Bravo is set to celebrate a milestone.
During the January 14, episode of Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen, host Andy Cohen confirmed the cast for season 1 of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Roaring 20th.
Yes, the Roaring 20th.
This marks the 20th year Bravo has aired a season of The Real Housewives franchise. Wow, huh?!?
Anyone got a drum roll out there? The cast will be comprised of:
The Real Housewives of Orange County’s Vicki Gunvalson, The Real Housewives of New York City’s Luann de Lesseps, The Real Housewives of Atlanta’s Porsha Williams, The Real Housewives of New Jersey’s Teresa Giudice, The Real Houseewives of Beverly Hills’ Kyle Richards, The Real Housewives of Potomac’s Gizelle Bryant and The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City’s Lisa Barlow.
Earlier in the day, Andy also announced that NeNe Leakes (!!!!!) would be returning to Bravo six years after her Real Housewives of Atlanta exit.
This came as a surprise to many considering how Leakes has talked about the network in the past.
“She’s gonna be making an appearance,” Cohen said on his latest episode of SiriusXM’s Radio Andy, referring to Leakes. “When we go to Atlanta, she gon’ be there.”
Although the late night host and producer didn’t share more details about NeNe’s involvement in the program, he was certain bringing her onboard will satisfy long-time viewers.
“People are happy about it,” he continued on air. “We are going to be celebrating 20 years of Housewives, and it would be hard without her. So, I’m happy about it.”
Leakes was part of season 1 in 2008 with original Atlanta cast members Kim Zolciak, DeShawn Snow, Shereé Whitfield and Lisa Wu-Hartwell. She ultimately left the franchise in 2020.
When it comes to the full cast, meanwhile, Cohen hinted that much more will be revealed … sooner rather than later. Get ready to see many more familiar faces.
“There will be, in total, I think you may wind up by the end of the series seeing 60 of your Housewives friends,” Cohen teased. “Something like that.”
For her part, Leakes seems to be over whatever complaints she had in the past about Bravo and/or her involvement in the franchise.
“I have to thank some of the Housewives that have continuously kept my name being said behind the scenes,” she said via a January14 Instagram video, singling out Porsha as well as her former RHOA castmate Phaedra Parks.
When the network first announced the concept for this show, Frances Berwick, chairman of Bravo and Peacock Unscripted, said in a statement:
“For two decades, The Real Housewives has amplified women’s voices, spotlighted their ambition, humor and strength, inspiring millions with their unapologetic authenticity.
“The Real Housewives: Ultimate Road Trip is a love letter to the women who turned a reality television show into a cultural phenomenon — and the fans who’ve been there for every laugh, gasp, toast and table turn.”