‘Real Housewives Of Dubai’ Star Caroline Stanbury Hasn’t Made Progress In Cutting The Umbilical Cord From Husband Sergio Carrallo: “I Can’t Even Go To The Loo On My Own”

We watched Caroline Stanbury wed former soccer player Sergio Carrallo in a beautiful ceremony during the first season of Bravo’s Real Housewives of Dubai. Now, the couple is looking toward their future — but before Stanbury can have another baby, she wants to learn how to stop micromanaging her husband, as she says in the show’s most recent episode.

“No!” she told DECIDER with a laugh when asked if she’d made any progress in cutting the umbilical cord. “I can’t even go to the loo on my own.”

The reality star, 48, recently opened up about her fertility journey in an essay for Today, revealing that she and Carrallo, 29, have one baby boy embryo. However, she said she is unsure whether she wants to carry the baby herself or use a surrogate, given her past bouts with preeclampsia.

While the future is unknown at the moment, Stanbury told us that she’s “excited” to give Carrallo his first child.

“I’ve got three, so I’ve done it all before,” she said. “If he wants to do this journey, then he’ll have to do all the nappies and the feeding … I don’t know, I might be more fun as a mum in my older age. I didn’t see any of this happening to be honest, you know, in my life, so every time I say no to something, it happens.”

Stanbury also weighed in on the drama in The Real Housewives of Dubai Season 2. While the Ladies of London alum agrees to move forward with Lesa Milan in the first episode, their alliance seemingly sours amid Milan’s fallout with Chanel Ayan, who is now close pals with Stanbury.

“When you have a strong person it’s natural to try and take them down. But I’m not going anywhere,” she promised, before adding that “everyone knew” it would “game over” if she and Ayan became friends. “Chanel and I are remaining as friends and I don’t care who doesn’t like it nor does she and that’s great, because we’re very strong together. And we’re really enjoying being friends.”

Stanbury recently paid a visit to DECIDER’s offices, where she also talked about that wild conversation she had with Caroline Brooks, using Princess Diana‘s hypnotherapist and whether she thinks Ayan or Dorinda Medley will do better on The Traitors Season 3. Check out the full interview below.

DECIDER: I’m loving the season so far. How are you feeling about it? 

CAROLINE STANBURY: I’m loving it. I mean, I think we’ve all found our feet. I’m watching it now and I’m as far as you guys are in, and it’s so funny. It’s funny. I’m really pleased.

You are no stranger to reality TV fame. Before The Real Housewives of Dubai, you starred on Ladies of London. Aside from location, how have the two experiences differed and/or compared?  

It was different because it was my friends and family in Ladies of London, so I think it’s more emotionally charged when it’s your friends, your family and you have to go home to them. This one, I’ve understood, you know, Dubai is a melting pot of people. So everyone’s kind of new to the city and everything. So this one is more — it doesn’t hurt as much if you have the row, you’re like, okay, whatever.

You and Sergio are such a great couple. But you say in the show that you need to cut the umbilical cord. Have you made any progress in doing that?

No! I can’t even go to the loo on my own. No, no. Notes? Anyone want to write in and tell me how I let him do that? I have no idea.

I think it’s so amazing the way you’ve opened up about your fertility journey. How are you feeling about potentially becoming a mom again? And why do you think Sergio will make a great dad?

Well, we made a deal. I’ve got three [kids], so I’ve done it all before. If he wants to do this journey, then he’ll have to do all the nappies and the feeding. That was not the bit I enjoy. I don’t know, I might be more fun as a mum in my older age. I didn’t see any of this happening to be honest, you know, in my life, so every time I say no to something, it happens. So I’m excited. I’m excited if he’s excited. He has to have a baby. Look at that face. 

It was pretty cool that you got a hold of Princess Diana’s hypnotherapist. Have you kept up with hypnotherapy since that first session? And what is the biggest thing you learned about yourself in doing it?

I haven’t been able to do many more, but Marissa and I are good friends and I get along really, really well with her. I think the biggest thing I learned is the way I am today — and actually, it came from another therapist as well as her. Both said it’s all down to boarding school and that’s why I react to everyone the way I do. That’s why I am the way I am. That’s why I deal with things the way I do. It’s really insightful because that’s been ingrained in me in such a way and that’s why I think people can’t read me. Because when you’re in boarding school for so many years by yourself, you learn just to deal with everything on your own. Whereas I think other people need an army. I’m my own army.

Since the show started, you have found yourself in some drama with Lesa, Ayan and now Brooks. Why do you think everyone is always coming after you? Are they just obsessed? 

They’re obsessed. I think Lesa can’t get a headline without my name, so that’s a big thing for her I think. And Brooks — I didn’t see it coming. But I think when you have a strong person it’s natural to try and take them down. But I’m not going anywhere. And I told them in the first season — wrong girl, wrong time. [I’m] not going anywhere … I put my foot down. And Chanel and I are remaining as friends and I don’t care who doesn’t like it nor does she and that’s great, because we’re very strong together. And we’re really enjoying being friends.

Your friendship with Ayan is definitely blossoming. Were you surprised at how far you two have come? And what do you cherish most about your friendship?

I’m really surprised. I’m, like, the most surprised because I really couldn’t bear her last season. And that was real. I think you all saw that and she felt the same. But I think we had so many misconceptions of who we were and why. And then the noise behind us and the manipulation of keeping us apart because I think everyone knew if we did become friends, it would be game over. We just sat down one day without telling anyone we were going to and we realized how much we really have in common. We have kids the same age. We grew up pretty much the same way. I know it sounds ridiculous, but I explained it a bit better in the show going forward. There’s a lot of things about Chanel I understand. 

We have the same sense of humor. We really, really do. We have the same sense of humor. She’s very light. I think Chanel gets triggered by things when people poke her because coming from where she comes from, obviously, she has a chip on her shoulder for some things. She wants to feel heard and seen and not put down. And I think in these groups of women, a lot of people can put people down instead of lifting them and understanding why she is the way she is — that she needs this fanfare to give herself life.

In the first episode, you and Lesa agree to move on from your differences. But the trailer and Lesa’s recent press tour have indicated you guys might not be on the best terms now. What can you tell us about that? Is there a chance of you two ever becoming friends?

The least I say about Lesa the better, honestly. She’s somebody that is just never going to gel with me. I gave her the benefit of doubt and that was it. She constantly, constantly comes at me, and I’m just gonna let her play in the dirt by herself.

Brooks suggested in the trailer that you stole Ayan from Lesa. Do you think that’s true?

I mean, can you really steal someone? I don’t really understand. Like, we’re not children. I mean Chanel and I are mid-40s women. I’ve never heard of such a thing. I mean, I go to dinner parties, introduce people and don’t say, “You stole my friend.” I mean, we’re not 12. [Brooks] just didn’t want her to get on with me, and now we do and we all see through her.

Speaking of Brooks. You two had a rough start this season. Why do you think she dragged the Taleen thing out so long even though you and Taleen had squashed it?

I mean, you’d have to ask Brooks. I absolutely don’t get it at all. And actually, I think it backfired quite badly on her. I don’t think anyone’s interested in it. We laughed and it was meant to be funny. [Taleen] face-planted. We’ve all gotten drunk and face-planted ourselves somewhere in our lives. Me and Nina [Ali] actually saw it happen and we couldn’t stop laughing for about 30 seconds. Then we took another cocktail and continued our night. It really wasn’t that dramatic.

You said that seeing Brooks at Taleen’s party made you want to be “stone cold sober” for the rest of your life. Do you think her anger was purely alcohol fueled? Or was there something deeper there?

I really honestly can’t tell you. I was completely blindsided. I mean, what’s really funny is watching it back. The look on her face when I walk in the room — then she’s like, “Darling.” It’s just so funny. I don’t even know if she knows she does it. It’s so crazy. But she was two sheets to the wind before I got there. 

Vagina-gate aside, what do you think of Taleen?

Love her. Love her. I mean, she’s self-deprecating. She can make fun of herself. She does find herself funny. I’ve literally fallen face-first in the bush with Taleen. We’ve had such laughs together and that’s it. That’s what girls do. Was it at the Beyoncé concert? No. She could have waited there. But she’s just so funny, she’s great. And she’s got a great family. We get on very well with Rafi and the kids and her mom. So I think she’s a great addition.

We know you’re pals with Dorinda Medley and Chanel Ayan is also on the show. Who do you think will do better on Traitors? 

I mean, it’s so awful to say but it’s going to be Dorinda. As I said, Chanel is a terrible liar. She has no poker face. I will be shocked as she makes it through the first week. Shocked.

What else can you tease about the rest of the season?

Oh, it just gets better and better. It really does. I mean, just wait for my housewarming. Wait. That was a disaster. But I mean, if you can just look past what happened, the house is gorgeous. The house looks amazing. The behavior was not. Oh, and Bali. I think Bali is going to be hilarious. I’m really excited for the rest of the season.