Real Housewives' PK: “I Knew It Was Over” The Truth About My Marriage & The Show

28 Apr 2026 · 1 h 15 min · 30 chapters

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In short

PK Kemsley discusses his upbringing, building Rock (real estate) into a billion-plus valuation, the credit crunch’s role in his bankruptcy, and how his Real Housewives of Beverly Hills marriage became public and edited into toxic storylines. He also explains why he joined the franchise, why he left, and how he’s trying to protect his children during his highly public divorce. He later pivots to sports/entertainment management, including buying the New York Cosmos and managing Pelé and Boy George.

Guests

PK Kemsley (guest). Background: British entrepreneur/real estate investor from Stanmore, Middlesex; grew Rock from a restaurant/pub deal into a major real estate business; worked with Mike Ashley; involved with Tottenham; later bought the New York Cosmos, secured Pelé’s involvement, and became Boy George’s manager.

Key claims

He says the “implosion” was largely “me,” citing lack of control/acceptance and that the credit crunch triggered a forced snapshot of his real estate. He argues Real Housewives producers create scenarios, edit for drama, and that the show’s toxicity harms children. He denies Dorit “saved” him and says Dorit’s platform choices are hers. He says he left the show for “reasons” tied to separation and narrative.

Notable examples

buying Tottenham via Alan Sugar’s involvement; Sports Direct acquisitions timed to Tottenham away games; bankruptcy headlines (“Sugar’s Apprentice Rottweiler goes bankrupt”); hotel stay in Soho, New York; Cosmos IP bought for about $1.2M; Pelé meeting after a missed dinner; managing Boy George after Pelé management.

Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.

Chapters

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PK's Journey and Early Life

2:30 to 4:00

Explore PK Kemsley's upbringing in Middlesex and his family dynamics.

“Before we begin the episode, I just want to say thank you for choosing We Need to Talk.”

Facing Anti-Semitism

4:00 to 6:05

PK discusses experiences of anti-Semitism during his childhood in the 70s.

“So essentially take Wembley and keep going north, northwest.”

Career Beginnings in Real Estate

6:05 to 7:40

Learn about PK's early career in real estate and key experiences.

“It was scary, but I didn't experience it in, like every day, I didn't wake up, you know, cowering.”

The Rise of Rock Hospitality

7:40 to 9:50

Understand how PK grew his company Rock to a billion-pound valuation.

“So you'd have to break it down because it's never one thing.”

Valuation and Success Factors

9:50 to 12:20

PK reflects on the factors contributing to Rock's peak valuation in 2007.

“Because this did very well for Mike Ashley in sports.”

Networking with Successful People

12:20 to 14:01

PK shares insights on the importance of networking with successful individuals.

“And more so, I would imagine, that gives you confidence.”

The Journey to Tottenham and Alan Sugar's Influence

14:01 to 18:10

Learn about the interviewee's connection to Alan Sugar and how it shaped their career.

“And Daniel told me that he was buying spurs.”

Reflection on Marriage and Personal Downfall

18:11 to 20:26

Explore the complexities of marriage, personal responsibility, and the impact of external factors on relationships.

“the implosion of everything that you had built?”

The Move to America Post-Bankruptcy

20:27 to 22:20

Understand the decision to relocate to the US for rebuilding a reputation following a public financial collapse.

“So you went to the US in particular because you thought that your, I don't want to say your brand, but your reputation.”

Navigating Divorce and Public Perception

24:46 to 28:01

Discuss the challenges of a public divorce within the Real Housewives franchise and its impact on family.

“This divorce that you're going through is highly public and publicized.”
Show all 30 chapters

Reflecting on Family and Marriage

28:01 to 29:19

Explore the unconventional beginnings and challenges of PK's family life.

“Which for me was kind of unconventional.”

The Reality of Reality TV

29:20 to 30:40

PK discusses the misconceptions and realities behind the scenes of the show.

“It's a TV show that shows snippets of my life with Dorit based on the premise of the show.”

Entering the World of Celebrity

30:41 to 32:38

PK shares his motivations for joining the Housewives franchise and its implications.

“So you now have everything that you want.”

Consequences of Fame

32:39 to 34:35

PK reflects on how fame and reality TV affected his marriage and personal life.

“Oh, this guy can't see, but he can paint.”

Understanding Perspectives in Relationships

34:36 to 36:50

PK discusses differing perspectives in relationships and accountability.

“social media and Twitter was not then what it is now.”

The Dark Side of Reality TV Dynamics

36:51 to 42:00

PK examines the toxic dynamics and the impact of reality TV on relationships.

“So then from just your relationship with television, if I look at that.”

Reality TV's Impact on Relationships

42:00 to 45:20

Explore the challenges and emotional toll of reality TV on personal relationships.

“There's a double down on that storyline.”

Self-Reflection and Personal Growth

45:20 to 48:40

PK discusses his journey of self-discovery and the challenges of self-love.

“But you have to still own the shit, don't you?”

The Ripple Effect of Public Scrutiny

48:40 to 52:00

Understanding how public perceptions and social media affect personal lives.

“But I haven't finished my journey, and I definitely don't sit there in the mirror and go, oh, love you, PK.”

Life After Reality TV: Friendships and Healing

52:00 to 55:50

PK shares insights on the friendships gained and lessons learned post-show.

“mean i don't think that i need to address storylines on the real housewives of beverly hills i think i'm better off to focus on my own healing my own growth i mean i look mauricio is one of my great friends now.”

Reconnecting with the New York Cosmos

55:50 to 56:00

PK discusses his venture into reviving the New York Cosmos and its implications.

“Well, Paul, imagine, I'll say, we'll give you a New York analogy because you're from New York.”

The Journey to Meet Pelé

56:00 to 56:46

Discover the exciting journey of trying to meet legendary soccer player Pelé.

“And in 30 years time, you can buy the badge, the name, the IP, and the history for 1.2 million.”

Managing Pelé and Transition to Boy George

56:46 to 58:33

Explore the transition from managing Pelé to the unexpected opportunity with Boy George.

“So never showed, then I said to my mate, Terry, I said, I'm not, he goes, I said to him, you know I'm not leaving until we've met him.”

Unique Management Duo with Boy George

58:33 to 1:01:58

Learn about the unique relationship and working dynamic between PK and Boy George.

“So I said, why do you want to be a soccer player?”

Wisdom Through Experience

1:01:58 to 1:04:48

Understand the importance of wisdom gained from life's experiences and hardships.

“But you know, the truth is our relationship is very unique.”

A Profound Conversation with Raz

1:04:48 to 1:10:04

Reflect on the profound impact of a conversation with a loved one facing terminal illness.

“And funnily enough, Boy George has been quite therapeutic on that because he's like, enough with the nostalgia.”

Reflections on Life Choices

1:10:04 to 1:10:34

Exploring profound conversations about life, choices, and loss.

“so he said bring in my six seven mates and let's just go and have some fun the following day i I bought my Ferrari.”

Wealth and True Happiness

1:10:36 to 1:11:42

Discussing the paradox of wealth and personal happiness.

“PK, I don't believe he's ever sat down and unpacked his story in the way that we did today.”

The Impact of Reality TV

1:11:44 to 1:12:25

Analyzing how reality TV can reveal or shape one's character.

“does reality TV unveil, or should I say reveal, someone's true character, or does it shape your character into something else?”

Navigating Life's Challenges

1:12:26 to 1:13:19

Sharing experiences from difficult life circumstances and personal growth.

“This is hopefully an example of what more of us can do in our everyday life with our loved ones.”
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Transcript

Automatic transcript. May contain errors.

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0:45Last night, you spent two hours deciding what to wear to the party. This morning, it'll take you two minutes to list it on Depop and make your money back. Just grab your phone, snap a few photos, and we'll take care of the rest. the sheer dress and platform heels you'll never wear again? There's a birthday girl searching for them right now. Your one-and-done look is about to pay for your next night out, or at least the ride home. Your style can make you cash. Start selling on Depop, where taste recognizes taste. I'm not blaming my divorce on the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. The truth is, the biggest question I have is, is Dorit where she was always going to be, Or was I responsible for putting her in that world, and then that world created what happened now?

1:30I can't believe we're sitting here still talking about it. It's just nonsense. I wanted money. I wanted status. It is. But the madness hadn't started yet. What caused the implosion of everything that you had built? Me. Their casting for the housewives. I'd never seen the show. Didn't know anything about it. But I believe that I had the most beautiful, charismatic, ferociously ambitious wife, and I wanted to show her off. I knew how to do it. So we did it. And the rest, unfortunately, is history. They create these scenarios that just didn't happen. Are there any that you want to address? Suddenly, I'm looking at my wife and saying, who are you?

2:10Wow. Do you love yourself? Not yet. Are you proud of yourself? No. Do you respect what you've created? No. You don't? The only real victims are going to be the kids, unless we're careful. So I'm going to do what I can to protect them. Maybe I do need to talk.

2:29Hey there. Before we begin the episode, I just want to say thank you for choosing We Need to Talk. Doing this podcast is one of the greatest joys of my life, and I want to continue to share it with you. So hit follow and the bell icon. It takes just a second, and it helps us to continue to grow this podcast.

2:54PK Kemsley, we need to talk. Let's talk. Here's where I'd love to start. You haven't talked about your story ever before. Why now?

3:10Well, first of all, I think the world's moved on. So when I built my career and created or started to create whatever legacy I now have, we weren't in the world of let's share it let's talk about it I mean when I grew up you watched Michael Parkinson you watched Terry Wogan and that was basically it so we're now in the era of podcasts and people wanting to share and I think that hopefully I can provide some form of inspiration to young entrepreneurs who want to get on well well I can't wait to go through your life with you because I think there's a lot of similarities you know that we have, especially around different areas of passion.

3:52Yeah, you said that. That's exciting for me. Can we begin with where you grew up? So it's Middlesex. Yeah, I grew up in Stanmore. Stanmore. Middlesex, yeah. Okay. So where on the map is that for me? So it's the end of the Jubilee line. Okay. Right. So essentially take Wembley and keep going north, northwest. Okay. But when you were growing up there, so let's look at the 70s. Yeah. How would you describe it? What was it like? I grew up in a very loving home. My father, who's the most beautiful man, he's 88 now, he was an accountant. He's got no money now, so he obviously wasn't very good at accounting.

4:32But my mum was a typical Jewish mother. Okay. Very caring, very... all about three boys, because I'm one of three boys. I think I was the favourite. My older brother certainly thinks I was the favourite. We used to walk to school. School was exactly as you've seen it in the movies. I mean, if you were naughty, you'd get caned, tensions. Yeah, I got beaten up on a bus and, you know, I came across anti-Semitism and, you know, couldn't get into clubs and was a bit of a geek when I was younger and didn't get a girlfriend until I was like 16 and all of that stuff. But nothing that you and I would look back at now and say was traumatic.

5:25And so it was traumatic. But, you know, I was going to ask you about that. So you must have faced anti-Semitism because of the 70s. When I read about the 70s, the Jewish community was really on this uprise and the middle class – and the Jewish community was really reaching the middle class at new numbers, right, unprecedented numbers. But there was still a significant, I think, backlash and aggression towards Jewish people in and around the UK – actually in and around the world. but did you what did you did you feel that yeah and definitely there's no question there were times when I was younger that I did not admit I was Jewish at school you know yid was the word that we used to get called I remember being a Jewish youth club when I was about 13 and there There was, I don't know, 60, 70 skinheads outside throwing stones at the window and screaming at us.

6:32It was scary, but I didn't experience it in, like every day, I didn't wake up, you know, cowering. But I definitely experienced it. And there was definitely a period at my junior school that I was the only Jewish kid in the class. Do you know what I mean? But we were not religious Jews or anything. We were kind of more about the family values and the traditions, you know? Okay. You had no qualifications coming out of school? No. All right. Well, I had a few O-levels. Don't write me off. You had something. I think I've got a B in RE. Yeah. So with Rock in particular, I find this to be so fascinating.

7:17So I was an investment banker at one point in my career. Right. been around a lot of entrepreneurs. But the rise, how quickly you grew rock from nothing to, was it a valuation of almost a billion pounds? It was more than a billion pounds. So you grew this company to a valuation of over a billion pounds. If you can help us to understand how you were able to do that. So you'd have to break it down because it's never one thing. so if we talk about what did I want at that time I wanted money I wanted status and I wanted to be in amongst it okay right when I say in amongst it you know in amongst the then billionaires the then traders the investment bankers I was lucky I had a flair for real estate for sure So I worked up through the ranks and then I met Mike Ashley.

8:19Yes, sports director. Yeah, he's one of the UK's most successful ever entrepreneurs. And he put me through a tough apprenticeship because I left the real estate business and went to work for what is now Sports Direct. Okay. But I went in as a real estate guy. So he wanted me to acquire the stores for him. okay and i i had this crazy year funny enough it's quite a funny story so i i think i bought him 16 stores in a year and he said to me after about nine months he goes pk there's something very strange about the acquisition policy of the stores you're opening he said but they just seem to be everywhere there's no you're not doing any so he said I've got a feeling I know what it is.

9:15And I said, well, what is it? He said, well, you keep opening stores where Tottenham are playing away. Because basically, I'd go to Sunderland to watch Tottenham. Yes. And then to justify the trip, I'd get a store for Mike Ashley there. Oh, God. So literally, the Sports Direct acquisition policy, when I was the real estate guy, was Tottenham away. Literally. Literally? Yeah. Okay. All right. If I could just unpack that a little bit. But where is the rhyme to reason in that? Where is the genius in that? Where is it? Because this did very well for Mike Ashley in sports. Well, I certainly, he would credit me with persuading him to go out of town, take the big sheds out of town.

10:08and he had me in the warehouse on a Saturday night counting clothes and I didn't want to be in the warehouse on a Saturday night counting clothes and he didn't pay me very much. And again, I wouldn't encourage this. I'm not encouraging it. It was a different time. But certainly there was a bit of that in my early 20s of having to hustle, really have to hustle because how would you ever break through? And I knew that I wanted to be on my own. I knew I didn't want to work for anyone. That I knew very early. So that was that drive to be in control of my own destiny. And then the whole how am I enough thing starts.

10:48It kicks in. So how would you describe what Rock did as a company? So Rock started with my cousin, my second cousin, Vincent, who's still super, super close friend of mine. He owned the Barnet Town Hall And he could not For the life of him Sell it, rent it Or do anything So he said Why don't you take a look at it for me And I went and took a look at it And I said to him This is an obvious restaurant to me I said and I think These are the people we should go to And it was called Pizzeria Uno Pizzeria Uno, yes And I approached them And they took it and all of a sudden my cousin instead of losing money made money i see it and then he said all right we've got to get this kid involved and do more why don't you focus on restaurants and pubs and that's exactly what i did my very first property deal was a tram shed in highbury corner okay places yes because i ended up what i ended up tom highbury corner i bought it for$175 ,000, you can say, well, where did you get the money?

12:04I got the money from my uncle and my cousin. Okay. And they said I could have 25 % of the profit. And I paid$175 ,000 and I rented it to Wetherspoons for$75 ,000 a year and they paid three quarters of a million premium. Look at that. So the deal made a million. Yes. And I got$250 ,000. $250 ,000, yeah. I got$250 ,000. Yes, look at that. That was the first deal. And how old are you? You just make$250 ,000. I was 27, 28. Okay, 27, 28. Right. A lot of money. A lot of money. And more so, I would imagine, that gives you confidence. Definitely gave you confidence. I was pretty stupid then. Okay. I went out immediately and I bought a Porsche.

12:53Did you? I did. I bought a red one. 9-11? 9-11. and my dad who's an accountant said rough rule of thumb son your car should never be more than 20 percent of the value of your house um your car is 110 the value of your house right so i had these good lessons coming in but i didn't listen no i didn't listen no but but i mean but you know you did quite well because that was the beginning of of rock that it's heyday yeah the biggest, right? What was the valuation and what were some of the flagship properties? So at its biggest, which would have been 2007, it would have been the peak. Okay. In 2007, the real estate was worth over a billion.

13:45What do you attribute your success to at that point? Is it still this thought of not being enough? I think it would be very easy and very spiritual to say that and I'd love to say that's what drove that I always hung around With people that made me feel Unsuccessful I had this I always did that it would have been very easy for me to be the richest guy in my world Yes, and be the king But I didn't I was the pauper in a bigger world Okay, so I used to hang around with people that were bigger than me and listen was all about access to money yes which quite frankly is the same today i mean it hasn't really changed yes yeah the numbers and quantum have changed and it's so much more difficult for the kids these days because the banks are closed they're just not available right so you have to find brilliant entrepreneurs to back you and someone to see some value in you i had the banks that saw the value in me i see it and they supported my expansion so you have to have a bit of flair and then you have to backing okay flair backing and you said you you hung around people who made you feel like a pauper basically yeah i would imagine uh sir alan sugar is yeah one of those people he is right so so how did you meet him because then i understand he's the one who brings you into what must be a dream position at at tottenham he didn't bring me in oh he didn't do that but he was absolutely involved so So I was friendly and remained very friendly with his son.

15:20And Daniel told me that he was buying spurs. And did I want to get involved? And of course, my boyhood club, I said, duh, yeah. So we bought it off of Alan Sugar. So it wasn't Alan that bought me in. And then Alan, through his son, asked me to go on The Apprentice as the interviewer. So I became more and more friendly with Daniel, and I became friendly with Alan. I mean, I looked up to Alan. You know, he's one of the few people that I would say that I've met in my life whose handshake means something. Mm-hmm, okay. You shake that guy's hand, he's doing it. Where he's from and everything he is, You may not like his style or his way, brutally honest and all that.

16:15And over the years, we had some run-ins and he wasn't always super nice to me and I was quite sensitive. But one thing I'd say about him is everything that he had, certainly my experience, everything he ever said, he do, he did. He did, yeah. You know, this is the second time that you've brought up sensitivity. Yeah. Which I find so interesting because I would not have assumed that. Yeah, but I'm sitting here even feeling a little bit of anxiety talking about this period of my life because it feels like another life ago and it feels so unimportant in the making of who I am or who I want to be.

16:55But it's definitely part of my journey. Yes, it is. But the madness hadn't started yet. No, exactly. The madness hadn't even started. It hadn't, but you can see how the underpinnings of it are beginning to fester. with your first wife as well. What I saw is how many years were you married? Because I saw one article said nine, another 20. How many years in total? We got married in 1991, and the divorce went through in 2011. So we were married 20 years. Yeah, look at that. Okay, 20 years. 20 years. So then, that's interesting. So you remained married after 2008, which was life-changing for many people.

17:43Yeah. But specifically for you. 2009. 2009. Was the moment that the shit hit the fan. 2008, we were still hanging on. Okay. Yeah, even though it was over. I now know it was over. You know, when something's over, it doesn't just go. Right. It sort of... Yes. It peters out. It's end of life. What caused what we call the demise, the implosion of everything that you had built? Me. Me. A lot of contributing factors, but I think my downfall was my own downfall. Okay. I think the downfall of the marriage was me. lack of control going back into that you know lack of acceptance lack of awareness ambition me not accepting what had happened acceptance just a lot of things certainly there is a whole commercial reality that if you're on a beach and a tsunami hits and you're naked, you can't climb up a tree.

18:59You're getting taken out by the wave. That was the credit crunch. Yes. So it doesn't matter all the mistakes I made. Ultimately, I couldn't have avoided it. There was no avoiding it. Unless you say, well, you could have taken your chips off the table before. But ironically, nobody was doing that. And not only that, I was doing what you're supposed to do, which is you're supposed to keep your real estate. I kept all my real estate. The only building I ever sold was the Ned. I kept everything. I didn't realise I was going to lose the whole lot though. Yes. And then the corporate stuff, what went on with the governments and the whole credit crunch, it's well written about now.

19:42But they took a snapshot of my real estate, basically in the worst period in 100 years, then said you owe us£526 million and your real estate's only worth£300. which of course it was worth miles more but right right like you know on doomsday like saying that the real estate is only worth 300 when it's worth 2 billion or whatever and then so you have to make the money up otherwise we're taking it right so then in that period that part I couldn't have done anything else anything about but everything else that went wrong was on it was on you but but I can't imagine the weight as well because if this is 2009 2010 you probably know your marriage is over as well i know it's not going to last yeah yeah but i i had that was within my capability and my choice yes i knew but you did right but so you still have the weight of that i had the weight of that and then i went to live in a hotel in soho in new york because i was trying to resurrect in new york but but but if we could Let's explore that a bit.

20:48So you went to the US in particular because you thought that your, I don't want to say your brand, but your reputation. Brand, reputation, whatever. They just worked. Yeah. So your reputation in the UK was shot, was finished. Why? It's because of the fact that your company crumbled. Absolutely. I had to file bankruptcy. I was on the front page of the paper. Sugar's apprentice Rottweiler goes bankrupt no explanation as to why it happened just a load of bad headlines and the banks and the connections that I had had gone the doors had closed it's like imagine like going back ironically now I've just realised the metaphor going back to the nightclubs that I couldn't get into when I was 18 yes I couldn't get in they shut the door on me again so all that world that I had access to had closed and it was very public and yeah I felt the only place I could potentially rebuild was America I did not think I remember saying I don't know if I said it to Loretta or who I said it to but I just realized that the only chance I had was in America it would take too long now I may not have been right because a few of the people that this happened to in the UK did stay here and did manage to bring it back because attitudes change and new people come in.

22:18Right. Yeah. So then what did you do? Well, go on the fucking housewives, don't I? I was like, of all things you could have done, you go on the housewives.

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25:18I would like to talk about this, if I can. Sure. So who's in this photo here? Dorit Jagger and me. Okay. Can we, as much as you want, to talk about your relationship with Dorit? Because what I find most interesting is that I think that most of us in the public hear about you through Dorit or hear about you through Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. It's the only way you hear about me. Yeah, but not from you. So I'd love to hear the story from you. It depends what story you're talking about. So, like, I've been very clear that I do not want to litigate my divorce publicly. I don't think it serves in the best interest of the kids.

26:19I don't. and everything I do, I want to be in the long-term best interests of our kids. Dorit's choices and how she uses her platform are her choices. I can't control that. I'm not there. I don't have the platform to respond. I don't want to litigate this through blogs and media. I think her story is her story and that's her perspective my story and my perspective is clearly different I want to be accountable to my kids and I want to be accountable to myself I wish that she hadn't chosen that part I understand why she may have had to and being on that show is a lot of pressure and they now pay a lot of money and you've got to give the audience what they want um and there's always going to be in particularly in this instance there's going to be consequences to that you know i don't want to add to those consequences.

27:40I just don't. And I don't want to fuel an already bad situation. It's sad. It's just super, super sad. When I look at that picture, you know, it brings back a load of memories. I mean, that's... We had Jagger before we got married. Okay. Which for me was kind of unconventional. Yes. Even for Dorit as well. And it was kind of beautiful. I had my oldest son walk my youngest son down the aisle. And, you know, and you say, well, nothing lasts forever. And, you know, when you are dealing with the consequences of your actions, right, whether it be Dorit's actions or my actions, ultimately, who lit the fire?

28:36I lit the fire because I put her on the show. She didn't want to go on the show. She didn't. So even if we go back, even pre-show, I mean, you two did begin very, it was a great relationship. Unbelievable. Yeah. But I don't know now. You know, the truth is I was at a certain period in my life. I was looking for acknowledgement. I was looking to be seen. I wanted company. A lot of what's been said subsequent just isn't true. I mean, it's just not true. Dorit never came in and saved me. So you know my history now. And a lot of people don't. So that show shows only a... It's not my life. It's a TV show that shows snippets of my life with Dorit based on the premise of the show.

29:33Right? And they cut it. They edit. They show things. They allow storylines that even the producers know are not true to grow because that's the brilliance of the show. I mean, you're right. It's a pop culture phenomenon, that show. Yes. But in its very core, it's based on trauma. It's based on what's the word when everybody argues? Well, there's a word I was going to use. I mean, it feels toxic. It's very toxic. It's got worse. None of the people on that show are married anymore except for Kathy Hilton. Yeah, I just think it's Kathy. I've probably forgotten something. So why then do it? So let's go back to...

30:24I can answer that. Yeah, you have a strong relationship. Yeah. Okay. You are married prior to the show. You have a beautiful child. Yeah. Right. And then even you professionally, I feel like you're now back. Yeah. You're not where you were. No, but we're doing okay. You're doing okay. Right, you're back. Yeah. So you now have everything that you want.

30:51Why do you get involved in a franchise like that? I think there were a lot of reasons.

31:02I had a very dear friend of mine who's another one of these super unbelievable kings of industry this particular guy in the music business about as big as you can get and when we went to LA he said to me there are only three entry points in LA P.K. Money, power and celebrity that's what he told me and I'm like okay he said well money you've got to have the money you used to have and then even then some and then build schools and do some of the charitable initiatives that you used to do because i was very involved in charities and stuff power he said you've got a own a studio own a bank being government so your quickest entry point if you want to live in la is celebrity so when he says if you want to live in LA he was talking about the recreation of potentially of what I had done previously and knowing that that was the world that I came from so at that very time one of the publicists that I was working with I'm going to give her a name shout because I love her her name is Dawn Miller and she's a British girl that worked out of LA and she said oh PK they're casting for the Housewives now I'd never seen the show ever didn't know anything about it all i knew that was that lisa vanderpump yes who was my friend was on it that's all i knew right and i said to dorit i think she just had phoenix so this was phoenix is now 10 so this is 10 years ago why don't you just go and do a reading a cast have a casting so i lined up the casting she came back said it went horribly and then three weeks ago three weeks later they came back and they said we'd like to film you guys at home okay so what i do know is i know how to close a deal yes yeah and that could be a real estate whatever yes so i said right this is what we're doing we're filling the house with flowers we're going to get the most eclectic group of guests around the table we're going to stick boy george in one corner pele in another whatever do you know what i mean we're going to have our friends and we're going to and entrepreneurs and it's gonna be the richest guy in the room and the poorest guy in the room.

33:23This one can sing. Oh, this guy can't see, but he can paint. Do you know what I mean? And the backdrop too is, because what I understand, I mean, the house was - The house was spectacular. The backdrop was great. I knew how to do it. So we did it. And as they say in England, Bob's your uncle. She got the gig. Now, whether or not, I mean that proved that I don't know because we haven't seen the end of the movie yet but I do know that that show was fun until it wasn't I was blind to what was going on what was happening I didn't act soon enough and because my personality is a double down guy. Like, I don't like walking away from a bet.

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34:22I used to double down. I will get this bet right. Get this bet right. Yes. Had no regard for the global awareness of this show. None. Literally none. And I think even now, you look back 10 years ago, social media and Twitter was not then what it is now. Right. Right, the toxicity of it. you know the fact that a lot of it is not even human beings commenting it's bops and i know a lot i know a lot about that now and you know the rest unfortunately is history and i will maintain that i have absolute accountability for going down that avenue and and i made some very significant mistakes in not acting when i saw it going wrong right so then So, you know, and I think that when you're asking me these questions, it's got to be about my perspective because Dorit's got her own perspective.

35:20And I'm not, as I've said a million times before, she's the mother of my kids. Right. What she chooses to do and say about me is entirely up to her. Her versions, her perspectives, her truth are her truth. It doesn't mean they're the truth. Right. They're her truth. Right. I have my own. Right. I don't want that period of my life to define me. I don't want it to represent. Because the truth is, a lot of it is down to the editing. It is. And they create these scenarios that just didn't happen. Do you know what I mean? And the accusations and the rumor and the hearsay, and they whip it up and they love it.

36:02But there are victims. Yeah, and I'm not calling myself a victim. I'm not a victim. I'm out of it. Yeah, it was uncomfortable. but I don't want our kids to be victims of those decisions yes do you understand I don't and I won't allow that right and I won't allow when I say I won't allow I'm talking about not in a controlling sense I mean in an emotional context I will do my very best to not add fuel to what I'm trying not to allow right because it because you're trying you're trying to contain a fire I'm trying to contain a fire, but I'm also saying, okay, well, that's not my fire anymore. You want to blow that fire up.

36:44You want to create that fire and live in that fire. That's your choice. Right. I choose not to live in that fire anymore. All right. So then from just your relationship with television, if I look at that. So this is season, what is it? Season seven of Real Housewives, 2016. What was initially, what was your feel around reality TV? What was your take on it? I first of all believe that I had the most beautiful, charismatic, sharp, ferociously ambitious wife and I wanted to show her off. Okay. and I also felt because I've always been able to control direct storyline businesses yes you know and I'm wearing control previously I thought I was in control okay and even it's my simplistic moronic position and this is like oh Pico you really are an idiot I was like it's kind of cool to be a celebrity you get tables at the right time and yeah you know I joked about this I joked about this with James Corden right when he asked me after one year he said why do you do that show I said well I didn't want to be in the five to ten club so he said to me what do you mean I said well when you come to LA and nobody knows who you are and you want to get a table they offer you five or ten I see it so I say he goes where are you now I said eight o 'clock he goes yeah I'm 745 he goes do you know what I mean and that was kind of funny for me also I'd been in the public worlds but I've been public for many many years so for me yeah I had my ups and downs with publicity and all that but I wasn't really on social media right I wasn't aware of what that show can do and I'm not blaming that show on my divorce or my relationship or who I think Dorit is now versus who I think she was or who I am now I think the biggest question I have that will never be answered is is that is Dorit where she was always going to be and always going to end up or was I responsible for putting her in that world and then that world created what happened now?

39:21But there's no question that before we did that, like if you talk about happy times, I mean, I remember living in Tribeca. We had a beautiful apartment, Dorit and me, and then we had the baby. And life was pretty fucking good. You know, I used to have this big TV. I used to watch my football on a Sunday, Dorit made dinner on a Friday. We went and saw movies, took the baby for a walk. Who drove the bus into the wall? Me. Much like I had done many times in my life. But it's kind of like... The analogy is if you go and buy a candy store and then you say to your best friends and your lover and go and have what you want.

40:10it's our candy go eat right you gotta realize they're going to be consequences to that and you always rely on people to be aware and have certain disciplines and then you lose control of that you lose control of that whatever it is that thing that keeps moving forward and growing yes in a not always beautiful way and an ugly way and then the show likes to go back and only talk about bad things so then you start reporting on this and that and i'm like well what about that and then they build up this vision of who you are as a person who you are as a couple and you and then you start repeating it you start believing it and then suddenly you find yourself what are you talking about i'm nothing like that guy what are they showing i'm nothing like the person they're showing and then I'm looking at my wife and saying like who you right it's like it's scary when you look at it yes yes and you lose control of that of that thing oh that thing so so my wife and I in 2011 way back we were offered a reality TV show to follow our life right yeah and I was all for it I I was like, this is great.

41:33We should do it. My wife said, no. It's going to, it'll destroy us because we could lose ourselves. And what you're just saying to me is that it's this depiction of you. It sounds like what you're saying is that you lost yourself. There is a storyline that's created that's not you. It's bits and pieces of who you are, what the relationship is. And then, you know, I'm in reality TV. There's a double down on that storyline. We know that if it bleeds, it leads. So we know that the negative always rises to the top. But then I think what's so hard for me with Real Housewives in particular is that there's multiple people in the show.

42:23I'm sure there's a competition for the a no course yeah the a storyline and that's getting even worse I mean what I see now is Fractured Relationships fractured friendship broken marriages sadness money issues health issues and they're all doubled and trebled and some of them are steeped in truth and some of them have no truth and the audience seem to enjoy watching implosion and then they pick their side and they believe they know what they know because they listen to what somebody's saying i mean one of the weirdest things for me and it took a lot of discipline but I made a decision not to talk about it like I'm not you know we've talked we've spoken in very generic terms yes you know I'm not gonna come out and start saying that's not true that's not true that's not true that's how about the whole lot ain't true the whole lot ain't true and the only real victims are going to be the kids So I'm going to do what I can to protect them and to protect, you know, their lives and their journeys.

43:46And I'm not and I do not believe it's in their interest for me to publicly litigate our divorce. Right. Will I inevitably have to use the court system? I don't know. Maybe that's avoidable. Maybe it's not. Yeah. Right. But the reality is, is I know that I'm not free from blame for sure, but I'm not controlling the last two years and I wouldn't have encouraged it. And I would have strongly recommended in any capacity. My capacity is a manager. My capacity is a business guy. My capacity is a father and a husband. If I'd have had somebody would listen, I would have said that is the wrong thing to do.

44:32yeah right is is that why you left the show no it's not why i left the show i left to reed which is why i left the show and we were in a separation and then to read in fairness to her it was a big job and she had to continue and then to reach decided what narrative she'd do and at the point that she was doing that listen i'm not in that world anymore i'm you know i'm involved in business thank god again and i'm doing some great stuff and i i'm out of that world now but it's part of it's the like it's been the last 10 years of my life and you know i don't think anybody can sit there and say they're nothing to do with it i mean of course i'm part of the problem for sure yeah do i feel it's been fair and justified no i don't there are periods that i I know it's not fair.

45:26Yeah. But you have to still own the shit, don't you? I mean, who started it? You know, all that stuff. I didn't realise how much it would affect me emotionally and drain me and put me back into a place that I didn't want to be in. Do you understand? So then you say, well, how do you get out of this? How do you get out of this place? Fight your way out? Do you joke your way out? How do you get out of it? And I didn't manage to. If you could take us back there, if you're willing, to talk about the darkest moment so that we can understand how you felt and what was driving that emotion for you. I think there were a lot of dark moments.

46:12I think this sense of, for me, this inability that I experienced to be clear. I had no clarity. I had no clarity with my marriage, with that show, with business. I couldn't focus. That's when I decided to blame it on drink. and say, right, I'll give up drink and that will get me clear. And actually, there was enormous clarity when I did that. But I also learnt that that wasn't the issue. The issue was me and delving into all of the mistakes that I'd always made, seeing myself making the same mistakes, having that sense of deja vu, thinking about Loretta and the kids and the distance, it was too much distance between me and my older kids.

47:15I mean, thank God it's all, but I was too absent. I didn't want to be absent this time around. And then I was being accused of being absent, and I wasn't absent. But I think I was absent in terms of my ability to address how I was actually feeling. I actually made myself second. I didn't I still don't but I didn't love myself I didn't I didn't respect myself I was just doing it for this thing I'd lost even any thought as to why I was doing it and you just said something powerful so so today as you said do you love yourself not yet are you proud of yourself nope do you respect what you've created nope You don't?

48:07Not yet.

48:11I'm aware of what I've created. People like you, who show me respect and, you know, in a really beautiful way and say, this is amazing what you did. But no, I'm not there yet. You're not there, PK. No. You know, when you came in, before you came in, I was talking to different people. getting ready to interview PK and I'm just bragging about you thanks that is a bit shocking to me that you don't love yourself not yet how can I at the moment in terms of I'm always I'm always in a situation it's like at the moment I'm in this divorce situation you know my kids I'm worried about them I'm worried about them being affected I don't see this noise stopping the only way I can stop it is to remove myself from it I even was asked last night why am I doing this interview I said I don't I don't really know I'm in London I guess I've got a story to tell you asked me at the beginning maybe my lessons, maybe my journey can help someone else, right?

49:35Yes, yes. But I haven't finished my journey, and I definitely don't sit there in the mirror and go, oh, love you, PK. You know, that you read all, you have to start loving yourself, put yourself first. I'm not there yet. I'm not. Will I get there? I hope so. I really hope so. And it's, yeah, people are inspired by some of the things I've done. I think that I have a few ways to get better that I've not managed to do yet. Right. I know that I'm very affected emotionally and I'm very sensitive to, for example, social media commentary. People are so vile. And as it happens on my own feed, people are beautiful.

50:24Very rarely. but I've still had to block 1900 people in the last 12 months you know they write terrible things and then you say well why are you even reading it so the secret is definitely it's definitely not to read it but I because of the addictive nature of my personality it's difficult to do yes am I getting better at it 100 % don't even watch the show anymore don't watch it and I but but I can't avoid the clips and the trailers and the papers, what they say, and everybody around you, the people you love are affected. You know, people don't realize. My mum, you know, my dad's 88. He has to listen to his daughter-in-law speaking how she's speaking, and it affects him.

51:11So now he's trying not to see it. The good news is his eyes are going, so now he can't see it. It's hard. But I think that's something that a lot of people don't realize. it's incredibly nasty and unkind to troll, but the ripple effect that it creates in that person's life, their parents, their children. Yeah. It's unfair. And we've protected our kids. But I've always said to Dorit, don't do this. The kids are going to read it at some point. Don't do it. But I'm not in control of her decisions. Right. And she's not in control of my decisions. um are there from what you if if only if you'd like to to to say this are there any storylines from the show that are particularly challenging for you that you want to address not really i mean i don't think that i need to address storylines on the real housewives of beverly hills i think i'm better off to focus on my own healing my own growth i mean i look mauricio is one of my great friends now.

52:20So I took a beautiful friendship out of that show. Yes. Beautiful friendship. Transparent, honest. We share. We don't have any secrets. Such a great guy, inspirationally in business. But the world's got an opinion of him based on the show. So that was a gift from the show. I got a great friendship, funny enough, out of one of the producers, Alex Baskin. the big one okay i consider him a true friend of mine great guy so there have been some wins you know you know in terms of friendships um but everything else now it's not great would you ever do reality tv again it depends in what context so it depends what you call reality TV if I thought it was a positive uplifting beautiful thing to do that was going to help other people and be fun and funny and humorous and we got into a serious mode in this thing but I like to joke around I like to mess around yeah I'd do that yeah okay would I ever go anywhere near something that is as toxic as that again no no chance okay Hey there, we have conversations just like this one every week.

53:45So if you haven't already, hit follow and the bell icon, and I'll see you for the next one. So now, the cosmos, New York cosmos, that's lightning in a bottle. Yeah. How is it that you choose that path after this real estate career? Well, it wasn't as entirely removed as you think it might be. Because I was the vice chairman at Tottenham. So I had a passion for football. True. And I had connections in football. And I had an interest in, I had a big business in America. So I was aware of what was going on in the MLS very early. And I knew about the New York cosmos. I just knew about it, right? But I didn't know a lot.

54:31So it was a friend of mine who said, come and watch this documentary. So we watched a documentary that was called Lightning in a Bottle. Oh, my goodness. You have to watch it. Okay. And I was just so fascinated by it. So I set about finding out what had happened to the New York cosmos. And I found out that the intellectual property, the brand, all the trophies in the history was owned by a restaurateur in New Jersey called Pepe Pintop. And so I persuaded him to sell it to me. And I bought it with the very little money I had left. So I funded that entirely myself. Wow, look at that. and I set about, right, how are we going to get this going again?

55:14So I knew that I couldn't do anything with the Cosmos until I got hold of Pele. Because it's like a bad example but a good example. It's like buying Wham! without George Michael. You just can't do it. Or Culture Club without Boy George, right? The Cosmos without Pele, legacy-wise and history-wise, is worth nothing. Right. But you bought the club prior to meeting Pella. Yeah. Okay. And you bought it for, was it 2 million? 1.2 million. 1.2 million. Okay. 1.2 million. So a lot of money. Well, Paul, imagine, I'll say, we'll give you a New York analogy because you're from New York. Okay. Imagine the Yankees stop playing today.

56:01Don't play another game. Yes. And in 30 years time, you can buy the badge, the name, the IP, and the history for 1.2 million. I'm doing it. No, you're doing it in five minutes. You're doing it in five minutes. Yes. It was not expensive. So I did it and then the whole Pele journey was amazing. I mean, and what happened is... Yeah, I mean, all right, so you buy that. You then fly to Brazil. Yeah. Okay. You line up this meeting with Pele. I thought I'd lined up a meeting with Pele. and we were due to have dinner with him. I was very excited and we turned up, sat at the restaurant all night, never showed.

56:44No, look at this. So never showed, then I said to my mate, Terry, I said, I'm not, he goes, I said to him, you know I'm not leaving until we've met him. And he pulled out the box set of Sopranos. He says, I knew you were gonna say that. He goes, so here's some company. Yeah, I never watched The Sopranos. Here's some company. you start watching that fella I'll go find him seven days later I finished the box set of Sopranos and he found him wow and we went and met him in a recording studio and he was behind the glass the first time I saw him and it was just so iconic and so incredible and I was like oh my god so we went out for dinner with him after and I said to him listen I'm going to bring back the Cosmos and he told me how he loved it and it was a happy period of his time but it was all about money.

57:37I then raised some money for the Cosmos and I had enough money to offer Pelé a role so I offered him lifetime president and his role was to come and help me promote the relaunch of the Cosmos with a view to getting the MLS to give us the New York franchise and for us to call it the Cosmos. That was the big picture plan. I see it. So I'm going to take the new cosmos back to the American League and the story is beautiful they were the ones who bought soccer to America Pele was the one who bought soccer to America let's put Pele back as the king yeah it's a great story yeah it worked right the story worked in fact the whole deal worked but um irrespective of what's been written about it it was a fantastic deal and a fantastic experience what was it then the experience that you had managing pele as talent that then led you to managing boy george not entirely although absolutely they're related so what really happened is i was still managing pele okay and a friend of george's rang me and said boy george is looking for a new manager are you interested and i said what like boy george boy so you go yeah yeah so i said no i just want to clarify this you mean boy george because i thought i didn't know what boy george was doing and you know obviously flashback memories of me ringing the doorbell of his house and running away yes so he said yeah so this guy said all right he's going to call you so and he did and the phone went and I was in Beverly Hills at the time and I'm talking to him and I go hello boy George that's like I don't know hello mr.

59:31boy John we're calling him what am I calling him boy George I think I just had a hello boy George and he said well he goes I'm looking for a manager and I'm he goes do you manage Pele this is what he said do you manage Pele I said I do he He said, would you like to manage me? So I said, why do you want to be a soccer player? And he went, ha, bloody, ha, ha. And we didn't have a great call. We did not have a great call. And George will tell you this. He said to me, when I put the phone down, and I remember Dorit was in the house when I was talking, and I was going... So when I finished, I thought that went really badly.

1:00:16and I sent him a message. He said, hey, it was great to speak to you. I'm a lousy first date. I'm a much better second date. So I'd love to actually meet you. So he apparently liked that text. Right. Because he did think I was a bit of an arsehole. Did he? Yeah, he did. Okay. And then we arranged to meet three weeks later in New York. He was doing the Seth Meyers show. And we went out for dinner and that's where it started. And then the next day he came to my office in New York, which was on Broadway at Times Square and it was the Pele office and it was pretty beautiful and we had amazing and he came in and he goes, well this is what I want he goes, I want someone to manage the brand you know so he says, so what I want you to do is I want you to do the image, the brand but I want to do the music and I want to do the DJing and I don't want to do culture club and I said, whoa, whoa, whoa this is my exact line, I said I can't manage the tail of the donkey I have to manage the whole donkey And he goes, are you fucking calling me a donkey?

1:01:16I said, no, George, it's a metaphor. I'm saying, if I'm building something here and you're doing something ridiculous there, you're going to affect the value of what I'm doing. Right. So you either want me to manage the whole of you or I'm not the guy for you. And he went with it. Wow. And we've been together 2012 years. Look at that. Yeah. We're nowhere near done either. Nowhere near done. I've just come off the back of a coach club tour and yeah, we're having fun. I think the fact that you've been together, you said 12 years, so far 12 or 13 years is a great testament because many managers and their clients, they don't stay together that long.

1:01:57That's right. But you know, the truth is our relationship is very unique. I mean, the business management who handled all the money, I make the deals, but they said it and they look after Adele and they look after Duran Duran. and all these fabulous acts. And they said, the senior partner of this firm of account that says we're the most unique duo he's ever seen. Yes. He says it's totally crazy, but just works. It does. I mean, me and George, we fall out. We fall out. And I resigned four weeks ago, and he didn't even read my resignation. Really? Yeah, and then the following morning, he went, how are you?

1:02:32I'm fine, you? And we were just over it. Oh, my gosh. Yeah. Well, then, on that note, PK, I do have a surprise for you. Oh, really? I would love, I would love for you to read this. Who's that? That's from George, isn't it? This is his handwriting. I'm just kidding. You know his handwriting. I do. All right. Oh, God. What's he written? I've got to read this. Could you read it out loud? Would you mind? No, I don't mind at all. Yeah.

1:03:05PK is a classic Leo who will fight for himself as hard as he fights for you. I love that he gets over stuff quickly. You get the roar and then laughter. He is part lion and part big kid. We have many things in common, and yet we are very different, which can cause friction. The good news is I've changed so much in the way I communicate with PK. We both overreact, I just mentioned that, but always find peace and humour. I've had to learn to handle a lion. It's easy. You just give them a cuddle. here's my friend first and manager second super sweet i love that i love that and he's right because i'm the easiest guy to get along with just be nice and give me a cuddle let me be seen that's all i really ever wanted do you know what i mean i think i i think i'm realizing that we may have even touched on that earlier on in this in this interview no yes we have yeah that's very sweet i'll get him to sign it i will i will hold on to that for you but i'll make sure that i give that back to you thank you uh at the end i i love that he touched upon so many of the literal words that you've used like lion yeah well he's very into zodiac very into it okay a very knowledgeable and it is for somebody i was never that into it i'm getting i started to invest much more in understanding certain talents that I've got.

1:04:34So I've got a little bit of clairvoyance in me and a little bit of mediumship in me. Okay. And I'm a great believer in tapping into outside help now. You know, there's come a time where I have to stop talking about what happened. And funnily enough, Boy George has been quite therapeutic on that because he's like, enough with the nostalgia. I know, enough with that, enough with that. Let's get on with now. Yes. And there is enough. The one thing that I gained through my career is I've got, really, truly, I've got a great deal of wisdom now. Most things I've seen, most corporate situations, financial situations, business situations, celebrity situations, I've seen it all.

1:05:26Yes. Right? and you keep that wisdom. And now when you're able to impart that wisdom with other people, suddenly you have the answers. And someone will say, well, how do you know that? And I thought, well, I guess it's wisdom through experience. Yes, it is. Do you know what I mean? And I can, and I want the next chapter in my life to be about that, to be about imparting wisdom, to share experience and say, well, don't do that. Well, why not? because if you do that, this is going to happen. Yes. How do you know? Because I know. Do you know what I mean? And it's kind of, and I think maybe, I'm pleased to say, I'd like to say, maybe one of the reasons I did do this chat was to start that journey of saying, actually, I've got some wisdom to offer.

1:06:15And, you know, maybe this platform is something that will say then this book, so, well, why don't you write a book about it? Or why don't you do that? Yes. I don't know. Yes. Why don't you actually, The show's called We Need to Talk. Yes. Maybe I do need to talk. You do. To me, your story is one of resilience. You've been knocked down, and you get back up, and you get back on the journey. And then you're knocked down again, you get back up, and you get back on the journey. And then you're knocked down again, and you continually do this. So you are, to me, PK, you are a story of resilience. Thank you.

1:06:54You've done that here in the UK. You've done that in the United States. And what I love is that you admittedly are just getting back up today. I'm always getting back up. And you know what? I always will because I've got five kids that I have to get back up for. And I don't want to give them, I don't want them to think that they can't get back up. Do you understand? So you get back up for them? I get back up for them. I get back up for my friends and my family, and I hope one day that I'm getting back up for myself. But at the moment, I don't know if I'm doing that yet. Okay. Yeah. I'll have to work that bit out.

1:07:37Well, my hope is that you can get back up for yourself. Thanks, man. Truly. Yeah. Truly. And I think that you can find inspiration through other people, but ultimately the source of that has to come from you. That is the source. That's the internal validation. It has to come from you. Yeah. Do you know what, Paul? I'm pleased to say I know that. I understand it. Putting it into action is not always easy. All right. So then last question, PK. Everyone gets this. Yeah. Is you've had some incredible conversations throughout your life with incredible people. Which one stands out the most? So who was the conversation with and what did you learn?

1:08:24Wow. That's the sort of question you really have to think about. Yes. I think the conversation, the most profound conversation I've ever had was with my late brother-in-law, who was Loretta, my first wife's brother, who passed through nodular melanoma at the age of 37.

1:08:49in 2005 and it was diagnosed a year to the date that he passed, so it was diagnosed a year before and we went to this brilliant surgeon who's still around now, I mean his name's Kieran Healy and he was really honest and I happened to be in the room and he said this is incurable he said and I think to give everybody else hope I think medicine's come on since then right but at that point it was incurable and he said to Raz who was the name of it was called Darren but we called him Raz he said look we can try and you're going to be so sick for 12 months he goes and we're not going to we're not going to get it done he said or he said we can ignore it he said and you'll be sick for three weeks he says and then you're gonna pass he says but you can have 11 months and a week but the most profound conversation was the conversation with raz what do you want to do yes and he and i said look i was starting to do really well in there i've got enough money for us to go and have some fun so he said bring in my six seven mates and let's just go and have some fun the following day i I bought my Ferrari.

1:10:12I said, all right, that's day one. And we just flew everywhere and we did great things. So I guess the most profound conversation I ever had was talking to someone who had to choose between fighting for life or accepting the circumstances and living. That's probably it. That's profound. Yeah, man. That one's going to stay with me. Yeah. Yeah. Rest in peace, Raz. Rest in peace, Raz. Yeah. Or as they say now, rest in power. Rest in power. Yeah. Absolutely. Thank you for sharing that. Pleasure. Yeah, that one's going to stay with me. I've enjoyed talking with you. You too. Mr. PK, I don't believe he's ever sat down and unpacked his story in the way that we did today.

1:10:59And I believe that even now, as he walks to his car, as he goes home, he'll begin to discover even more patterns about his life. You could seemingly have it all and also have nothing. And I think his story depicts that. He was always chasing the next, the next, the next. And he accumulated a substantial amount of wealth. And as he said, he was his most unhappy at the height of his material wealth. It makes me think about the why, ultimately the why. and how important it is to be able to answer the why. And I liked his thought around, does reality TV unveil, or should I say reveal, someone's true character, or does it shape your character into something else?

1:11:56It makes you see things differently. Even myself, I feel like I've become desensitized now to certain things that could be considered highly traumatic or highly toxic, now I feel like, oh, that's just part of everyday life. So it does, without a doubt. What we're doing here is, this is not therapy. This is literally holding space for our guests. And you could see how there's this relief of, I feel lighter as a result. This is hopefully an example of what more of us can do in our everyday life with our loved ones. we all need to talk. These podcasts get me in trouble all the time. Selling Sunset, how do you even navigate that opportunity?

1:12:44I was like, well, f*** it. And then I got there and I was like, what is wrong with you people? I mean business, I'm about my business. I'm here to f*** this s*** up. You want to be a b***h? I'll be a c***. Let's do it. Oh, wrong finger. So at 16, you were on your own. You did not have a childhood. Well, actually, it was way more traumatic than that. So at the club, what were you doing? Bottle service. I had this client. He ended up giving me the biggest tip they've ever had. How much was the tip? $0.00. He was one of the biggest names in football. When we got together, the partying and all of the stuff, and the self-medicating, I thought was just a kid that got money and just got the new life.

1:13:27I've always heard that he went on this$5 million bender. He did. His plan was to spend all of his money. What was it about Nick? He taught me that I don't need to be toxic. I don't need to yell at you. It's just so healthy and normal, and people think that it's not. I think they're thinking about the non-monogamy. Nick's always been a playboy. Everybody knows that. Truthfully, is there any level of jealousy?

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From the publisher

Paul Kemsley, music manager and former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills cast member, opens up about what really happened behind the headlines, why protecting his children matters more than defending himself publicly, and how he is trying to rebuild his life after divorce, reality TV, and public scrutiny.

He reflects on life inside one of the biggest reality television franchises in the world, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, and the impact it had on his marriage, his family, and his identity. PK shares what it felt like watching private pain become public entertainment, why he believes reality TV can create stories that are not always true, and why he now wants to step away from the noise.

Paul also shares the story behind his rise in business, from growing up in North London and chasing money, status, and success, to building a fortune, losing control, and going bankrupt in public. He reflects on ambition, ego, failure, and the moments that forced him to confront who he had become.

He opens up about managing Boy George, rebuilding after public setbacks, giving up alcohol, and the clarity that came when he stopped blaming everything around him. PK reflects on fatherhood, accountability, divorce, and why, after losing so much, he still believes in getting back up.

Paul Kemsley, We Need To Talk

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(00:00) Intro

(01:46) Why PK Is Sharing His Story Now

(02:41) PK’s Upbringing in 1970s Stanmore

(04:14) PK’s Experience of Antisemitism

(05:57) How PK Built His Early Career and Rock

(12:31) What Drove PK’s Business Ambitions

(13:49) PK’s Relationship With Sir Alan Sugar

(15:54) The 2008 Crash and the Collapse of Rock

(21:18) Saily Ad

(22:40) PK on His Public Divorce From Dorit

(28:21) Why PK Joined The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

(43:36) PK’s Darkest Moment on RHOBH

(46:10) The Emotional Toll of Online Backlash

(51:32) Why PK Bought the New York Cosmos

(54:03) The Story Behind Signing Pelé

(56:07) How PK Ended Up Managing Boy George

(01:00:28) PK Reads a Letter From Boy George

(01:05:40) Most Memorable Conversation

(01:08:24) Paul’s Takeaways

Sponsored by:

Saily - Download from the app store and use code WNTT at checkout for 15% off. For more details: https://saily.com/wntt ⛵

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