Nearly 28% Of Fans Claim This RHOBH Star As Their Favorite
After sticking around for over a decade of friendships and feuds, viewers who have followed the lives of the "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" cast from the start can't help but pick a favorite housewife to root for. But what helps make one of these Bravolebrities popular with fans? Is it an ability to stir up drama without making it seem staged? Is it having the best wardrobe, home, or non-reality career? Or could it be delivering the best one-liners?
The show's executive producer, "Watch What Happens Live" host Andy Cohen, knows which traits he looks for in a potential Bravo star. "Someone who's funny and unique and interesting to watch. Someone who has something to say, and is different, surprising and just watchable," he told Paper. He also noted that feuds between the castmates are popular with viewers, saying, "People like to pick a side." During a 2015 "WWHL" episode, Cohen spoke to Nene Leakes about a few other characteristics that an ideal housewife must possess, including the willingness to "explore all facets of your marriage, motherhood, friendships, and just really go with it" — with cameras present, of course.
This is a man who knows his stuff — in addition to being the housewives' boss, he puts on his hosting hat for reunion specials, where some of the most memorable "RHOBH" moments from each season get dissected by the cast. But do any of the qualities he listed describe viewers' favorite housewife?
Lisa Rinna danced her way into the hearts of RHOBH fans
In a poll conducted by Nicki Swift, 27.35% (157) of respondents named Lisa Rinna as their favorite "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star. Kyle Richards was the second most-admired cast member, receiving 23.87% (137) of the vote, while spinoff star Lisa Vanderpump's piece of the pie was 20.38% (117), proving that Bravo fans aren't suffering from Vanderpump overkill just yet. Erika Jayne finished fourth, with 16.72% (96) of readers picking her as their top Beverly Hills housewife, and Garcelle Beauvais brought up the rear with 11.67% (67) of the vote.
Thanks to her acting career, Rinna spent decades in front of a camera before joining the "RHOBH" cast, so she easily ticked off one of the features that Andy Cohen listed when Paper asked him about what it takes to achieve reality TV stardom: a lack of desperation to be on TV. And Rinna didn't mind ditching the script. "I think what makes a good Housewife is [a willingness] to live their lives openly in front of the cameras," Cohen said on "Watch What Happens Live." According to Cohen, Rinna's easy integration into the cast due to her longstanding relationships with Vanderpump and Richards was another big boon. The Rinna Beauty founder also invites fans into her life on Instagram in a way that she's unable to do on the show, like when she shares those popular dancing videos that co-star her husband, actor Harry Hamlin, who hilariously ignores her gyrations.