Mike Sorrentino Reflects on Jersey Shore Journey & Show's Legacy on 15th Anniversary (Exclusive)

Now, as Mike and his co-stars — Pauly “DJ Pauly D” Delvecchio, Vinny Guadagnino, Angelina Pivarnick, Jenni “JWoww” Farley, Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, Deena Nicole Cortese, Samantha “Sammi Sweetheart” Giancola and Ronnie Ortiz-Magro — return to the place all of it started in Seaside Heights, New Jersey for Season 8 of the present’s reunion collection, Jersey Shore Household Trip, the truth star is trying again at his journey on the franchise and reflecting on its legacy.

In an interview with TooFab, Mike, 42, opened up about what he believes makes followers nonetheless need to tune in 15 years after they first realized all about GTL, fist-pumping, and guidos.

Jersey Shore first premiered in December 2009, and ran for six seasons. Almost six years later, Mike and (most of) the crew reunited for Jersey Shore Household Trip, which premiered in 2018. Season 8 of the spinoff collection — which premieres on Jerzday, Thursday, Could 29 —  marks the 15th anniversary and total season of the present.

When requested what he believes is the present’s “secret sauce,” Mike stated, “I feel that, you recognize, I am a giant fan of the present, and all of my castmates. They’re brothers and sisters to me. However pay attention, every one in all ’em, they’re family names. They’ve hundreds of thousands of followers on each platform. I really feel like we’re collectively, lightning in a bottle, the Avengers of actuality TV, however extra in order that I really feel like authenticity has been key, unapologetically ourselves always, during which why our present has been so relatable to the viewer and to the followers, and so they’ve grown up with us and we’re like brothers and sisters.”

Mike — who shares Romeo, 3, Mia, 2, and Luna, 13 months, with spouse Lauren Sorrentino — famous how he will get approached by loving followers when he goes out in public.

“It’s best to see once I go for, like, a CVS run. Individuals are coming as much as me like I am their brother or their son or their uncle, hugs, and, you recognize, ‘How’s Lauren?’ and ‘How’s the youngsters?’ And it is so, so very particular,” he advised TooFab. “It is undoubtedly a once-in-a-lifetime sort of present, and I am very blessed to be concerned.”

“I suppose it is a reward for, you recognize, being authentically ourselves and likewise being so relatable and sharing our lives with America for thus lengthy,” he added.

For the brand new season of Jersey Shore Household Trip, followers will see Mike and the gang going again to the OG shore home in Seaside Heights — and it seems many viewers can be experiencing some deja vu.

“I imply, you are simply tremendous grateful. You’ll be able to’t consider that you simply’re on this experience and it has lasted 15 years, and that the general public and followers have grown up with you,” Mike shared. “It is type of like a pinch-me second, you recognize? And now you are again within the shore home. It smells the identical, it seems the identical. And also you’re simply your folks who are actually just about household, doing, like, ‘Take a look at us. Take a look at us. Look, look what we did.’ You recognize?””

“And the story continues. It is an incredible story, and I am very, very blessed to be part of it,” he added. “So you recognize, Seaside has a really particular place in our coronary heart, and really glad that we celebrated our 15th anniversary there, and we closed out this season over there as effectively.”

And for many who could also be questioning, sure, the enduring duck telephone is nonetheless there — together with just a few different Jersey Shore memorabilia, together with the famous note Snooki and JWoww wrote to Sammi to disclose Ronnie had allegedly cheated on her.

“The duck telephone is there and it’s intact,” Mike stated. “It is part of tradition at this second. Together with the word, you recognize, the neck brace and the sun shades, you recognize. Jersey Shore has had a giant half in tradition and actuality TV, and you recognize, we now have fairly the story.”

Mike described the present as a “ceremony of passage,” noting that it has tagged together with followers as they’ve grown up — and has gained new viewers alongside the best way.

“It is for, you recognize, the highschool courses to observe the outdated or the unique Jersey Shore, after which while you go to varsity, you might have the word in your lobby, you recognize what I imply? On a sheet,” he stated. “And also you see it all over the place. You recognize, it is so loopy what this present became. And now, that is the 15th anniversary. So for followers, who’ve grown up with us and new followers, they love us and we love them too.”

As for who he believes has modified essentially the most over time, Mike named himself.

“Huge Daddy Sitch has had fairly the journey,” he stated. “I am now 10 years clear and sober. I am 10 years this 12 months, and a loyal, devoted husband, dad of three. You recognize, I am opening up my very own remedy facilities this 12 months referred to as the Archangel Facilities. You recognize, I had this bestselling autobiography, which was killing the sport the previous 12 months. So, it has been fairly a experience.”

“I might undoubtedly suppose I might vote myself solely due to the, you recognize, the sobriety journey,” Mike continued. “I used to be most likely one of many wildest forged members … to now [being on] this superb sober journey that I am on to be the mature good buddy that I’m to my roommates.”

The Actuality Test writer stated he is “turned my ache into function,” including that his story “has helped others.”

“My life story is now different individuals’s survival information,” he defined. “And I really feel like I discovered, you recognize, my means in life, and others can too. If Mike The State of affairs can do it, and be 10 years clear and sober, so are you able to.”

Mike went on to open up about how he’ll see the present 15 years from now, and shared whether or not he’ll let his children watch it someday.

“I feel that I will most likely let my kids watch the present, Jersey Shore Household Trip, after they flip 16 or 18, which is the Household Trip collection,” he advised TooFab. “Because it pertains to perhaps the uncensored Jersey Shore model, perhaps they gotta flip 21 for that.”

“As you guys all know, Huge Daddy Sitch could be very pleased with his story, as I am now 10 years clear and sober, my rise and fall and rise once more is the instance,” he continued. “And the epitome of the comeback is bigger than the setback. I am a sober legend within the streets.”

“So, I am very proud that, you recognize, my kids have, you recognize, an excellent instance to develop as much as or no matter,” he continued. “And once more, you recognize, when you guys do not know, Huge Daddy Sitch has an autobiography within the streets, Actuality Test: How I Overcame Dependancy, Loss, and Jail in all kinds. And we offered seven figures for the 12 months in product sales, and we self-published. So everybody loves a superb comeback story.”

Jersey Shore Household Trip premieres Thursday, Could twenty ninth at 8 p.m. ET/PT on MTV.