Vicki Gunvalson Appears To Have Last Laugh In RHOC Casting Controversy
It's probably not surprising, but onscreen isn't the only place you'll find drama for "The Real Housewives of Orange County." There's plenty of drama off screen as well. The latest has to do with the casting for the Southern California show's 17th season.
The Season 16 finale aired in April 2022, and though there was talk of rebooting the series by shaking up the casting in January 2021, as Andy Cohen hinted on Twitter, their attempts didn't work. Season 16 brought back Heather "Fancy Pants" Dubrow, per Entertainment Tonight, in addition to regulars Shannon Storms Beador, Gina Kirschenheiter, and Emily Simpson, and added two new cast members, Noella Bergener and Jennifer Armstrong — who have already decided they're done with the series. They also got rid of Brauwyn Windham-Burke, Elizabeth Lyn Vargas, and the controversial Kelly Dodd. But despite starting strong with ratings over one million viewers by Episode 2, per TV Deets, the season never passed that threshold again, and the finale brought in a new ratings low.
It looks like producers may be trying to fix that. They've brought back popular housewife Tamra Judge for "RHOC" Season 17, and Judge told her BFF, original 2006 housewife Vicki Gunvalson, that she wanted to include her in filming as much as she could, according to Us Weekly. But producers had not invited Gunvalson back for Season 17. However, it seems perhaps the show has realized their error — or Judge is taking matters into her own hands.
Vicki Gunvalson was seen filming a lunch with Tamra Judge and Shannon Beador
Despite reports from Us Weekly that one of the original "Real Housewives of Orange County," Vicki Gunvalson, was not invited back for Season 17, it seems that she might make an appearance anyway. That's likely due to her friend and longtime castmate Tamra Judge, who is returning for the new season. And fans, and Gunvalson, seem to be having the last laugh, as it appears the creators can't live without her.
On September 28, a Twitter user shared photos of Gunvalson lunching with her Tres Amigas mates, Tamra Judge and Shannon Beador, with the caption "Tamra, Shannon and VICKI filming in Laguna!" They responded with another tweet: "My source 100% confirms cameras were rolling! Mozambique steak house in Laguna?!" So it seems the three were not just catching up but were actually filming for the new season. Radar Online also reported it, confirming sources told them they brought Gunvalson back to stir the pot because the new season was "slow." But they also confirmed that Gunvalson has filmed only that scene, and nothing more, so far.
Fans on Twitter are elated. "I'm so hoping Vicki will be returning to the OC," enthused one. "I'm like yelling out at this point." Another agreed, saying Gunvalson "Embodies an OG housewife. #Rhoc hasn't hit the same since she left." But other fans were suspicious, asking where the cameras were, and pointing out they're usually seen in photos like these. But for most fans, this was enough to have them cheering.