Getty Composite Andy Cohen and Heather Dubrow from RHOC
Fancy pants is back! On June 15, 2021, it was announced that Heather Dubrow will be returning to “The Real Housewives of Orange County” for season 16.
Dubrow also made the announcement on a June 16 episode of her podcast, Heather Dubrow’s World, alongside guest Andy Cohen, where the two spoke at length about the news. During the episode, Cohen spoke more about Dubrow’s return, and revealed how he decided that adding her back to the cast could be just the right move for the franchise.
“It just is a testament to everything at the right time, you know?” Cohen said about Dubrow’s return. “I think the viewers want it, the show is at a crossroads right now, we have some rebuilding to do, and I think that it’s just interesting. When you left the show, you and I have talked about this, you were at a place where you were really over it and you weren’t into it … It just goes to show that, years later, you could have the perspective to be like, ‘Maybe I can handle this in a different way.'”
Cohen also revealed that he wasn’t sure that Dubrow would even come back to the “Real Housewives of Orange County” when production asked.
“I didn’t [think you would say yes]. We had talked a couple of years ago about you maybe coming back, and we had all kind of said, maybe it is the right moment, but maybe it’s actually not,” Cohen explained. “I personally felt like it was too soon from when you left and it’s like you want to come back when everyone is really really hyped up and excited about it and I think that’s the time now.”
Dubrow was a cast member of “The Real Housewives of Orange County” during seasons seven through 11.
Dubrow Said That She ‘Laughed’ When She Was Offered a Spot on the Show
While chatting with Cohen on her podcast, Dubrow admitted that she “laughed” when she got the call from production wanting to talk about a possible return to the franchise.
“Production called me in December and I laughed,” Dubrow revealed. “Then, I thought about it, because a year ago or two years ago I might have said no because timing is a big deal … Now, things are a little bit different. My family is in a different place, my kids are a little bit older, the pandemic has given me a different perspective on things, and then I started thinking about, how many times do you get to go back and try something again?”
Dubrow also said that she has not kept up with “The Real Housewives of Orange County” since her departure after season 11.
“I have not watched the show since I left, you know that,” Dubrow said to Cohen on her podcast. “I didn’t watch it before I started, and I haven’t seen it since I left. I’m not playing any catch-up because there’s no point.”
‘The Real Housewives of Orange County’ Face More Cast Changes
With the addition of Dubrow, there have also been some cuts made to the cast of next season’s “The Real Housewives of Orange County.” Per Variety, Kelly Dodd, Braunwyn Windham-Burke, and Elizabeth Lyn Vargas will not be returning.
“The last five years have been an amazing experience. The next five years will be even better. I am so grateful for all the love and support and so excited about the future #RHOC,” Dodd wrote on Twitter about her departure.
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