This experience can prove heartbreaking, but it can also prove joyous if the relationship works out.
Honestly, I didn’t really have a issue with the cameras.
I thought it was pretty cool.
That’s what it’s all about, right?
And so now we move on.
Now you’re able to do anything.
How did it feel to watch yourself on Season 13?
A fun fact: I did not watch myself.
I did not watch any episodes.
I think that’s very fair.
From what I saw, from what people sent me, I remember everything seemed right.
I thought it came out just right, to tell you the truth.
Oh, well, wonderful.
Yeah, for sure.
Well, in that case, speaking of the editing, viewers only see partial conversations, really.
I’m the same person off camera that I am on camera.
And so, because of that, I feel comfortable with the product that they put out.
I was very disappointed in how they made me look with that.
But other than that, no, because …
There’s no cameras in a bedroom.
That’s got to be hard, right?
Everyone wants a small piece of the truth.
Well, since your season aired, how has the fan reception been?
It’s been insane.
It’s been very overwhelming.
I’ve been getting so much support, so much love.
It’s been awesome.
It’s been very awesome to see that people actually care and actually support me for me being me.
So I love it.
Have there been any specific fan interactions that you remember?
I remember every single one of them in the streets.
So if I’m out and about the common reaction I get is they’ll just scream my name.
So those interactions are very wholesome and very sweet.
I love it because I put a smile on everybody’s faces and that’s …
I mean, do you think that’s a product of being on reality television versus a scripted show?
For sure because in a reality TV [series] what you get is what you get, right?
If you play a bad guy, you’re a bad guy.
Have you ever considered going into scripted television?
Not now, I haven’t thought about it.
There are a few other reality TV series Gil would consider
That’s very fair.
So “The Amazing Race” is something that I would definitely be a part of.
That’s awesome to me.
I love “Dancing With the Stars.”
I love dancing, and then “Dancing With the Stars” is dope.
Things like that would be cool.
“Family Feud.”
That’ll be dope too.
That’s really interesting.
As long as it doesn’t have to do with dating or weddings, I’m for it.
We’ll work on getting you on “Big Brother.”
[Laughs] That’d be fun.
Well, short answer is [it was] disappointing.
Obviously I would’ve liked to have still been married.
So I can only speak for myself.
I don’t think it would’ve hit me as much as it hit me.
So it was just like that.
And so like I said, it was just disappointing.
Things were good and then they weren’t, so just like that.
Gil’s approach to reality TV was acting like the cameras weren’t there
Yeah.
No, I don’t regret anything.
I don’t really care.
I’m not here to kindly anybody.
So my mindset when I was in front of the cameras is that the cameras aren’t there.
I really don’t care what people see.
I don’t really care because people will judge you no matter what, no matter who you are.
So it doesn’t matter what you do.
I can’t live my life based off what people might think or their perception of me.
So I don’t regret anything I did on camera.
And honestly, I never even thought about the cameras.
And that was one thing I could definitely do without.
So I never thought about the cameras.
But even people that work 9-to-5s, they work around you.
In terms of the filming process, did that add any extra level of stress onto you?
I signed up for this.
And that’s also a great mindset to have, honestly.
Seriously, because it’s not like I can change anything.
So it is what it is.
You just got to suck it up and just keep it moving.
Well, now that it’s over, what’s next for you?
I don’t know, but I hope big things.
So [I] hope …
If marketing is good, what companies I should look at, if they’re …
I mean, anything.
Like, I would be interested in obviously print marketing, like that.
With the Instagram now is something I’m interested in.
I would be interested in commercials if it’s possible.
Gil believes everyone should attend therapy
Yeah.
Well, you know what?
I haven’t thought about that.
I have goals, but I have personal goals with my career as a firefighter.
But as of [my] social media status, I haven’t had any goals.
The only thing I can think about is I’m an advocate for … Everybody needs it; you’re not different.
You’re don’t have …
I mean, we all have issues.
I don’t care how well balanced you are; therapy is for everybody.
And it’s great you bring that up because I had a question just about that for you.
You beat me to it.
I would say one of the biggest ones I always think about is ride that wave of emotions.
Whatever you’re feeling, let it happen.
If you feel like crying, cry.
If you feel like screaming, scream.
Whatever is that you’re feeling, let it happen.
Obviously, you don’t want anything that’s going to be volatile.
You don’t want anything that’s going to harm you.
We’re not talking about like that.
It’s just a storm; storms don’t last so sit on it.
Do what you have to do [and] then pick it back up and keep it moving.
I think that’s honestly something I attempt to live by too.
And something that could help a lot of people honestly.
The biggest advice I have, outside of communication, is you [can] never ask enough questions.
Or vice versa, you think things are not good and they actually are.
And so it’s not organic obviously, it’s kind of a new age arranged marriage.
But we know that arranged [marriages] … work.
So why not give it a shot?
Give it a true shot when you get on there and just ask those questions.
And then one other advice question.
Stay true to you.
At the end of the day, you had a life before reality TV.
Whatever you were doing, whatever was making you happy, continue doing that.
I tell them, “Look, I could turn my phone off and that fame would be gone.
It’s just the IG.
I still have my day job.
It’s not a big deal.”
People call me a celebrity, I don’t think I am.
I tell them if I’m a celebrity, I’m a Z-list celebrity.
So I still love what I do, so I say, stay true to who you are.
Stay true to who you were before you even were able to get this opportunity.
So I should respect that and send them something as well.
Gil was recommended for Married at First Sight
That’s amazing.
And speaking of that fame, has that impacted your personal life at all?
Whether your family or your job, does that fame come up?
It comes up for sure, but it hasn’t affected my life.
It’s happened more than a couple times, so things like that all the time.
And so it’s things like that [are] awesome.
And in that way, it has impacted my life, especially working, but it’s fun.
I’d never watched it before.
Let me figure this out first.
And let me do some little intel first before I give you my answer."
So I went on Netflix, found it, watched it.
And went from there.
And how did that go?
Did you apply for it or was this a spontaneous situation?
Well, somebody, some woman that I still don’t know, because they won’t let you … ## He experienced a fast turnaround when cast on Married at First Sight
So where were you?
And I got a phone call, but I didn’t pick up the phone.
I thought it was just spam, so I didn’t pick it up.
It’s going to be coming to Houston, wanted to see if you were interested."
So what was the turnaround when you’ve got the call versus when you actually started filming?
So I got the call let’s say a Monday.
Then I called him back, like on … No, I got the call let’s say Wednesday.
I called him back on a Monday, told him I wanted to do it.
So I had to go through the entire process like if I’m applying for it.
So they sent me a questionnaire.
I had to send them some pictures and some stuff about me.
And then after that they … That’s a quick turnaround.
It’s very quick.
And I feel like it would’ve been even quicker, but the holidays kind of slow things up.
How was it filming during the COVID-19 pandemic?
The only thing, the only knock with that … From the assistant up to the highest of the highest.
So we got a test weekly and we got [the] nose swab weekly.
We did all the tests, even if we were vaccinated.
I got most of the cast vaccinated and everybody was vaccinated, even our field producers.
And, but it didn’t matter, we still had to get tested everybody.
It gets a little annoying, but we get it.
I don’t knock them for that, but it gets a little annoying.
But other than that, just a few poke in the nose every week, but that’s it.
That doesn’t sound too bad.
Either Bora Bora, Maldives, or Greece.
Ooh, those are great.
You want to go somewhere sunny and blue?
I have to have the sun.
I have to have a beach, some water nearby for sure.
I have to have a very scenic place that does not involve cold air, mountains, and city.
Well, what do you want to see in Greece, for example?
Greece, it’s very picturesque.
The water is crystal blue.
The towns, the houses are very pretty.
So I would go somewhere like that for sure.
I love that too.
And then in terms of dating, what are sort of the key traits you look for in partners?
I love the woman that’s ambitious.
I like somebody that’s pretty.
I guess frank, just very upfront.
I don’t want to guess.
I don’t want to have to kind of get it out of them.
I like somebody that’s just a straight shooter.
This is my last question for you in terms of your dating life.
I’m taking a small break just to give myself a break and also help my healing process.
But I feel like pretty soon I’ll be dating again.
I’m feeling pretty good about where I’m at mentally and my head space.
