Craig Conover and Charley Manley’s most recent date on Southern Charm had all the makings of a romance novel — but ultimately fell short of his expectations.
Their canoeing outing at Whitner Slagsvol’s family farm during Season 11, Episode 11, checked several key boxes for Craig. As was the case on their first date at an oyster farm, he had wanted to remove Charley from busy public settings, where he noticed that she seemed to put her guard up, out of her fear of what anyone who spotted them might think.
On the Southern Charm After Show, Craig revealed that the seclusion of nature did not produce the same effect this time, however. In the end, that led him to question the viability of his and Charley’s romance, moving forward.
RELATED: Craig Reveals What He Actually Said About Charley Amid Rumors From Salley and Shep (EXCLUSIVE)
“I would’ve never wanted to go on these, like, kayak or canoe rides if I wasn’t like OK, let’s just be us,” Craig said. “And instead, she was so guarded that you’re just like, alright, like, what are we doing here? … You could hear, like, a pebble drop.”
According to Craig, the awkward silence between them was not at all illustrative of their off-camera interactions. During their FaceTime calls, for example, he said that Charley is usually much more open and “just laughing” with him.
He concluded, “It sucks because she, like, quieted herself to make other people comfortable.”
Charley Manley reflects on her date with Craig Conover
Charley, on the other hand, described their date as “fun” on the After Show. The part she wasn’t so keen on, however, was the fact that Craig brought up Salley Carson.
“I didn’t want, like, our date to be focused on that,” she explained. “How about we, like, don’t talk about Salley on this date, you know? … I keep saying I want to make this opinion on my own, I want to find out for myself. Alright, let’s just, like, get to know each other.”
RELATED: Craig Conover and Charley Manley Reveal Unseen Details From Their “9 Out of 10” Date
On Southern Charm‘s Feb. 11 episode, Charley had also gushed about the date to a producer, saying, “This is so romantic. I feel like I’m in The Notebook.”
Even despite a scare involving a close encounter with a snake, she told Craig directly, “This is really fun.”
Why Craig Conover mentioned Salley Carson on his and Charley Manley’s canoeing date
While responding to Charley’s assessment that their canoeing date had been “really fun,” Craig told her, “It always is when it’s just me and you,” before adding, “Then we get around, like, Salley…”
ICYMI: Previously, after some heavy flirting, Craig friend-zoned Salley in favor of dating Charley, sparking even more drama amid an already tense love triangle. Most recently, while en route to Whitner’s family’s estate, Salley had repeated negative comments that Craig allegedly made about Charley. However, Craig vehemently denied Salley’s characterization of what he said and even confronted her multiple times.
“I try to stay, like, so excited about us, but you just have these people that are, like, they’re kind of killjoys,” Craig added on his date with Charley. “Like, are we going to continue to let other people affect us?”
Charley’s response? “No, I think, like, this is me not overthinking. This is me in a canoe with a guy that I like, and I’m having so much fun.”
To conclude their date, Craig told her, “Good. I like having fun with you.”
As you wait to see if their budding romance continues to blossom, get more details on Craig and Charley’s latest drama with Salley on Southern Charm Season 11.
