Vicki Gunvalson weighs in on The Real Housewives of Orange County’s cast shakeup for the show’s upcoming sixteenth season and reveals how she feels about Kelly Dodd’s exit.
The OG of the OC explains why she was surprised that Bravo decided to give Dodd the boot over Shannon Beador.
“I was undecided on Kelly [Dodd], I actually thought it was going to be Shannon [Beador], because Kelly, you always have to have someone to hate,” Gunvalson said during her appearance on The Slut Pig podcast, according to Heavy. “And she’s got a lot of good fans, she’s beautiful to look at, she’s got great style. I never really thought they would get rid of her, I thought maybe they would bring her on as a friend.”
However, Vicki reveals that she wasn’t surprised that Braunwyn Windham-Burke had been let go.
“Braunwyn, absolutely I knew they would get rid of her,” Gunvalson admitted. “She just doesn’t fit into Middle America, people don’t understand. I don’t understand. If I’m confused, and I’m very liberal in some areas, how can the viewers not be confused? When you are married and living with your husband and having seven children and never publicly showing that she’s with her kids, she’s with everyone else but her kids… She doesn’t fit into what a ‘Housewife’ is.”
In June 2021, it was revealed that Kelly Dodd, Braunwyn Windham-Burke, and Elizabeth Lyn Vargas were not asked to return to RHOC for the show’s upcoming Season 16. According to reports, Bravo decided not to renew their contracts.
A spokesperson confirmed the news to Variety about Windhand-Burke, Vargas, and Dodd’s departures.
Bravo confirmed that Heather, who originally left the series in 2017 after five seasons, is returning to the show for Season 16. She will be joined by returning cast members Shannon Storms Beador, Gina Kirschenheiter, and Emily Simpson.
Photo Credit: Bravo Media/NBCUniversal
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