Most people think it’s tacky to talk about how much money you make, but that didn’t stop Jeff Lewis. The Flipping Out star recently appeared on Bravo’s Hot Mic podcast and gossiped about the origins of the reality show that made him a star. According to Jeff, he wound up making an “embarrassing amount of money” for Season 1.
Bravo’s Hot Mic podcast is hosted by Alex Baskin, a producer of hit Bravo shows like Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and Vanderpump Rules. When interviewing Jeff, they talked about how he made the jump from real estate to reality TV star. It all started with Jenni Pulos and her husband.
Jeff Lewis was paid a huge amount for Flipping Out
“They had aligned themselves with this tiny little production company, and they were charming,” Jeff recalled. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, they were very likable and charming, and they were trying so hard to make it in Hollywood, and they both worked for me.”
Although Jenni and her husband wanted to be the stars, Jeff caught the eyes of the producers. They approached him to be a bigger part of the show, and he felt hesitant at first. He eventually signed on because he thought the exposure would be good for his real estate business. Obviously, he was right.
Jeff explained, “I just kind of closed my eyes and jumped and said, ‘OK, go ahead.’”
From there, they pitched the show to various networks. Two seemed interested, but they wanted to shoot pilots. However, a little network called Bravo saw their sizzle reel and offered them a six-episode series order. That opened the door for Jeff to cash in on his new show.
“I never cared about that; I just wanted to make money, and they originally had offered me an embarrassing amount of money,” Jeff recalled.
According to Jeff, the production company signed on with Bravo before they secured their contract with him. That meant the show was picked up before Jeff. He used that position to score a fat paycheck.
“So, I had leverage [and] I ended up making considerably more money than I think anyone else as a first-time unknown,” he continued.
Once Flipping Out became a major success, Jeff was able to cash in on other opportunities, like his wildly popular radio show on SiriusXM. Still, he loves money, so he’s trying to get back on reality TV. Last year, he teased that a Flipping Out reboot is in the works. We’re still waiting for updates on that.
Flipping Out is streaming on Peacock.
TELL US – HOW MUCH DO YOU THINK JEFF GOT PAID? ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING A FLIPPING OUT REBOOT?
