Kyle Cooke and Carl Radke are warning “Summer House” fans that the show’s upcoming reunion is one of the most emotionally charged sit‑downs the cast has ever filmed.
According to the longtime friends, the intensity stems from the fact that the cast isn’t just a group of coworkers or reality‑TV acquaintances; they’re real friends with real history. That means the conflicts hit harder, the emotions run deeper and the fallout is far more personal.
“We had real falling outs on stage and I think everybody let their guard down and it was one of the most vulnerable, raw reunions, well, certainly for us,” Cooke said on “The Kelly Clarkson Show” on Thursday.
Radke echoed that sentiment, saying the reunion felt different because new revelations surfaced on set.
“There was a lot of emotion. People had to leave stage to get themselves together. There was a lot of just beef and then a lot of like ‘holy cow,’ but we were all going through it in real time.”
Much of the emotional weight centers around what happened off-season, after the show filmed. Cooke and fellow castmate and wife, Amanda Batula, announced earlier this year that they were separating. A few weeks later, Batula shared another bombshell: She and West Wilson, another cast member and one of Cooke’s close friends, were romantically involved.
Fans were “activated” as Wilson had previously dated castmate Ciara Miller, one of Batula’s close friends.
“It’s one thing to experience hurt behind closed doors,” Miller told Variety “To experience it so publicly is like another layer, and then to have to see what you thought was your life still play out in Season 10. It’s a major mindf—.”
“Summer House” stars Amanda Batula and West Wilson took to their Instagram Stories to speak out amid speculation that they are more than friends.
The origins of ‘Carl’s a mess’
After the Batula–West scandal was confirmed, Cooke said he was stopped on the street for an interview and, while reacting to the news, blurted out, “And Carl’s a mess.”
At the time, Radke was in Los Angeles for a book tour and called Cooke, asking if he should “just hop on a plane” back to New York. He said Radke had left him a voicemail and “he was like crying.”
Cooke said the “Carl’s a mess” quote quickly took on a life of its own.
“Everyone was like, ‘Why is Carl a mess?'” Cooke chuckled. “In that moment, I was like, you don’t understand. This hasn’t just impacted the four of us.”
Fans found the comment hilarious and it spawned a new meme on social media.
Radke told Cooke at the time that it was the only thing that brought a smile to his face.
To channel the viral moment into something positive, the friends created merchandise with the slogan, benefiting Release Recovery, a rehab, substance‑abuse treatment and counseling foundation based in New York City.
“We took kinda a dark situation, found a little moment of light and raised $25k,” Cooke said.
When is the ‘Summer House’ reunion?
The “Summer House” Season 10 reunion airs in three parts, starting on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
Part two will air on June 2 and part three will air on June 9 at the same times.
How to watch the ‘Summer House’ reunion
The reunions will air on Bravo and be available to stream the following day on Peacock.
