her opinion and her own thoughts. She never sounds rehearsed or produced.”
In fact, the newest episode of Summer House documents Wilson and Miller’s first official sleepover. While it might be in a tent in the backyard, that doesn’t stop them from getting hot and heavy — well, until a storm rolls in and cuts their evening short. But fear not! West confirmed to us that they eventually graduate from the tent to a “full sleepover under the same roof.”
Wilson stopped by Decider’s offices this week, where he reflected on everything from getting the “green light” from Paige DeSorbo to start romancing her bestie, to his first meeting with Southern Charm star Craig Conover. Read the full interview below.
DECIDER: First, can you please justify why you’d want a girl to pay on the first date?
WEST WILSON: I don’t know, I talked to a girl one time who said saying “thank you” feels awkward. I’m a big “thank you,” apology — like just those words I think are important. So I think a nice “thank you” if dinner is like, $250 to $300, if we go to the next bar, just do the first two Coronas or tequila sodas as a thank you. That just means we’re kind of level.
My mom is an OBGYN so I grew up in a house where my mom paid for shit, and so I’ve never thought a guy has to pay for 100% of everything all of the time — which might get me in trouble with some people, but I’ll stand on it. It’s less about the actual, like, amount of money. It’s more about if we’re going for dinner and drinks all the time, just a little gesture. I’m not a banker, you know what I mean? I can’t pay for your dinner five nights a week, you know?
I have to know how you’re doing since getting hit by a car. And what were your castmates’ reactions to your New York City first?
I don’t think anyone – I think maybe Danielle [Olivera] texted me, like, “Were you hit by a car?” But I told the closest people around me right when it happened. My grandma called me and was like, “Did I just see you get hit by a car on the news?” But I played it cool, obviously. I did make a TikTok, which maybe isn’t playing it cool. But I never claimed that I was that hurt, I don’t think. Yeah, it picked up a little traction.
You’re quickly becoming a fan-favorite on the show — how are you handling this new fame?
I don’t mind attention, so that’s good. But I think it’s been wholesome for me in the sense that people just like who I am as a human being, which is cool. As far as attention, fame, whatever — my career has taken me to do a lot of cool things prior to even this show. So as far as experience and being in unique opportunities that people kind of admire, I’ve gotten a little taste of that before this, which is helpful — to just stay grounded and humble. It’s more of a slow, gradual process than if I just came from a banking job to doing this. But it’s been great. I’ve gotten a lot more support than I’ve ever got, to be honest. “Overwhelming” is not the right word, but it’s been a lot — in a good way.
You mentioned in this week’s episode that you had been recently laid off and that you were a few months away from panic mode. Do you have any updates on your career status?
It’s not a secret that I am employed currently. But it did happen at a good time in the summer, which hopefully you guys will get to see, which is super wholesome for me. Also, anyone who’s been laid off knows it’s challenging for a lot of reasons other than the financial reasons. It’s just socially exhausting to tell that story 100 times. So going into the house, I led with [the fact] that I was laid off, and then closing that chapter with everyone in the house was very, very wholesome and I felt very loved by the cast and crew. It was awesome.
Had you watched the show before you started filming? What were you most nervous about and excited about entering the house?
I went back to watch some of it before summer started just to see what I was getting into and maybe to get a feel for who everyone was. You’re just most nervous for — will people like me? Will I fit in? This is already an established group of friends and you’re coming in new. It’s like the first day of school. But it’s not my first share house, so I’ve had a little bit of experience just trying to blend into friend groups before, so it worked out okay.
And then most excited — I love the opportunity to make new friends and I think a share house, whether it’s for just a weekend or for a whole summer, is a great way to do that. Obviously, you become close with people when you live with them and so I just think making friendships that, ideally you carry for the rest of your life, is very fulfilling.
Right off the bat, there’s some clear chemistry with Ciara. What is it about her you like the most?
I actually told her this in the house one day, we’ll see if it makes it, but I think Ciara is very authentic to who she is. I feel like everything she said was truly her opinion and her own thoughts. She never sounds rehearsed or produced. I just like that everything she felt and said felt very genuine and original and I like that about people.
Ordering crispy jalapeño deviled eggs on a first date was certainly a choice! What’s the boldest PG-13 move you’ve made on a first date?
I invited a girl on a dinner date on her birthday, which I probably shouldn’t have done and been like, “Go enjoy your birthday with your friends.” But it was a Hinge date and I was like, “Meet me at whatever bar.” And so she turned 30 at midnight on our first date, which I guess is kind of arrogant of me. But she showed up.
We see you and Ciara getting a little cozy in that tent during this week’s episode. Why do you think camping was a good first step for your relationship?
In the house, we each have our own rooms, but outside that’s not the case and it just felt very natural throughout the night. We’d been sitting [and] eating dinner together in the same chair for the last like four hours, so getting in the same tent felt very intuitive. And yeah, it was just kind of a nice little neutral way to get a sleepover under our belts.
But then it stormed, so it got cut short a little bit, unfortunately.
What is the best advice Paige has given you when it comes to Ciara?
That’s a great question. Getting the green light from [Paige] to start making a move was big — that sticks out to me the most. Just because everyone in the house, within five minutes of me being in the house, Kyle asked me, “Do you love Ciara?” Everyone was very, very chatty. But I think once the best friend gives you the thumbs up, I think that’s when you know you’re not misperceiving what’s going on.
I personally am rooting for you two. Can you tease any more about how your relationship will play out this season?
We finally move from the tent to a full sleepover under the same roof. I’m not sure how long it took me, but it finally happened. I finally got there.
It’s also been fun to watch your friendships with the guys. I mean, just last week you were cuddling with Kyle Cooke. What can you tell us about that dynamic? Have you stayed close with them since filming wrapped?
I talk to Jesse [Solomon] basically every day. We have a boys group text, obviously, as everyone does. But I had a great, great, great relationship with all of them. I think Jesse and I being able to build our own friendship allowed Kyle and Carl [Radke] to have their own friendship without us needing to wedge our way into it, if that makes sense. We could kind of play doubles and then when we were together it was obviously great.
From a social standpoint, Kyle, Jesse, and I kind of operate the same way when we go out. We let the girls go home and us three stayed out like half the time.
You were brought into the house by Lindsay. Were you privy to the drama going on between her and Carl before you came in? Or were you shocked about how rough their relationship actually was?
I met up with them before summer had started and they were great. I think they were kind of ready to go into the house and fight things together — that’s just how I gauged it. So when that did happen, I guess it was a little surprising — but also, couples do fight so it didn’t take me by a total surprise.
I watched from afar and talked to Carl but I never had to wear much of it on my shoulders throughout the whole summer, which was good. I do think everyone in the house, unless you jump into it, no one trauma dumps on you right away, which is good.
In this week’s episode, you and Jesse finally get to meet Craig. What were your thoughts on him? And were you as nervous as the rest of us about there being tension between Jesse and Craig?
I wasn’t, because I know Jesse knows how to handle himself around other dudes. Jesse is a “guy’s guy,” too. The dinner conversation that you see in the trailer I was a little nervous for, but I had a great weekend with Craig. He’s a very soft, lovey guy. I feel like I kind of relate to him in that way so we kind of like bro’d down. I never say no to having more dudes in that house, so it was great.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
Summer House airs on Thursday nights at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo. New episodes are available to stream the next day on Peacock.
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