How Hannah Berner Went From Bravo Fan To Bravo Star - Exclusive

Hijinks, hookups, hangovers, and hella more: Bravo's Summer House is a riotously fun stew of drama, drinking, and twenty-something friendships. After premiering in 2017, the show has unfolded over multiple seasons. The fifth season of the hit Bravo show debuted in January 2021. While it still focused on a lively group of friends renting a house in the Hamptons, Season 5 was also forced to confront the reality of life and filming amid the coronavirus pandemic. With a goal of maintaining a safe environment while also providing entertainment, Bravo reportedly heavily tested its cast members before setting them loose to live and work together.

Hannah Berner joined the cast of Summer House in Season 3, and immediately made an impression. Lively, opinionated, and always looking to have a good time on her own terms, Hannah was a natural. Nicki Swift exclusively caught up with Hannah to find out how she went from being a Bravo superfan to holding it down as a cast member on one of Bravo's most popular reality shows.

"I was a big fan of Bravo," Hannah told Nicki Swift. "I actually hadn't seen Summer House, but I love Bravo." So, how did her love for the network turn into a gig? "I was working for a media company and I interviewed people from Summer House, and I was becoming a little bit of a personality in the New York comedy scene." She added, "So, I think when they were looking for new people, they wanted natural relationships." 

And since Hannah already knew some of the cast and was a boisterous personality in her own right, she was seemingly a natural fit to join in on all of the antics in the house. She summarized her casting from Bravo's point of view: "Hannah has no filter and she's outgoing."

As a native New Yorker, Hannah was no stranger to the Long Island environs of Summer House. "I grew up going to Shelter Island," she told Nicki Swift, adding that she told her parents that it "was kind of like [her] life." The only difference? "I didn't party as much in the Hamptons. I would just golf with my grandpa, but this was just like a natural fit." 

Berner was also keen on being cast because of what the heightened exposure means for her burgeoning career as a media personality. "I love that they show my career during the week because I was starting podcasting and doing standup." She continued, "So, I was like, 'F**k it. Let's see what happens." And it seems like she made the right call. "It was honestly fun. I feel like there are some things in your life that you're like, 'This could be a terrible idea, but it could also be a great idea.'"

Summer House airs Thursdays on Bravo.