Mike Sorrentino Talks Jersey Shore’s Legacy on 15th Anniversary

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 where it all began in Seaside Heights, New Jersey for Season 8 of the show’s reunion series, Jersey Shore Family Vacation, the reality star is looking back 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 fans still want to tune in 15 years after they first learned all about GTL, fist-pumping, and guidos.

Jersey Shore first premiered in December 2009, and ran for six seasons. Nearly six years later, Mike and (most of) the crew reunited for Jersey Shore Family Vacation, which premiered in 2018. Season 8 of the spinoff series — which premieres on Jerzday, Thursday, May 29 —  marks the 15th anniversary and overall season of the show.

When asked what he believes is the show’s “secret sauce,” Mike said, “I think that, you know, I’m a big fan of the show, and all of my castmates. They’re brothers and sisters to me. But listen, each and every one of ’em, they are household names. They have millions of followers on every platform. I feel like we are together, lightning in a bottle, the Avengers of reality TV, but more so that I feel like authenticity has been key, unapologetically ourselves at all times, in which why our show has been so relatable to the viewer and to the fans, and 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 wife Lauren Sorrentino — noted how he gets approached by loving fans when he goes out in public.

“You should see when I go for, like, a CVS run. People are coming up to me like I’m their brother or their son or their uncle, hugs, and, you know, ‘How’s Lauren?’ and ‘How’s the kids?’ And it’s so, so very special,” he told TooFab. “It’s definitely a once-in-a-lifetime type of show, and I’m very blessed to be involved.”

“I guess it’s a reward for, you know, being authentically ourselves and also being so relatable and sharing our lives with America for so long,” he added.

For the new season of Jersey Shore Family Vacation, fans will see Mike and the gang going back to the OG shore house in Seaside Heights — and it appears many viewers will be experiencing some deja vu.

“I mean, you’re just super grateful. You can’t believe that you’re on this ride and it has lasted 15 years, and that the public and fans have grown up with you,” Mike shared. “It’s sort of like a pinch-me moment, you know? And now you’re back in the shore house. It smells the same, it looks the same. And you’re just looking at your friends who are now pretty much family, doing, like, ‘Look at us. Look at us. Look, look what we did.’ You know?””

“And the story continues. It’s an amazing story, and I’m very, very blessed to be a part of it,” he added. “So you know, Seaside has a very special place in our heart, and very glad that we celebrated our 15th anniversary there, and we closed out this season over there as well.”

And for those who may be wondering, yes, the iconic duck phone is still there — along with a few other Jersey Shore memorabilia, including the famous note Snooki and JWoww wrote to Sammi to reveal Ronnie had allegedly cheated on her.

“The duck phone is there and it is intact,” Mike said. “It is a part of culture at this moment. Along with the note, you know, the neck brace and the sunglasses, you know. Jersey Shore has had a big part in culture and reality TV, and you know, we have quite the story.”

Mike described the show as a “rite of passage,” noting that it has tagged along with fans as they’ve grown up — and has gained new viewers along the way.

“It’s for, you know, the high school classes to watch the old or the original Jersey Shore, and then when you go to college, you have the note in your foyer, you know what I mean? On a sheet,” he said. “And you see it everywhere. You know, it’s so crazy what this show turned into. And now, this is the 15th anniversary. So for fans, who’ve grown up with us and new fans, they love us and we love them too.”

As for who he believes has changed the most over the years, Mike named himself.

“Big Daddy Sitch has had quite the journey,” he said. “I’m now 10 years clean and sober. I’m 10 years this year, and a loyal, devoted husband, dad of three. You know, I’m opening up my own treatment centers this year called the Archangel Centers. You know, I had this bestselling autobiography, which was killing the game the past 12 months. So, it’s been quite a ride.”

“I would definitely think I would vote myself only because of the, you know, the sobriety journey,” Mike continued. “I was probably one of the wildest cast members … to now [being on] this amazing sober journey that I’m on to be the mature good friend that I am to my roommates.”

The Reality Check author said he’s “turned my pain into purpose,” adding that his story “has helped others.”

“My life story is now other people’s survival guide,” he explained. “And I feel like I found, you know, my way in life, and others can too. If Mike The Situation can do it, and be 10 years clean and sober, so can you.”

Mike went on to open up about how he’ll see the show 15 years from now, and shared whether he’ll let his kids watch it one day.

“I think that I’ll probably let my children watch the show, Jersey Shore Family Vacation, when they turn 16 or 18, which is the Family Vacation series,” he told TooFab. “As it relates to maybe the uncensored Jersey Shore version, maybe they gotta turn 21 for that.”

“As you guys all know, Big Daddy Sitch is very proud of his story, as I’m now 10 years clean and sober, my rise and fall and rise again is the example,” he continued. “And the epitome of the comeback is greater than the setback. I’m a sober legend in the streets.”

“So, I’m very proud that, you know, my children have, you know, a very good example to grow up to or whatever,” he continued. “And again, you know, if you guys don’t know, Big Daddy Sitch has an autobiography in the streets, Reality Check: How I Overcame Addiction, Loss, and Prison in all forms. And we sold seven figures for the year in gross sales, and we self-published. So everyone loves a good comeback story.”

Jersey Shore Family Vacation premieres Thursday, May 29th at 8 p.m. ET/PT on MTV.