You Won’t Believe What Craig Conover Got Paige DeSorbo for Christmas: “Is That a Hippo?”

When it comes to holiday shopping for his significant other, Craig Conover has a habit of straying from the wish list. The Southern Charm cast member demonstrated this in 2022 when he gave Paige DeSorbo a picture of the late music legend Johnny Cash. Craig recently confirmed that his Summer House girlfriend never took the photo out of the cellophane and it’s spent the past year just sitting in a room.

Well, it seems Craig found himself in a similar situation this past Christmas when he surprised Paige with a “thoughtful” yet random gift she insists she never wanted. The couple shared the amusing story in the latest episode of Pillows and Beer, a podcast series Craig co-hosts with fellow Southern Charm-er Austen Kroll.

Craig Conover surprises Paige DeSorbo with a trip to a zoo

“Here’s what I’ve learned with Craig: He wants to get me stuff and I love that quality in him,” Paige said during the January 5 broadcast. “I appreciate that he wants to be so thoughtful and he wants to give me such a good Christmas. So I started just texting [him], ‘Hey, I’m a size 7 in these, I love this piece of jewelry, these are things that I think you should buy.’ But then he likes to add in his own (ideas).”

“Yeah, like the Johnny Cash thing,” Austen interjected.

Paige DeSorbo and Craig Conover posing together in front of a step and repeat.

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“And I love that,” Paige continued. “So he gives me my two presents that I picked out. I f—king love them, I’m so excited. But then he’s like, ‘OK, but now this is your big gift.’ And I’m like, ‘Oh my god, how is he going up from this? What could he have possibly gotten?’”

After a few moments of anticipation, Craig told Paige he was taking her on a trip to the Midwest.

“He goes, ‘We are going to Cincinnati, Ohio. And we’re going to the zoo,'” she recalled. “‘And, yup, you guessed it: We’re brushing a hippopotamus’ teeth.’”

Craig Conover says Paige DeSorbo handled the surprise “very nice[ly]”

Paige DeSorbo and Craig Conover pose together in front of a nutcracker wallpaper at BravoCon 2023.

Paige DeSorbo and Craig Conover attend BravoCon at Caesars Forum in Las Vegas, NV on November 5, 2023. Photo: Bravo

Paige Desorbo and Craig Conover pose together at BravoCon 2023.

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Craig said he saved the big surprise for the end of their gift exchange, right after he gave Paige a vintage bracelet she had her eyes on.

“So I held up a [picture of a] hippo with his teeth out on my phone and asked, ‘Does this mean anything to you?’” Craig said on Pillows and Beer, prompting Paige and Austen to bust out laughing. “And she’s like, ‘What is that? Is that a hippo?’”

The Sewing Down South boss explained he got the idea when Paige expressed her desire to brush a hippo’s teeth. He said he immediately made note of the comment and told himself, “I’m gonna make that happen for her.”

Paige Desorbo and Craig Conover pose together at BravoCon 2023.

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However, Paige claimed she never had any interest in the unusual activity and didn’t remember mentioning it.

“I thought he was having a stroke. I go, ‘What are you saying to me?’” she said. “’What are you talking about? Were we watching National Geographic? Had I just recently taken an edible? What was the context that I said this?’”

Although she was confused by the gift, Paige said she appreciated how thoughtful it was.

“She handled it very nice,” Craig continued. “She was like, ‘Craig I love that this is how your brain works.”