Jessel Taank - ‘Real Housewives? It’s like Game of Thrones’

Jessel Taank is the first South Asian housewife and the breakout star of her debut season of The Real Housewives of New York in 2023. In this episode we speak openly about the challenges of conceiving her twin sons through IVF and the misplaced shame she felt at not being able to have children naturally. Her failures include failing to overcome Indian beauty ideals, a failure to balance motherhood with personal ambition, and a failure to understand the mechanisms of reality TV (and yes…we get INTO it). ✨ IN THIS EPISODE: 00:00 Intro 02:38 Navigating Reality TV and Conflict 03:17 The Dark Turn of Real Housewives 05:31 Upbringing and Family Background 08:59 Struggles with Indian Beauty Ideals 11:06 Facing Racism and Inherited Trauma 16:50 Balancing Motherhood and Personal Ambition 24:26 Freezing Eggs and Meeting My Husband 24:39 The Struggles of Miscarriages and Procedures 24:57 The Journey to Acceptance 25:51 The Reality of Raising Twins 27:26 Balancing Motherhood and Personal Ambitions 31:10 Impact of Fertility Treatments on Intimacy 36:19 Navigating Reality TV 40:16 Coping with Social Media Criticism Have something to share of your own? I'd love to hear from you! Click here to get in touch: howtofailpod.com Production & Post Production Coordinator: Eric Ryan Studio and Mix Engineer: Gulliver Lawrence-Tickell Producer: Hannah Talbot Executive Producer: Carly Maile Head of Marketing: Kieran Lancini How to Fail is an Elizabeth Day and Sony Music Entertainment Production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices