Exclusive Interview

Ross Mathews on Manifesting ’90 Day’ Hosting Gig, Shocking Tell All Revelation & More 

90 Day Fiancé fans, we are in such good hands! On May 11, Ross Mathews sat down with Swooon to discuss hosting the upcoming 90 Day: The Single Life Tell All, a position he truly manifested as a major 90 Day Fiancé fan himself.

The Season 5 Tell All, which will feature cast members Gino Palazzolo, Colt Johnson, Cortney Reardanz, Kimberly Menzies, Vanja Grbic, Pedro Jimeno, Sophie Sierra, and Liz Woods, as well as Kim’s son, Jamal Menzies, and Gino’s ex-wife, Jasmine Pineda, premieres on May 18. From promising that he got some major tea from the cast to proving just how big a 90 Day Fiancé fan he truly is, Ross made it clear that he is the perfect guy for the job.

Ross has been watching 90 Day Fiancé since Season 1, so according to him, joining the 90 Day family was “just something I knew would happen one day in my bones.” After years of talking about the franchise with anyone who would listen, including fellow RuPaul’s Drag Race star Michelle Visage, Ross got wind that the conversation had started about getting him on board. He joked, “I was like, ‘Can I tear down this door? Can I run in the hallways? What can I do to make it happen?’ If there was even a slight glimmer of an opportunity, I was like, ‘Put me in, coach!'”

Settling into that hosting chair, Ross was anything but a fish out of water. “I felt more prepared for this than anything I’ve ever done in my entire life. There’s that saying, you know, ‘Prepare 10,000 hours for something.’ I had put in those hours just watching the show,” he added. “I swear to you, I took it so seriously.”

So, how is Ross’ hosting style different from what we’ve seen in the past? He revealed, “I watched every frame. I took notes. It was a different watching and viewing experience. I was taking so many notes because I wanted to listen for the truth. I wanted to listen for BS because I wanted to really sort of press people—not in a mean way—but in a way that I wanted to get to the truth for the viewers. Because that’s what I want.”

That said, Ross teased, “a specific revelation” even he wasn’t prepared for. He revealed, “I had to set my cards down because I was like, ‘There’s no way I could have prepared for this.’ And it affects the group in a big way.”

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Of course, the regular season finale left us on some major cliffhangers, so we had to ask Ross what he could tease about each star’s Tell All journey. During the Tell All, both Gino and Jasmine will take the stage. As a fan in the room, Ross revealed, “It’s not an act. I will tell you, when they’re in the room together, there is an energy shift that happens. They both are in their camps, and they are both very passionate about their point of view.”

Now, Gino has a new love interest named Lexi. While Ross couldn’t reveal if they’re still going strong, he explained that their relationship is “complicated, slightly odd, but sweet, very unique and surprising in ways you don’t see coming.”

Similarly, Ross reacted to Cortney’s engagement to Phil, explaining, “I’m thrilled for Cortney, because I love Cortney, but [I’m] a little intrigued, like in my head. She was still sort of stuck in a murky situation with Colt, and I was hoping that she was finding her way. I did not expect it would be with somebody the same age as her parents. But I don’t judge, I just didn’t see it coming.”

The Tell All preview revealed that Liz is also engaged today. While we’d assume it was either Alec or Villa who put the ring on her finger, we don’t know yet. “I wasn’t surprised that Liz was engaged again,” Ross confessed. “She loves being engaged, right? I was surprised by a few things with Liz. One, that she was engaged. Two, that it was so quick. And three, I was surprised by the level of connection that she had, and maybe still has, with Villa.”

One conversation fans should definitely look forward to is between Ross, Vanja, and Tony. “I was surprised at the depth of the issues that we got to, that they have,” Ross admitted. “The conversation sort of started like things are great, and then as we picked a little bit, we discovered that’s not necessarily the case.”

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It wouldn’t be a Tell All without at least one unexpected fight. This season, it appears that Colt and Jamal will be the ones feuding, with Kim sitting right between them. “Listen, tensions are really high in these Tell Alls, especially this Tell All,” Ross explained. “It feels like there’s a lot to be decided in this Tell All. A lot of things that have been unsaid, a lot of unresolved anger. I think that tensions were really high.”

This season has been one wild ride for Kim, and the Tell All, according to Ross, was no different. “I think Kim had a lot to talk about at this Tell All because her storyline was so surprising and so emotional and so revealing… There was a lot about her personal life that she owed some explanations to, right? And I will tell you, it is really emotional.” Could another update on her daughter be on the way?

Buckle up, because this Tell All is going to be one for the ages! Watch our full interview with Ross Mathews above!

90 Day: The Single Life, Season 5, Mondays at 8/7c, TLC