Ariana Madix Says 'Dancing with the Stars' Helped Her Achieve No. 1 Goal in Life

Ariana Madix

It has been a crazy 13 months for Ariana Madix as viewers were made privy to the aftermath of “Scandoval” and her breakup with ex Tom Sandoval with the premiere of Season 11 of Vanderpump Rules earlier this year. But most of it has been positive.

The reality TV star finished in third place on Season 32 of Dancing with the Stars with her professional partner Pasha Pashkov, she starred on Broadway in the role of Roxie Hart in Chicago, and she has been signed to host the upcoming sixth season of Love Island: USA, which will air this summer.

Madix also wrote the book Single AF Cocktails, which was released last December, and while promoting it at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles on Sunday, April 21, she did comment on a potential return to Vanderpump Rules for Season 12.

“I can't or I won't say [if I'm returning] but I think that ultimately, it would have to make sense for me," she said. “Our show has always thrived, it’s always at its best when it is at its most authentic and its most real, and I have to be able to show up and be real and be authentic in order for it to make sense for me. So, that’s the question I would be asking myself going into it.”

Parade recently spoke to Madix to discuss everything that’s been going on with her— DWTS, Chicago, Single AF Cocktails and Love Island, but to also find out what lies ahead.

Related: Vanderpump Rules Star Ariana Madix Announced as New Love Island Host

You’re going to host Love Island. How did that happen? Is it the fact that you made the guest appearance last season or because they know what a big fan you are?

I think that’s a question for my team. I think that me doing a guest spot last season definitely had something to do with it and I know that Sarah Hyland has something coming up that has taken her away from the show. I think that from that point forward you’d have to ask my manager.

How much do you think your performance on Dancing with the Stars had to do with everything that’s happening with you now?

I think it had a big part to play in that I think that I also learned so much about myself, my body, just being able to perform week to week. I wanted to make it to the finals, being able to get that far and being able to perform every week. That’s something that I think going into rehearsals for Chicago on Broadway really set me up for success with that.

Do you think the fact that you did so well on Dancing with the Stars made them say,  “She can dance, we can put her in Chicago.” Is performing on Broadway a dream that you’ve always had?

Being on Broadway was literally my No. 1 dream since the day I was born. It’s all I’ve ever wanted to do; it’s the reason for everything I’ve ever done in regard to the entertainment business. Yes, I’m sure they saw me on Dancing with the Stars, but I did do a dance workshop for them, I did do a singing workshop for them and I did do an acting workshop for them. I think the combination of all of those things definitely brought me there.

Related: Watch Ariana Madix Preview Her Dance to "Cruel Summer" on Dancing with the Stars

For your book Single AF Cocktails, you created drink recipes. Where did the idea come from? And they all seem to relate to something that happened in your life.

Well, that was the idea. I wanted the cocktails and the stories from my life, I wanted it to tell a story. I started bartending at a very young age living in New York. Bartending was my survival job. Obviously, I’m not behind the bar like I used to be. But something that I always loved about that job was the creative process. Sometimes I wasn’t as excited to be working for tips and sometimes that can be exhausting and sometimes that can be soul sucking if you feel like you’re not having a great night. Something that always brought me back to it was creating new things. That has been one of my creative mediums for a really long time.

In addition to everything else, this is your second year promoting BIC EasyRinse. What is it about the product that you like?

I love that when I’m in the shower with BIC EasyRinse, I don’t have to spend a lot of extra time trying to get my razor unclogged while I’m using it. They have this anti-clog technology where the blades are further apart from each other. It’s so much faster when I’m shaving, and I have to use less strokes, so my skin is touchably smoother. I also not just love the product, but I love the spots that we did previously and I’m so excited that we got to do these new spots together because their creative team is so much fun and we had so much fun doing it.

While we’re talking about personal care is there something that’s key to you for your personal care?

Sleep. I try to get as much rest as possible. It’s very important for me.

When I Googled your name, so much comes up. Your personal life is just all over. How do you cope with it all being out there? That has to be such a difficult thing.

I have Googled myself in the past but I certainly don’t make a regular habit of it. To be honest, that’s not real life. Real life is waking up in my bed, being in my apartment with my dog and my cat, walking to the theater, going to work. That’s real life. Stuff on the internet about me is not real life.

You seem to be at a really good time in your career. So much is going on. What are your dreams for what’s coming next?

I’m really excited to open my sandwich shop with Katie Maloney in West Hollywood. We’re both excited to get that open. Obviously, I am very excited to be hosting Love Island and I’m hoping that that is something that continues. I think variety is the spice of life, and that’s something that I carry over into my career. I’m excited to do all kinds of different things and I’m very open minded to what’s next.

Is your sandwich shop, Something About Her, going to serve alcohol? You wrote that book on cocktails, so I wondered if you were going to incorporate any of that.

We have a beer and wine license, so there will definitely be things that incorporate what falls under the umbrella of a beer and wine license.

You bought a house in LA. Are you moving back? Your boyfriend Daniel Wai lives in New York and his business is there.

I’ve always wanted to be bicoastal. When I first moved to Los Angeles from New York City many years ago, I had a dream of being bicoastal. People in entertainment, I think that’s a lot of our dreams. If that’s in the cards for me, I would absolutely love that.

Next, Does Love Last After Love Island? All The Couples Who Have Stayed Together From the Past 4 Seasons