West Wilson Is Owning All Of It

West Wilson is so back. The sports journalist and Summer House star is in peak form hosting theme parties with his friends on Season 10 of the Bravo series, which returned Feb. 3. He’s bringing new castmates into the share house, rebuilding a friendship with ex Ciara Miller, and getting lots of love on social media for his hot takes on politics, pop culture, and more.

After lying low last summer to ride out backlash from his rookie season, the 28-year-old Missouri native is reflecting on what he’s learned from three years of doing reality TV. “When you share a house with people repeatedly, you have to face the music of things where you’ve caused messes here and there,” Wilson says. “You don’t want to live in a house with people you have beef with, so you have to rise to the occasion and learn from your mistakes.”

For him, that means owning his less-than-ideal moments along with the good ones. “You don’t get that experience [of watching things back] any other time in the world,” he says. “It’s the weirdest therapy you could ever sign up for.”

Wilson is poking fun at his relationship struggles in a new partnership with Doordash. He appears alongside Ziwe in “Bad Boyfriend Bootcamp,” a skit where the comedian whips men into shape to learn to be better partners. Below, the Show Me Something podcast host shares his hot takes on how to handle Valentine’s Day with your situationship, plus a teaser on the “really fun and kind of wild season” of Summer House ahead.

ED: What is your key to the perfect Valentine's Day gift?

WW: I’ve been fully converted to giving flowers. Not to be cliché, but has anyone ever gotten someone flowers and not loved them? I used to be such a “they die, whatever” kind of guy. But anytime you watch someone get flowers or get a text from them, it means the world.

I also think anything tangible. Valentine’s Day is a good time to give someone something they can hold and feel. Food strikes a chord — obviously, that’s an easy one for me.

ED: How should you navigate Valentine’s Day in a situationship? Do you celebrate it? Do you ignore it?

WW: That’s such a good question because I do think people overthink it. But even if it doesn’t end up in what you want, you’ll never regret showing someone you care about them. Quit worrying about what things could mean or if you’re overcomplicating things. If you’re thinking about someone, show them a little love, and send your mom something while you’re at it, too.

Send your situationship a little treat — it can be flowers, but it doesn’t have to be. Do a little Chinese food or pizza. Request a heart shape of pepperonis on top.

I find it to be a turn-on when girls are ready to f*cking grub. It’s awesome.

ED: Finish this sentence: the hottest thing a woman can do is...

WW: This is crazy, but finish your DoorDash order. I’ll always pay, but if we’re ordering $90 worth of Chinese, you’ve got to go to work with me. I find it to be a turn-on when girls are ready to f*cking grub. It’s awesome. And that’s intimate — it’s not like a nice restaurant where everyone has to have manners. You’re eating off a coffee table on the side of the couch, with no rules.

ED: What’s your best advice for having a DTR convo with your situationship?

WW: Don’t have that convo on Valentine’s Day. Absolutely not. Let the flowers speak for themselves. Let’s avoid having DTR convos in the month of February.

ED: Do you have any tips for navigating single life in the city?

WW: I’m not the spokesperson for dating by any means, but I think being content on your own is really important. Once you have that mastered, a relationship is a plus. Needing a relationship feels like filling a void, and needing to be content to be in a relationship isn’t the healthiest way to prioritize things in your life. If you’re a happy single person, then once that relationship happens, it’s just an extra bonus on a cup that’s already full.

ED: What makes a bad bio on dating apps?

WW: I know for a fact that dudes have way worse dating profiles than girls do — holding fish, or just being condescending, all the awful things guys do. One bad idea is group pictures. You never really know who’s who, because it’s your first time seeing someone.

ED: Group pictures always raise the question “Are you trying to hide behind your hot friends?”

WW: Or are you posting ugly friends to make yourself look better? There are a lot of weird intricacies behind group pictures.

ED: If I were in someone’s group picture on a dating app, I’d be like, “Are you posting this because I’m your ugly friend or your hot friend?”

WW: Yeah. Which one am I? You had a thought behind it.

If [the trailer] is any tease, it’s going to be a really fun and kind of wild season.

ED: What’s a dating mistake you’ve made that you don’t want to repeat?

WW: I’ve made a zillion of them, obviously. Actively learning. I’ve met a lot of girls on vacation before, and the thrill of meeting people away from home is really exciting. You don’t know anything good or bad about each other, and it just feels hot, but I feel like those never work out. You end up texting someone from a different city for four months and then looking back and being like, “What? We met at a bar in Miami. Why did I think that I was going to marry this person? I don’t even know where they’re from.”

ED: Can you tease anything about the upcoming season of Summer House?

WW: I watched the trailer on the field at an NFL football game, so it was kind of a chaotic moment for me, and I started getting texts before I even saw it. People have told me it’s the best Bravo trailer that they’ve seen. I think if that’s any tease, it’s going to be a really fun and kind of wild season. There are also a lot of new people, so I encourage people who watch the show to welcome them with open arms. They’re all fantastic and lovely, and they have my stamp of approval. I hope other people like them just as much as I did.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.