What Million Dollar Listing didn't show you: An exclusive interview with Madison Hildebrand

In the world of Bravo's "Million Dollar Listing" fans, this is the season of feeling bereft. With the third season just concluded, our Monday nights are empty. No more MDL building parties in West Hollywood where everyone gathers around the tube and throws popcorn at Chad or wonders why Josh spends so much time with his grandmother (or more accurate why grandma spends so much time with him.) And in a cliffhanger ending right up there with "Who Shot JR?," fans across the world are wondering whether the handsome dude smooching in the pool with Madison Hildebrand is The One or just a handsome dude who likes to pool-smooch with a TV reality show star. We protect our guy!

Foreclosures? Nationwide recession? Pish, we say! For an hour a week, we enjoy forgetting that our home values are in the toilet and we follow the antics of the boys of MDL. There's Chad Rogers, who obsessively fluffs couch pillows and gets $600 haircuts every two weeks, possibly spending more time with his hair stylist than he does with girlfriend Victoria. And there's Josh Flagg, the cool-as-a-whistle one whose doctor said is overworked and overstressed behind those designer sunglasses. And of course Madison Hildebrand, who went from being poly-amorous to out-of-the-closet gay in front of millions of TV viewers this season.


What's real? What's not? In an exclusive video interview with Walletpop, Madison says the show is unscripted -- which is not to say that it is entirely ad-libbed. Reality TV, after all, isn't the same as reality reality. The three Realtors pitch story lines and the show follows them for nine months to produce the 11 episodes. But about the realest thing, says Hildebrand, who is based in Malibu, is his new romance with the pool smooch-er. The two will be spending New Year's Eve in Bali.

On air, Madison and Frank met when Madison posed for an anti-gay bashing poster, NoH8 (no hate). In real life, Frank works in a behind-the-scenes job in Hollywood and hopes to branch into directing.

Madison's views of his co-stars: Clearly not friends with Chad, but he and Josh "text once in a while." He and Chad just don't have that much to say to one another, he says. Does he think Chad and his girlfriend will survive as a couple? Hard to say, but what a relief to know that thanks to a high-powered attorney, Starla their dog would join the many other products of divorce and go into a joint custody arrangement.

What will season four likely bring us? Expect some romantic sparks to fly between Madison's photographer brother John, who shoots all his listings, and Madison's most-capable assistant Heather.

And what didn't we see in Season three? The fact that Madison, who had been training for a marathon on Catalina, needed to be hospitalized for exhaustion. In several scenes, he wore padding under his sweaters to hide the weight loss and appear healthier to his viewers.

"Totally fine now" he says beaming, "better than fine -- because of Frank!"