Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey, Britney Spears and Kevin Federline, and Shanna Moakler and Travis Barker all saw their marriages dissolve after appearing together on a reality show.

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So as Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott prepare for the third-season of their Oxygen reality series, the couple continues to confound "the curse of the reality couples." 

"When we started this show three seasons ago, that was definitely something that we addressed. Dean actually didn't even know about the curse of the reality couples. But I told him. And it wasn't something we were worried about. And it's something three years later that hasn't affected our relationship one bit," Spelling told reporters during a recent conference call.

"It actually has made our relationship stronger. We love working together. We actually are a couple that do everything together even when we're not working.  So for us, this is the best venue for our relationship because we get to spend all our time together. And I think for other couples, perhaps they didn't spend all their time together and then all of a sudden they were stuck together all the time, and they couldn't make it work.  But for us it works."

Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood -- the third season of Oxygen's Tori & Dean: Inn Love reality series -- will premiere on Tuesday, June 17 at 10PM ET/PT.

"There's a lot of train-wreck TV reality shows out there," Spelling told reporters.  "And I think Tori & Dean is a great show that really focuses on family, focuses on couples to show that everyone can watch together and enjoy. And that's what makes me the most proud."

When the couple -- who wed in May 2006 -- were first approached about starring in their own reality show, McDermott said he was quick with a response.

"My first answer was insanity," he told reporters.

"But the truth be told, our lives are pretty much documented in the media on a weekly basis.  We just figured since our lives are being put out there and we have no control over it, why don't we put ourselves out there and have control over it -- invite the viewers and the public into our lives to really let them know and see what we're really like.  Because, as you know, there's a lot of preconceived notions about celebrities and -- of course -- Tori.  It's an opportunity to set the record straight."

While Tori & Dean: Inn Love's first two installments followed the couple as they ran their Chateau La Rue bed-and-breakfast in Fallbrook, CA, they've since decided to return to Tinseltown instead of renewing their lease.

"Bed and breakfasts are really, really hard to run. You're the first one up and the last one to go to bed," said McDermott. "It really tested our strength. We became stronger from it -- the whole experience -- from learning about sort of investing-wise, money-wise, business-wise and then just pushing yourself."

Despite the hard work it entailed, McDermott said he and Spelling are pleased with what they were able to accomplish.

"I'm very proud. I think what we did in a really short period of time and the product that we offered was great. It breaks our heart that it didn't pan out for us," he explained.  "But again, the life experience was worth it."

Originally renewed under the title Tori & Dean: Still Inn Love, the reality show's third season will follow the couple as they buy a new home in Hollywood; pursue new business ventures; search for a preschool for their son Liam; and prepare for the birth of their second child.

"The pregnancy has been a big part of this season," said Spelling.  "I've been pregnant all season. We're not going to be covering the birth obviously. But it will figure into the season, the baby being born."

Fifteen-month-old Liam doesn't know what it's like to live without the reality cameras present, as the show's first season premiered one week after he was born.  Still, Spelling said it's worth it.

"The best thing for us is that we all get to work together," she explained.  "So we get to take our baby to work every day which is really helpful. I don't know if we would be able to not have help if we both had to go work somewhere else and not be with Liam every day.  We know it's a unique situation and we're very lucky."

Spelling added Tori & Dean's third season will expand to a one-hour format, which had both its positives and negatives.

"It's great for us and it really has allowed us to just kind of delve even deeper into our relationship," she said.  "It does explore some pretty emotional, raw feelings and at times, things that can feel a little uncomfortable because the viewers are really right there in our relationship."

But Spelling was quick to add that it serves as a reminder of why they got in the reality business to begin with.

"We're pretty honest. We chose to do a reality show because we wanted to give the reality of our situation, not to kind of mask it if the things got kind of uncomfortable," she explained. 

"So we pretty much put it all out there and I think the viewers will appreciate that. And they'll see when they watch it this season that there's things in there -- emotional things, trying things on relationships that we've put in there because we just wanted to be open and honest.  So we don't really shut down the cameras. We just let them go."

One aspect of Spelling's life that once again won't be included on the reality show is her relationship with her mom Candy. Money squabbles and the way the mother character was portrayed in Spelling's VH1 sitcom NoTORIous had previously caused her to be estranged from Candy until after Liam's birth.

"I don't have any of my family appear on the show because I didn't want to use them as tools for promoting the show, basically," Spelling explained.  "There's been so much drama played out in the press that even though, you know, if things happen and I do discuss things on the show, I felt like it would seem more of a gimmick at this point to have them appear on the show. So I chose not to."

The 35-year-old gained notoriety for playing the role of Donna Martin for 10 years on Beverly Hills 90210 -- which was produced by her dad, the late Aaron Spelling.  After expressing interest in appearing in The CW's upcoming Beverly Hills 90210 spin-off, she received the opportunity and will reprise her role as Donna.

"I'm sure something about it will be included [in Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood]," Spelling told reporters.  "I chose to go back to 90210 because it's home and we had such a loyal fan base for so many years that I owe everything to our fans. So I felt - I really felt the need to give back to them and to give then Donna again, and see where she is now.  And I'm really excited to play her again."
About The Author: Christopher Rocchio

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