Amanda Batula and Kyle Cooke have declared Summer House season 9 the year of “messy Jesse” after Jesse Solomon gets himself into some hot water with the ladies.
“He rose up as quickly as he burned down,” Amanda, 33, exclusively told Us Weekly of Jesse, 29, who fans will see flirt with Ciara Miller while also pursuing a romance with newbie Lexi Wood when the show premieres on Wednesday, February 12.
Kyle, 42, explained that Jesse is a “goofball” and a “big flirt,” but things get out of hand this season.
“On one hand, he doesn’t mean any harm, but on the other hand, if you’re pursuing someone, you’re going to get yourself in a whole bunch of hot water,” Kyle teased during a joint interview with his wife, Amanda.
Amanda Batula, Kyle Cooke, Jesse Solomon, West Wilson. Kareem Black/Bravo (4)
Amanda revealed that although she and Kyle “were trying to help guide” Jesse during summer 2024, he didn’t exactly heed their warnings.
“Ultimately Jesse just had to learn from his own mistakes. He had to learn by doing and he had to figure it out for himself and realize that we are always right,” Amanda said with a laugh. “And by we, I mean me, Paige [DeSorbo], Ciara and Lindsay [Hubbard]. The advice we were giving, he should listen to us.”
She noted that Lexi, who is a self-described “lover girl,” gave “110 percent from day one” as did Jesse.
However, Amanda pointed out that Jesse “watched” his bestie West Wilson crash and burn during season 8 with a Hamptons house romance so he should’ve known better.
“[I was like], ‘Have you talked to him at all?’ This is the path you’re going down right now,” Amanda said of Jesse not learning from West’s mistakes.
During season 8, West, 30, sparked a romance with Ciara, 29, and the two were hot and heavy quickly. When their relationship ended in December 2023, Ciara claimed that West played “games” with her, which he apologized for during the season 8 reunion.
This season, Kyle and Amanda said that West was not his usual self — but played coy as to whether it was a “redemption summer” for the reality star.
“I kind of felt bad just because he was a little stifled and muted just because I feel like he was like, ‘I’m damned if I do and I’m damned if I don’t,’” Kyle told Us of West.
Amanda, meanwhile, said that she “supports Ciara’s feelings” about West but confessed that the internet was “really hard on him.”
Charles Sykes/Bravo; Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images; Jennifer Graylock/NBCUniversal Even West Wilson is curious about his Summer House costars Amanda Batula and Jesse Solomon’s flirty dynamic. “I did text Amanda and was like, ‘Is he clearing these with you before he posts them?’” West, 29, quipped during the Thursday, June 13, episode of “The Viall Files” podcast, […]
“Everyone was like, ‘West is the best’ [and] the No. 1 guy. [Then] It’s like, ‘Screw West,’” Amanda recalled of the fallout.
Kyle explained that after West made a “big splash” on his debut season and had fans “rooting” for him and Ciara, their split didn’t sit well with many viewers.
Looking back on summer 2024, which is the focus of the upcoming season, Amanda said “Jesse had a messier summer” than West.
In fact, she teased that Jesse and Lexi will most likely have the most to “discuss” at the future reunion.
“Even as a friend who’s literally watching their relationship kind of evolve in the first person. I was still confused,” Kyle confessed. “I feel like they’re probably going to get a little bit of confusion as to the ups and downs and confessionals will factor in. The internet will factor in.”
Summer House premieres on Bravo Wednesday, February 12, at 9 p.m. ET.
With reporting by Christina Garibaldi
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