‘Facts of Life’ star Lisa Whelchel's first marriage prepared her to find love again
"Facts of Life" star Lisa Whelchel found love twice.
In 2019, the star said "I do" to psychologist Pete Harris. She was previously married to Pastor Steven Cauble from 1988 to 2012. They share three children.
"I would say the secret to my second marriage is learning from your first marriage," the 62-year-old told Fox News Digital.
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"For one thing, I was married for 23 years to my first husband. And I’m so very, very grateful for so much in that relationship, including my three children. But I do think that [when] you get married young, there’s a lot that you’re working out, I think, in your first marriage. And so, I would say my current husband and I worked out a lot in our first marriage."
"Now we know what to appreciate," Whelchel continued. "We know the pitfalls to avoid. We know how to have the conversations ahead of time. And I think we also knew really just what we wanted and what we needed before we got married."
When the star isn't home surrounded by family, she's hitting the road. Whelchel is the host of "Collector's Call," where she encounters some unique and even odd pop culture collections and treasures owned by fans from across the country. The series has been airing on MeTV since 2019.
"The reason I was excited about hosting ‘Collector’s Call’ was not because I’m a collector – I’m probably the opposite of a collector," Whelchel explained. "I like ‘less is more’. But I am fascinated by people, and I’m very curious about what makes people tick. And there are no more interesting people in the world than collectors, and they all have a story. And every single item has a story. That’s what drew me in."
This season, there was no shortage of the strange.
"Listen, there is no more unique collection than… vintage weight-loss fads," she said.
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"The collector was in marketing, and he was fascinated with what you could get away with [selling] back in the day. Just put it on the label and there was nobody checking it. He has a bar of soap that claims to lather up your body, and it just washes the weight away. I’m sure that sold very well. And then he had another item where it was a vitamin elixir that was good for the whole family to lift spirits. Well, it was because it was 24% alcohol."
"There were so many items he had… It’s crazy," she said. "But I probably would’ve bought some of those as well, just hoping they worked."
One item even brought her back to her childhood – a still usable "jiggle" belt machine. She got to try it for "Collector’s Call."
"I was born in the ‘60s and my mom had one of those," said Whelchel. "I remember my cousin Tammy and I putting that thing on and jiggling around."
It wasn’t the only fitness fad Whelchel had tried over the years.
"I will say that I was asked to do an infomercial for some kind of product that, apparently, you could just sprinkle a little on top of whatever you were eating," she explained. "I don’t think they said it took away the calories, but something to that claim. So, I thought, ‘Well, yeah, not only would I give this a try, but if they'd pay me to hawk it, great!’ But I said, let me at least try it for three weeks. I’m not going to sell something that doesn’t work."
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"I ended up gaining weight," said Whelchel. "So obviously, I did not do that infomercial, but I was willing to give it a try."
While Whelchel has never been a collector herself, she noted that there’s a good reason why she, and many others, have connected with the series.
"I do think the reason that ‘Collector’s Call’ has really struck a nerve is the same reason why nostalgia is so popular," she said.
"It’s because these are times right now where there’s tension and our anxiety is up. And when we’re a child, we’re oblivious to what’s going on in the world. We can just go outside, jump in some puddles, and have a moment of joy. And so, anything that brings us back to our childhood, I think, is an elixir to our soul."
"It helps… mitigate against the harsh realities of being an adult sometimes, especially in these times… I hope [the show] brings them back to their own childhoods and, even more importantly, brings them back to that time of innocence and purity. I hope they experience less tension and anxiety… so that they can have a dose of oxygen in their soul that helps them make it through another day."
Whelchel loves to reminisce. She recalled working alongside one co-star on "The Facts of Life" who went on to be named "Sexiest Man Alive" twice.
"George Clooney was in three seasons [during] the later seasons [of ‘The Facts of Life’]," said Whelchel.
"I think what might be surprising is that he was cute back then, but there [wasn’t] any kind of romance that was… brewing on the set," she shared. "He was just like a big brother. I think it might surprise fans that he’s really become who he is today."
"Had I known he was going to become that, I probably would’ve worn makeup to the rehearsal hall more often!" she joked.
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The Oscar winner, 64, played handyman George Burnett in the hit sitcom from 1985 to 1987, and just like a big brother, he relished pulling pranks on the all-female cast.
"Oh, he was so much fun to work with, always the prankster," she recalled. "And it was really nice. I mean, after so many years of just estrogen-filled rooms, it was nice to have a little dose of testosterone."
The former Mouseketeer previously admitted to Fox News Digital that, after filming 200 episodes of "The Facts of Life" and later having three babies in three years, she forgot that her character once kissed Clooney's.
"They say the memory goes out with the placenta," she remarked at the time.
However, one role Whelchel has been loving these days is that of grandma.
"It’s been incredible," she gushed. "It helps that I have two of the most incredible grandchildren that ever walked the face of the Earth. So, it’s not hard to be a grandma to those amazing little kiddos."
"I know I had three kids, and they all turned out different," she said. "They’re from the same set of parents. But it is amazing how these two kids – they don’t look alike, they don’t act alike. They have different personalities. So, it just makes every day so much fun with them."