When Vicki Gunvalson, an original cast member on “The Real Housewives of Orange County,” walked on stage with Andy Cohen at the Bravo Awards in Las Vegas on Friday, you knew she was leaving with some kind of trinket or trophy.
Two years ago, Vicki, who left the show after its 14th season, took home the Wifetime Achievement Award, so that was out.
Then Andy handed Vicki an orange and proposed: “Vicki, would you join us as a Housewife for Season 20?”
The BravoCon crowd whooped it as an emotional Vicki cried, “Yes!” and just like that, the planets realigned a bit in the “Real Housewives” universe.
The just-finished 19th season of “The Real Housewives of Orange County” was definitely not its best. You sensed a shake-up was coming, with Katie Ginella, shunned by the other wives halfway through her second season, but a fan favorite. [Katie and Vicki did post a TikTok from BravoCon together on Friday. Hmmm.]
Bringing back Vicki, the self-proclaimed “OG of the OC,” should help.
After the end of her 13th season on the show, Vicki was only invited back as “a friend of the Housewives,” a sort of purgatory for housewives whom the series isn’t sure it wants to see as much of going forward. In the most recent season, former housewife Gretchen Rossi filled the “friend of” role, though after Katie’s banishment, Gretchen became a regular presence in her place.
After the 14th season, Vicki left entirely, though she did occasionally pop up as a guest for an episode here and there during the 16th and 17th seasons.
Now she stands to reconnect the series with its roots. Current veterans such as Tamra Judge, Heather Dubrow and Shannon Storms Beador don’t have the seniority of Vicki. [Like Vicki, Tamra and Heather both left the cast for a few years before rejoining it.] More recent additions, such as Emily Simpson, Gina Kirschenheiter, Jenn Pedranti and Katie Ginella barely know her.
Add Vicki to those names and you’ve got eight housewives for a show that usually has just seven. Someone is on the hot seat, whether they know it yet or not.
“BravoCon Live with Andy Cohen Presents: The Bravos” airs on Bravo at 9 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 16.