Nicole ‘Snooki’ Polizzi ‘Nervous’ to Watch ‘Messyness’ After Teddy Ray’s ‘Tragic’ Death (Exclusive)

It was a “bittersweet” premiere of Messyness Season 2 for host Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi after the tragic death of her co-host Teddi Ray in August. Ahead of the Sept. 15 premiere of the MTV show’s second season, the Jersey Shore Family Vacation star shared in an exclusive interview with PopCulture.com that she was “nervous” to watch the new season following Ray’s “tragic, crazy” passing at just 32 years old. 

“I’m actually really nervous to watch it because we love Teddy so much and he was like the heart of the show, so obviously, we’re dedicating the whole season to him,” Polizzi told PopCulture, lamenting that it was “just such a tragic, crazy accident.” The up-and-coming comedian, who had also appeared on shows like HBO Max’s Pause with Sam Jay and How to Be Broke, unexpectedly died on Aug. 12 at a private residence in Rancho Mirage, California, and was later determined to have accidentally drowned.

The Jersey Shore star continued, “He was only 32 years old – so young – so yeah, it’s going to be sad. It’s going to be bittersweet, but I just feel like he’s always going to be a part of us. So if we do more seasons – and I don’t know what’s going to happen – but Teddy is always a part of our messy bestie family.”

Messyness, which also stars Tori Spelling and Adam Rippon, first premiered as a spinoff of Ridiculousness on MTV in August 2021 and features hilarious viral and messy videos. Polizzi told PopCulture that she was “a little worried” going in as the host in Season 1, but has since found another family. “I wanted to actually like everyone and get along with everybody because it’s like a panel,” she explained. “We’re talking to each other. We don’t want any awkwardness. We want a vibe.”

Luckily, it was all love for the co-hosts. “When I met Tori, obviously, we were like sisters. We’re soulmates. When I met Adam, he was like my brother, my bestie. Then Teddy was like a teddy bear,” Polizzi said. “So it was just like we all just meshed, and right when we started filming, it was like we knew each other for 10 years. I was like, ‘Oh, thank God. I like everyone. We all vibe. This is great.’”

Keeping it real with her Messyness co-stars comes easily to the 100% real reality television star, which is why Polizzi is being honored by Cheez-It as the crackers celebrate 30 years of reality realness with two exclusive Cheez-It Reality TV Collector’s Cheddition boxes featuring Polizzi and RuPaul. “Cheez-It is literally one of my favorite snacks when it comes to just me being a mom, but also for my kids,” Polizzi said, telling PopCulture that there is “always” Cheez-It in her pantry. “The fact that I got this and I’m like, ‘Oh, my God. This is crazy.’ So celebrating 30 years of reality and they chose me to celebrate and I’m on the box. My kids just think it’s crazy. My kids are so excited,” she added. To get a chance to snag one of these collector’s boxes, visit Cheez-It HQ here. Messyness airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on MTV.