He is a former Fox News senior correspondent and anchor who spent more than three decades chasing wars, hurricanes, terrors attacks and other breaking news around the world.
She is a well-known face from the Real Housewives of Orange County, famed for her beauty, style and sharp wit.
Together they make a unique power couple — blending charisma with humor disarming insightfulness.
Celebrating their three-year wedding anniversary this month, Kelly Dodd and Rick Leventhal have an on-screen chemistry that makes them addicting to watch. Dodd allows her life to be an open book, known for her vibrant and unfiltered personality on reality television; an icon in the Housewives universe, she’s found her match in Leventhal, a seasoned journalist with a huge heart (read about the greatest adventures of his 35-year career as a reporter in his recent book, Chasing Catastrophe). They have an obvious connection, only amplified by their distinct personalities, that radiates on screen.
The pair’s YouTube channel has more than six million views since it was launched less than two years ago, and they’re now collecting roughly 600,000 views a month. But at the heart of their collaboration is their daily podcast, “The Daily Smash” — offering a glimpse into their hectic lives sprinkled with personal anecdotes, engaging discussions of current events and banter about the world around them that has earned them a dedicated fan base that grows daily, eagerly tuning in for a dose of candid conversation (“I never know what she’s going to say,” Leventhal says of his wife). And now they’re taking their show on the road, making their first major live appearance with “When a Housewife and News Anchor Collide,” at Birmingham’s Daxton Hotel on Oct. 13.
“We can’t wait to come to Michigan,” Leventhal says. “I’ve been to the area for work and for pleasure, but never for anything like this.”
Additionally, Dodd’s cousin, Judge Richard Garcia of Lansing, lives in Michigan. “I couldn’t be more excited to have him and so many friends and supporters coming out to see us,” she says. Guests will be treated to great stories, games, contests plus a few surprises.
Beyond their on-screen ventures, Dodd and Leventhal have launched a collection of pickleball products, inspired by their love of the fast-growing sport. Combining this with Leventhal’s background in construction work and the couple’s renovation of multiple homes, they also have two rental properties including Pickleball Partytown, in sun-soaked Palm Desert, replete with a backyard pickleball court.
Get details and purchase tickets for “When a Housewife and News Anchor Collide” at Rickandkellydetroit.com. The event will also feature a Q&A with the audience, and select tickets are available for a meet-and-greet with the couple.
“We can’t wait to come to Michigan. I’ve been to the area for work and for pleasure, but never for anything like this.”
- Rick Leventhal