Sophie Monk on Beauty and the Geek, wedding plans and why there won’t be a Bardot reunion

Sophie Monk opens up to news.com.au about her nerves for a new venture, her upcoming wedding and why there’ll never be a Bardot reunion.

Through all the twists and turns of her 21-year career, there’s one thing Sophie Monk can’t seem to escape: reality TV.

Not that she wants to, of course. Whether she’s a contestant – on Popstars, The Masked Singer or Celebrity Apprentice – or a host – on Love Island, and now, Nine’s new reboot of Beauty and the Geek, airing 7pm this Sunday – Monk’s love affair with reality TV is enduring.

“It’s not for everyone,” she tells news.com.au, “but I enjoy it so much.”

We spoke to Sophie about her latest reality TV venture, her upcoming wedding to fiance Joshua Gross, and her nerves over an imminent return to music - just not with the band that launched her career.

Sophie’s new gig, as host of Beauty and the Geek.

How’s lockdown treating you, Sophie?

Well, I don‘t have kids, so I really can’t complain. I’m on the Central Coast. I just wear pyjamas all day long and watch TV and eat more s**t. I mean, no one is going to see me anyway. It’s kind of works for me because I’m not very social anyway.

Beauty and The Geek strikes me as a good fit for you; you’re a mix of both …

That‘s so funny because that’s exactly what the executive from the network told me. And I went, ‘I’m a dork, I’m not a geek.’ I’ve got a very geeky side to me, but … no book smarts, that’s for sure.

The show hasn‘t been on air since 2014. Has the format been updated?

Well, it‘s not the stereotypes it was before, when you’d make the beauties do math, and make the geeks get spray tans. It’s not that. The challenge is about growing and bringing the best out of each other. And if they find romance, awesome, but there’s no pressure on that. If you find an awesome friendship that you grow out of it, that’s great too.

You’ve had an interesting career in reality TV: Sometimes you’ll be the host, sometimes the contestant. You seem equally up for either role.

I remember when everyone in the industry was like, ‘Oh reality TV …’ And I was like, ‘I love it!’ I just love reality. It’s not for everyone, but for me, I enjoy it so much. I always come out of the experience learning so much about myself. And throwing yourself in the deep end – when do you get to be in these experiences in normal life? Never. I love an adventure.

Sophie (centre, front) with her Bardot bandmates in 2000.

As you say, you love reality TV. How has it changed since you started out on Popstars back in 2000?

I haven‘t watched that since it was on … but I think the audience are getting smarter. They can see through producing, nowadays, and they can see through bulls**t better, as well. So I think that’s a big thing. And also, back when I did reality, (reality) was almost like the ‘R word’ in the industry.

You formed an important connection in Popstars: Jackie O was judging you, now she’s your bestie.

It’s crazy when you look at it that way, because I was sort of intimidated by her: ‘Who is this girl?’ I was so young. But we bonded over the similar experiences we have in the industry – it’s very nice to have a girlfriend that does what you do.

Sophie says her wedding to fiance Joshua Gross will be low-key.

The show’s about finding love – how are your own wedding preparations going? Is it hard to plan a wedding in a pandemic?

It is, but I‘m very low-key, unless it’s for work, when I’m always dressing up. I think we’re just going to keep it quiet, low-key, and no drama for anyone. I just want it to be an amazing day between us.

So if the rules said you could only have a couple of people in a backyard, you wouldn’t freak out?

I‘d actually go, ‘That’s awesome.’ And if I’ve got a crowd there, I can’t help but perform as well. I just will. I’m a bit of a show pony like that. And I’ve realised it’s about him as well, it’s not all about me! I’m a people pleaser too, I like making sure everybody else is happy.

There’s a lot of goodwill out there towards you getting hitched. That must feel nice.

Well, it‘s just best feeling ever. It’s so lovely. I think they know how unlucky in love I’ve been over the years. They’ve seen the good or bad, while I’ve been in the media for 20 years. I think it’s so nice that they were invested. I’m very lucky in that way.

Last year’s stint on The Masked Singer was the first time fans had heard Sophie sing in years. Picture: Channel 10

Your appearance on The Masked Singer last year felt like a bit of a full circle moment for you after turning your back on singing for so long. Could there be more music in your future?

Yeah, I have recorded after that. It just gave me the confidence back …. I think there‘s something about having that head on. And ironically, Jackie’s there again judging me, which is hilarious. It was such a positive experience, and that’s why I love reality shows. And yeah, so I do miss music, I’m just not sure I’m great at it.

See, that’s a bummer to hear. You were a good pop star! I take it you don’t miss those days very much?

Well, you know what it was? It was the politics behind it for me. The industry has an idea of what they want you to be, and you’ve got an idea. And then I kind of fell into being me, which is … I couldn’t even tell you what I actually do right down, as a job. I’m pretty lucky that I can kind of do a little bit of everything averagely, that I can jump into it and give it a shot again.

So I think I’m going to release a song in a month or so, but I’m worried I might disappoint people, because you’d kind of expect it’s going to be real pop, nightclubby. It’s not that at all. It’s more a jazz vibe, which is because I came from classical music and jazz.

Lastly, a question I’ve asked a few former Bardot members over the years: What would it take for a five-piece Bardot reunion to happen again?

I mean, I don‘t know. I think we’ve all grown up very differently. It’s a bit like school, when you leave high school and you all kind of go your separate ways. So yeah, I don’t know. I think we’ve just all kind of moved on.

Katie Underwood had my favourite answer to this question – she said ‘a hell of a lot of money.’

Oh yeah … I think we’re all owed a bit from those days.