The Season 18 premiere of Real Housewives of Orange County airs on Bravo on Thursday, July 11. Season 17 housewives Heather Dubrow, Shannon Beador, Gina Kirschenheiter, and Emily Simpson will return for the upcoming season alongside a familiar face. Former RHOC star Alexis Bellino is back as a “friend of.” The drama is sure to be next level considering Alexis is dating Shannon’s ex-boyfriend John Janssen.
Alexis’ return had me thinking about other RHOC stars I would like to see make a comeback.
Here are 5 former Housewives who should return to RHOC…
Jo De La Rosa – RHOC Season 1
Jo De La Rosa was one of five women who helped launch the franchise in 2006. When we first met Jo, she was a fiercely independent young woman struggling to fit into the “housewife” persona. She was engaged to Slade Smiley and living the Coto de Caza dream. However, she decided domestic life wasn’t for her after Season 2. Consequently, she left the show and moved to Los Angeles to pursue a music career. Her debut album Unscripted was released in 2008.
Since her departure, she’s made a couple of appearances on RHOC but never returned as a friend of or full-time housewife. Tamra Judge teased that Jo will make a cameo in the upcoming season via Instagram. She shared a photo of her and the brunette beauty on April 19 alongside the caption, “And that’s a wrap. #RHOC.” Tamra’s post got a lot of fans excited about the possibility of Jo returning to this show. I think she would make a great addition to the current cast. She’s clearly still friends with some of the women and her lifestyle today fits much better with the show than it did in 2006.
Gretchen Rossi – RHOC Season 4
Fans first met Gretchen Rossi in Season 4 when she was married to a man 24 years older than her. After her fiancé passed away, she started dating Slade, which caused a lot of tension with the other women. They weren’t exactly found of the real estate mogul turned talent manager.
Gretchen always brought the drama and the show hasn’t felt the same since she turned in her apple after Season 8. I would also like to see her come back and stir the pot. Can you imagine if they brought back both her and Jo? I would love to see Slade and Jo have a conversation. A girl can dream!
Peggy Tanous – RHOC Season 6
Peggy Tanous basically only lasted one season on RHOC, which is a shame. I always liked Peggy and felt as though she didn’t have enough time to flourish on the show. She has all the components of a great Orange County housewife. She’s blonde, rich, and a bit out of touch with the outside world. Peggy told Wetpaint in 2012 that it was her decision to leave the show, so who knows if she would have any interest in returning. However, she did give the experience a glowing review in the interview.
“It gave me a huge platform, opened doors in a lot of areas, was a lot of fun, and a great learning experience,” she told the outlet.
I would be interested in catching up with Peggy on a future season and seeing what she is up to now.
Vicki Gunvalson – RHOC Season 1
I mean, duh! Vicki Gunvalson is the OG of RHOC. While she is still a part of the show in a lesser way, I miss having her as a full-time housewife. According to Deadline, she will be making guest appearances throughout Season 18, so we won’t be totally Vicki-deprived.
Jeana Keough – RHOC Season 1
I would be remiss if I didn’t include legendary OG Jeana Keough on this list. Jeana helped kickstart the series in 2006 and many refer to her as the first Bravo housewife. Although, Vicki also tried to claim that title, so it may be up for debate. Jeana’s made guest appearances throughout the years but hasn’t been a main cast member since Season 5. I miss her on the show and would love to have her back.
TELL US – WHICH REAL HOUSEWIVES OF ORANGE COUNTY HOUSEWIFE DO YOU WANT TO SEE MAKE A COMEBACK?