Meet the Cast Making a Splash on “Grand Cayman: Secrets in Paradise” (Exclusive)

The new reality series 'Grand Cayman: Secrets in Paradise' airs Tuesdays on Freeform and streams on Hulu

Drama hits different on the island.

On the new Freeform reality series Grand Cayman: Secrets in Paradise, the sunny beaches of the Caribbean hotspot serve as the backdrop for high stakes and confrontation. That, and lively parties, of course.

The cast of locals and expats, including Elizabeth Chambers and Selita Ebanks, welcomed PEOPLE to the scenic island ahead of the April 9 premiere, teasing exactly what juicy secrets come to light in this paradise during season 1.

Read on for what to know about the stars of Grand Cayman: Secrets in Paradise, which airs new episodes Tuesdays at 9:30 p.m. ET on Freeform and streams the next day on Hulu.

Elizabeth Chambers

Chambers, 41, takes her BIRD Bakery international while on the show, opening a location on the island in collaboration with the restaurant Mykonos Steak Club. Her history with ex-husband Armie Hammer and his scandals, though, becomes a point of contention with her costars.

With a journalism background, Chambers admits of joining the reality series, "This is absolutely the antithesis of everything I've ever done, professionally speaking."

Still, she says she's "grateful" for the opportunity and for establishing a home for her family (including daughter Harper, 9, and son Ford, 7) on Grand Cayman. "Maybe this is something I never anticipated doing, but why not?"

How will she shake things up on the show? "What you see is exactly what you get," says Chambers, who confesses to having "no filter" on the show. "I always have a point of view."

Selita Ebanks

A former Victoria’s Secret Angel, Ebanks leans back into her Caymanian roots on the show and wears multiple hats in her career. There’s modeling, fashion show–planning, sommelier training and more avenues filling her busy schedule. Still, she finds time to let loose with her costars.

Ebanks, whose famous exes include Nick Cannon and Kanye West, jokes she "wasn't prepared for the tequila intake" filming with the cast.

"I tried really hard not to be Mama Selita," says Ebanks, 41, "because I didn't want to be Debbie Downer. I wanted everybody to have a good time — just responsibly."

Before signing on, the supermodel says she was "going through a lot of insecurities about being on the show." She was "nitpicking" herself, says Ebanks, until she was able to "accept and love myself enough" to participate.

Courtney McTaggart

McTaggart, 34, was born and raised on the island, and she "developed a thick skin" because of the "small-town" feel. Therefore, she won’t back down from a fight, especially when her name is brought into a narrative she wants no part in.

The star, who denies those Armie Hammer rumors brought up on the show, describes herself as being "very up-front."

"It's actually not because I like drama, it's the opposite. I don't like it," she says. "But I'm also very to-the-point. If there's an elephant in the room, the best thing to do in such a small place like Cayman is to discuss it, to have a mature conversation."

Adds McTaggart, "I've never had a problem with being that person. Sometimes there's good results and sometimes there's bad ones." Still, "at least there's honesty," she says.

Chelsea Flynn

Mom-of-three Flynn learned a lot about herself while filming season 1, which starts with her trying to make a relationship work as she defends her boyfriend, Tyson, to her friends and mother.

"I discovered that I'm more resilient than I thought,” says Flynn, who's originally from the U.K. "I was able to show up every day despite what was going on behind the scenes as well as on the scenes, and I'm really proud of that." (More on that as the season unravels.)

As for other drama on camera, Flynn says there's "nothing worse than being lukewarm." She adds, "Don't sit on the fence. Say how you feel, and act accordingly."

Cass Lacelle

Now the owner of a marketing agency, Lacelle, 32, grew up in Vancouver, Canada, and later lived in Australia and New Zealand — before moving to the wealthy Grand Cayman with barely $100 to her name.

"I stayed on a couch almost a full month until I started earning some money," she recalls. "I eventually started saving up money, and now here I am. It was crazy."

Lacelle, who says the cast consists of "big personalities," admits, "I actually love the drama — but hate being in it."

Craig Jervis

Nicknamed Craigyboo, Jervis is the life of the party on the island, and happily so. But what does the 32 year old, who has both Jamaican and Caymanian roots, do to unwind when he needs? "Phone on do-not-disturb," he says.

Once he's recharged, though, it's back to living it up on an "epic" scale, drama and all.

"You put together personalities like this friend group and [drama] is inevitable. As a matter of fact, I would suggest that we have cameras 24/7, 365. That would be some great content."

Aaron Bernardo

Bernardo, who moved to Cayman in 1991, turns 40 later this year, and he says "one hell of a party" will happen to celebrate the milestone. What's the secret to Bernardo (who is also dad to two kids, 19 and 13) maintaining his youthful outlook?

"Moisturize and a good life, bro," he says with a laugh. "I try not to stress, man. I'm just easygoing. Whatever happens, if it's gonna be, it's gonna be. I sleep good at night no matter what."

About his newfound reality TV stardom, the tattooed entrepreneur says, "I was born for this. It just came naturally."

Julian Foster

Foster, 33, was born and raised in the Cayman Islands, where he got his start in marketing at the family-run local supermarket chain, Foster's. Now, he co-owns Heights The Agency.

On the show, he says he "leaned very much into" his "authentic self," all while balancing conflicts between friends.

"I didn't think I'd ever be prepared to watch myself on camera," says Foster. But, after the experience, "I think you just kind of have a new appreciation for who you are."

Victoria Coleman

Coleman moved to Grand Cayman in 2017 after growing up in Ontario, Canada, seeking a life change after earning a nursing degree. "Everything is so close-knit here," she says of the island and its "zen" lifestyle. "Everyone knows each other and hears all the stories."

Over the course of filming, she says she "learned to let go and just be myself."

Today, the star, 30, is married to costar Trevor, though this season showcases the ups and downs of the couple's engagement before their nuptials. "Our love and willingness to fight for each other" helped them keep their bond strong, she says.

Trevor Coleman

"The grapevine is very strong on this island," says Coleman, 34. Originally from Southern California, he moved to Grand Cayman to be closer to his parents. (His mom appears on the show.)

Coleman is now married to costar Victoria, with whom he's launching the activewear company VIVE Collection alongside her designer sister.

He says the unique experience of starring on a reality show inspired him to work on himself. "It was a very eye-opening and positive experience," he says, "but going through it was tough, to be honest."

"You're literally holding a mirror up to yourself; it's just a mirror that everyone else is looking through too," says Coleman. "I saw parts of me that I liked and other parts of me that I decided I needed to work on."

Connor Bunney

A DJ who goes by the stage name Decades of Perfume, Bunney, 31, is single but says finding romance on the island can be complicated.

"It's so hard here," says the artist, who grew up in Essex, England, before making the move to Caymn in 2018. "Who doesn't want to find romance? Who doesn't want to be loved and love? [But] the dating pool is very small, and that has it's natural issues."

Bunney says "we're all being ourselves" on the series, and "you can never regret being yourself" in the moment.

Teri Bilewitch

Bilewitch made the leap from Canada to Cayman in 2006, and soon enough, the star, who has held jobs as a waitress and high school teacher, eventually became a recognizable voice on the island as a radio personality on Z99 Grand Cayman.

Here on this reality show, she's alongside husband Dillon. Their marriage was "solid going in and solid coming out," she says.

"If things had been rocky, there's no way we would've ever done a show like this," says Bilewitch. "Because you know that they're gonna put your relationship to a test. They're going to try to challenge you, to shake things up."

She adds, "And there's literally nothing that could rock our relationship. We were like, 'Bring it on.' "

Dillon Claassens

Claassens, 45, works in realty (he previously appeared on House Hunters International: Cozy in the Cayman Islands) and costars on this show with wife Teri. "We had each other as a support system throughout," he says.

Based on their "stable" marriage, Claassens says he was able to offer relationship "wisdom" to some of his cast mates when "red flags" popped up.

"You can only speak if you have the experience," he says. "If you've gone through your trials and tribulations and you are at a certain point in your life, you can give the advice. If our friends want to take it, then great."

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