Kristin Cavallari has gone from a teenager beefing with Lauren Conrad in Laguna Beach, to a married mom of three with a blossoming business in Very Cavallari, to a cultural sensation with a top-ranking podcast in her new show Honestly Cavallari: The Headline Tour. The E! series, which Cavallari describes as “the most personal show” she’s done to date, follows the reality star as she takes her Let’s Be Honest podcast on tour. With the help of some surprise guests (exes included), Cavallari — who has been in the public eye since she was in high school — is setting the record straight on some of the buzziest, most salacious headlines that have ever been written about her.

“I know I’ve said a thousand times I would never go back [to reality TV], and I stand by what I said, because this is not a show about my day-to-day life,” Cavallari told DECIDER, revealing that she was able to film the entire season in two weeks as cameras followed her on her podcast tour. “It was the perfect experience, perfect opportunity, and I’m really happy that I went back because this was the most enjoyable experience I’ve had on a show.”

In the first two episodes of Honestly Cavallari, the Uncommon James founder invited Real Housewives of Atlanta alum Kim Zolciak and the Laguna Beach Season 2 cast on-stage to break down some of the biggest headlines, and take a trip down memory lane. But Cavallari said her “favorite podcast episode to tape” was with Southern Charm stars Craig Conover and Austen Kroll, which will air later this season. The Hills alum recently confirmed her past romance with Conover, telling Andy Cohen on Watch What Happens Live that their fling lasted “two seconds” before she caught wind of his new relationship with Paige DeSorbo and abruptly ended things.

While Cavallari said Conover will “forever be a friend” (and nothing more) now that he’s single, she also thought it would be “awesome” to have DeSorbo — Giggly Squad podcast co-host and former Summer House star — on a future episode of Let’s Be Honest.

“I’ve met Paige, I love Paige,” Cavallari said. “There is nothing weird there whatsoever. I think, you know, at the end of the day we’re all girl’s girls and I think that’s pretty apparent.”

When Cavallari stopped by our studio, we also asked about her dry-humping session with Glen Powell, her awkward reunion with Laguna Beach alum Talan Torriero, and why she finally decided to let her kids film with her. Check out the full interview below.

DECIDER:I’m so excited to have you back on our TV screens. How much convincing did it take for you to return to reality TV?

KRISTIN CAVALLARI: I know I’ve said a thousand times I would never go back, and I stand by what I said, because this is not a show about my day-to-day life. Yes, you see little glimpses leading up to the tour, but really I filmed doing my podcast tour for a week, which I was already doing. So I just thought, “Why not have cameras come along and really capitalize on the experience?” And I filmed the entire show in two weeks, which is a dream. I mean, that’s unheard of. So, you know, it was the perfect experience, perfect opportunity, and I’m really happy that I went back because this was the most enjoyable experience I’ve had on a show. 

I love to see how much fun your kids are having with this experience. Were there a lot of conversations that went into finally deciding to show their faces on-camera?

Yeah. I’ve always said I wanted to wait until they were old enough to make that decision. And so about a year and a half ago, I started slowly kind of putting them out there on social media a little bit because they had been asking. I mean, my oldest is about to be 13. He’s a teenager. And so with the show, yes, there were a lot of conversations about it and they were really excited, and they really wanted to be on camera and you can tell if you’ve seen the show. I mean, they loved it.

They filmed for two days for maybe an hour each day. It was very minimal. They’re in maybe three or four scenes in the whole show. I do feel like it was a way to include them without it being too much and feeling like they’re overexposed. I, again, stand by what I’ve said. I would never do a reality show just about our day-to-day life with my children. I still want to keep my kids kids. But this was a cool way to share this reality experience, because it’s been such a big part of my life for over 20 years that I am glad we have that moment together.

Kim Zolciak was the first guest you had on your podcast tour. Why did you think she would be the perfect first guest?

Well, the first stop was Atlanta. And of course, Kim is an icon, period, but in Atlanta especially. I’ve known Kim a long time. I really value that she’s someone who’s authentic. She’s dealt with a lot in the press, especially as of late. And because this is the headline tour, and I wanted to talk about the headlines and how ridiculous the media can be, I thought there was no better person than Kim Zolciak. And she made the first show so great. I was so nervous, she put me at ease. It was great; I thought it was perfect. 

I simply have to ask about Glen Powell. We learn in the show that there might’ve been some dry humping going on after you guys met partying in Greece? What else can you say about your time with Glen?

I’m going to leave it at that [laughs]. 

Do you have a favorite movie of his?

No [laughs].

The Lindsay Lohan story is also wild. Have you gotten to connect with her at all since that wild moment at Talan’s house where she was breaking glass plates?

Not in the last however many years. I know I had seen her after that. Well, I’d seen her multiple times after that. But I mean, God, I probably haven’t seen her since 2008 or [2009], somewhere in there. A lot has changed. We’ve both grown up, we’ve both become mothers. I think it would be very different today if we saw each other.

Can I just say that I think you handled Talan so well, given the circumstances. The episode ends with you coming off stage and you’re obviously pretty mad. How were you able to keep your cool on-stage? 

I think I am unfortunately, or fortunately, so used to having things thrown at me, good and bad, my entire career, that in front of a thousand people and a live audience and cameras I’m not going to lose my cool, but you see it as soon as I come off stage. But then next week’s episode you really see the aftermath of it, and I was not happy. I was actually really upset about it. And I will say this, I love Talan. We are totally fine now. We’ve talked about it. He’s apologized. I can totally appreciate that he was really nervous. You know, he doesn’t do this stuff anymore. I was nervous and I do this stuff. So I have a lot of empathy for him in that situation.

Do I think it was a little unfair that he was coming at me? Sure, but I also can handle it. And I think if it was just Talan, it would have been OK. What happened was I had to do a quick change, do another show that same night, and then actually something even worse happened, which we’ll see next week. It was my very first boyfriend, Johnny. Kind of a similar situation in that I thought it was gonna go one way and it took a complete left turn. So I think the combination of the two back to back, I was rocked. Like, I was really upset. But you know, it makes for good TV, so I guess I can look at the positive in it. 

As a Southern Charm fan, I’m very excited to see Craig Conover and Austen Kroll’s cameo. What was it like to reconnect with Craig after his breakup? Was there any part of you that considered rekindling any past romance?

Everyone’s been asking that! No, I love Craig. He is a friend. He will forever be a friend. It was so great to see them. Austen and I kept in touch for all the years, but Craig and I obviously reconnected after his breakup, and it was like no time had passed. I really do love them. We have a lot in common, we have a lot of fun together, and I haven’t seen that episode yet, but it was my favorite podcast episode to tape. I’ve listened to the podcast episode, and it’s great. So I’m excited for that to come out, too. I’m excited to see it.

Amanda Batula posted a picture with you from Watch What Happens Live and Paige commented, “Mothers.” Have you gotten to talk to Paige at all?

Oh, she did? Oh! This is news to me! No, listen, I’ve met Paige, I love Paige, I loved Amanda. There is nothing weird there whatsoever. I think, you know, at the end of the day we’re all girl’s girls and I think that’s pretty apparent. 

Speaking of, your podcast is just huge. What do you think of other female-led competing podcasts like Call Her Daddy and Giggly Squad? 

I think it’s awesome. I love that women are out there just killing it and I love that women are having this moment where we can speak our minds and I just think it’s cool that so many women are rallying around other women and it’s really cool and special to see. 

Do you have any advice for anyone looking to enter that space?

I would say just be authentic. I think at the end of the day that’s all we have is being our true selves and to not worry about the noise. I’ve been getting shit on since I was 17 years old. But I’ve able to have a career for over 21 years. I have another show. And I just think if I listened to all the negativity and the hate, I would’ve crumbled. You have to understand where that’s coming from with people and just do what’s true to you and just go after your dreams. 

Another thing you talked about on Watch What Happens Live  was that your relationship with Brody Jenner was not real.

Well, it was when I was 18. OK, so this is where it gets a little muddy. So, Brody was actually my first boyfriend in LA when I graduated high school. I met him almost immediately. We dated for a year, pre-Hills. We broke up, he got on The Hills. Then I came on The Hills. When we dated on The Hills, that wasn’t real, but he was very much a real boyfriend before. So it’s a little confusing. People were you confused by that.

Have you watched him on Special Forces? Because he won that last season!

I know! I’ve seen clips. I should watch it. I’m so happy and proud of him. I got to see him a couple years ago for The Hills. I did an episode of The Hills reboot, and he’s grown up a lot and he really has become such an amazing guy. He always was great, but I adore Brody and I’m so happy for him with where he’s at in his life.

If you could do a second season that follows another podcast tour, who would be your dream guest?

Heidi [Montag] and Spencer [Pratt] were supposed to come out on the first one. They had to back out for other reasons. They’ve been on my podcast. It’s one of my favorite episodes. I want them to come out. I would love Brody. What I learned on this podcast tour was people really resonated with the people who were personal to my life, like the Laguna cast or Craig and Austen, I think it’s going to be a big one. So, I think just trying to go for more people, like in my actual world. I actually think Paige would be awesome. I think I’ve got my eyes on some people, so we’ll see. 

What else can you tease about what’s to come this season?

It was way more emotional, it brought up a lot more from my past, than I ever thought it was going to. And you kind of start to see it with Talan on last night’s episode and it just becomes more and more. For me, it was sort of this therapeutic tour in a way where I’ve realized how far I’ve come, and I also definitely had a moment of like, the men that I’ve allowed in my life in the past is kind of sad when I actually think about it and it’s really because of my relationship with my dad. But instead of being sad about it, I was able to kind of flip that and be like, it’s actually a good thing because I get to see firsthand how far I’ve come and that I would never now allow men like this into my life today. So it was the most personal show I’ve ever done by far. 

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Honestly Cavallari: The Headline Tour airs Wednesday nights at 10 p.m. ET/PT on E!. New episodes are available to stream on Peacock and on Cavallari’s Let’s Be Honest podcast one week after their original airdates.