After filming Grand Cayman: Secrets in Paradise, the cast is soaking it all in when it comes to their major reality TV lessons — and potential regrets.
The Freeform series, which premiered in April, follows a group of locals and expats who try to navigate their relationships, friendships and careers in the Cayman Islands. Based on the official trailer, season 1 of Grand Cayman: Secrets in Paradise features just the right mix of drama, fun and messiness.
“I’m really excited for people to be entertained by whatever drama exists. And I’m most excited for people to see a glimpse of the Cayman Islands,” star Elizabeth Chambers exclusively told Us Weekly about her time on the show. “It’s so beautiful. It’s so cinematically shot. I loved showing the culture [and] showing the island.”
Elizabeth, who filmed the opening of her BIRD Bakery’s first location in Grand Cayman, said she prioritized her mental health while working on the show.
“You have to just maintain perspective. Keeping your peace and mental health is the most important thing I have to say. I am so grateful for all the things — obviously, for my physical health — but I’m very mentally balanced and I’m grateful for that,” she shared. “I am 41 and I know exactly what I’ve done, who I am, what’s important to me [and] who my people are. That doesn’t necessarily happen or exist when you’re 24 or 26. But I just know I am in such a grounded space in my life that I’m like, ‘OK, we can take some risks now. We’ve done things really well. We’re in an amazing place, so let’s take a little bit more risk and go from there.’”
In addition to Elizabeth, the series also stars Selita Ebanks, Courtney McTaggart, Chelsea Flynn, Craig Jervis, Connor Bunney, Cass Lacelle, Julian Foster, Aaron Bernardo, Teri Bilewitch, Dillon Claassens, Victoria Coleman and Trevor Coleman.
Victoria and Trevor, specifically, had a unique experience with cameras filming the months leading up to their wedding.
“The first thing I said to Trevor when he brought up the idea of us going on this reality show, my biggest concern was our relationship. I said, ‘Well, are we going to be capable of surviving something like this? It’s a lot. It’s a big strain on [a] relationship,’” Victoria revealed to Us. “I think that at the end of the day, we were our authentic selves and s—t happens. Because of that, we learned about one another and about our relationship and how we work.”
Trevor confirmed that filming Grand Cayman: Secrets in Paradise made their relationship “stronger,” adding, “It was tough. It was really tough, but it was probably the greatest thing that could have happened to our relationship.”
Grand Cayman: Secrets in Paradise airs on Freeform Tuesdays at 9:30 p.m. ET and is available to stream on Hulu the next day. Keep scrolling for the Grand Cayman: Secrets in Paradise cast’s exclusive insight into the twists and turns of the first season: