'Vanderpump Villa' Newcomer Nikki Millman Says She Expected the Unfriendly Welcome She Got (EXCLUSIVE)

Nikki says she has experience tending to the rich, but does she have experience working alongside such a drama-filled cast?

Kelly Corbett - Author
By

May 1 2024, Published 9:05 a.m. ET

Nikki Millman
Source: Gilles Mingasson / Hulu

In Hulu's reality series Vanderpump Villa, the cameras follow TV personality and entrepreneur Lisa Vanderpump and her staff as they live and work her picturesque French countryside estate, Chateau Rosabelle. The grandiose property has never been open to guests before, but Lisa has decided to do a trial run, hoping to offer travelers an unparalleled experience in the South of France.

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To make this dream a reality, she has seemingly cherry-picked the finest and most reliable staff to work alongside her — or she thought. There have been some incredibly messy moments amongst this motley crew, including the exit of one of the servers, Priscilla, who just didn't feel like she fit in.

During Episode 7, the staff is introduced to Priscilla's replacement, Nikki Millman, and her unexpected arrival definitely shakes things up.

Let's just say that Nikki didn't get the warmest welcome from her new co-stars. Distractify chatted with Chateau Rosabelle's newest hire about her time on the show. Plus, what we know about her background and dating life.

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Lisa Vanderpump greets new server Nikki Millman who has just arrived at Chateau Rosabelle
Source: Gilles Mingasson / Hulu

Nikki says she wasn't surprised by how her 'Vanderpump Villa' co-stars treated her after she arrived at Chateau Rosabelle.

Unfortunately, Nikki did not have the best first night at Chateau Rosabelle. Lead sever Marciano Brunette was outwardly cold with her, telling her he didn't care nor was happy she was there. When Nikki asked him why he felt that way, he said, "Because we don't need you."

After hearing that, Nikki quickly began to feel unwelcome at the chateau. And Marciano's girlfriend, server Hannah Fouch, further isolated her by asking why she was making such a big deal about it. The night ended with Nikki in tears.

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"You know, I was really hopeful I would have a warm welcome into the villa. But I expected the welcoming that I got," she told Distractify in an exclusive interview on April 30.

"I've been the new kid before, and I know that it's kind of easy to pick on the new kid. And so I was expecting it."

Lisa Vanderpump speaks with Nikki Millman and Stephen Alsvig
Source: Gilles Mingasson / Hulu
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According to Nikki, she felt like many of the staff members were still processing Priscilla's departure when she arrived. She said, "I believe that some people were upset about Priscilla leaving, and then being replaced. Therefore, I tried to be sensitive to their feelings and let them grieve the loss of the cast member."

Fortunately, Nikki revealed that as time passed, she "definitely did integrate into the group more." She shared that the majority of the staff currently follows her on Instagram and that she is in a group chat with some of her co-stars called "Trauma Bonding."

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How much experience does 'Vanderpump Villa' newcomer Nikki Millman have as a server?

Nikki, like the rest of the crew, is highly experienced in the service industry. She has worked as a server at some of the most exclusive restaurants in the world and has also served as a bartender.

“I am very used to dealing with the richest but the worst people in the world to serve. That is my target market," she revealed during Episode 7.

Nikki also loves traveling. Before arriving at Chateau Rosabelle, she had previously worked abroad in Australia on the luxurious Lizard Island, where she waited on the rich and famous.

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Speaking on her past work experience compared to Chateau Rosabelle, she said, "It differed a lot," but she liked how she only had to focus on one group of guests at a time.

"Those are my favorite types of parties," she explained, "because you can just focus all your attention on one table and not be worried about other tables. So for me, it's kind of a dream experience."

Nikki Millman and Lisa Vanderpump sitting on the couch having a conversation
Source: Gilles Mingasson / Hulu
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As for having the highly revered Lisa Vanderpump as her boss, Nikki enjoyed working under the hospitality maven. "Lisa was a great boss. She acts like a mentor but is in charge when somebody needs to make a decision," Nikki said.

She further noted that Lisa "has a very motherly presence" but isn't a helicopter mom.

Is Nikki dating anyone on 'Vanderpump Villa'?

When Nikki first arrived at Chateau Rosabelle, a few male staff members couldn't help but gawk at her beauty.

“Wow, oh man," Eric Funderwhite said when he first saw Nikki, pretending to dab sweat off his forehead because he was so attracted to her. Andre Mitchell also noted that Nikki was "hella fine," despite just having gotten together with co-star Gabriella Sanon.

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Meanwhile, Marciano noted that her arrival would be trouble, nodding to her good looks. (This is partially why he was so mean to her, as he didn't want Hannah to think he liked her — a prime example of boy math.)

Unfortunately, Nikki could not yet reveal if she was involved in any showmances, telling us, "You'll just have to wait and see who I ended up bonding with the most and if there's any romantic feelings."

It definitely will be interesting to see how the season unfolds now that she has arrived, especially as the three guys who took notice of her aren't all single.

Watch Vanderpump Villa Season 1 on Hulu, with new episodes dropping on Mondays.

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