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Heather Dubrow reveals her first reaction when she was asked to return to the Real Housewives of Orange County, and explains why she decided to re-join the show as Andy Cohen dishes on why season 16 was the right time for Heather to return.
As fans have likely heard by now, Heather is officially returning to RHOC after exiting the series following season 11. The news was announced on June 15, and amid the announcement, Heather hosted Andy on her podcast, and the duo chatted about her return after she first asked Andy if he’d heard the rumor that she was coming back.
“People think that I’m coming back for season 16 of The Real Housewives of Orange County. Is that true?” she asked the Watch What Happens Live host on her Heather Dubrow’s World podcast.
“Well… you know what, Heather? You are coming back for season 16 of The Real Housewives of Orange County, he responded. “How ’bout that for a rumor verified? Yes, you are!”
Heather then recalled the phone call she received from production back in December, and she shared her reaction to the call.
“Production called me in December – or something like that – and I laughed,” the actress revealed. “My first reaction was I kind of laughed. And then I thought about it because, honestly, a year ago or two years ago, I might have said no because timing is a big deal. But at the time that I left, the culture of the show had sort of changed a bit since when I joined the show. I think we can agree on that. And I wasn’t happy, and it was a good mutual decision that maybe my time on the show was done. Now, things are a little bit different.”
She didn’t specify how the show is different now, but Heather had made it clear in the past that she would never return to the show as long as Kelly Dodd was still a cast member, so she likely knew Kelly would be getting the axe before she agreed to sign the contract.
As for why she ultimately agreed to return, Heather explained that the fact that her kids are older definitely played a role in her decision, but she also believes she’ll be more “successful” on the show this time around.
“My family’s in a different place, my kids are a little bit older, [and] the pandemic has sort of given me a different perspective on things,” she told Andy. “And then I started thinking about, okay, how many times do you get to go back and try something again?”
She added, “[I’m] like, ‘If I went back and I could do it again, I think I would have a better time or I would be more successful if I could do it again.’ And this isn’t completely a do-over, but there’s something about being able to kind of go back.”
Andy went on to say he felt season 16 was the perfect time to ask Heather back since the flagship show is currently at a “crossroads.”
“It’s so great [and] I’m so excited,” he declared. “And you know… it’s just a testament to kind of everything at the right time – I think – because I think the viewers want it. The show is at a crossroads right now, you know? We have some rebuilding to do and I think it’s just interesting. I think when you left the show – and you and I have talked about this – you were at a place where you were really over it and you weren’t into it.”
“We had talked a couple of years ago about you maybe coming back, and we had all kind of said, ‘Well maybe it is the right moment, but maybe it’s actually not,'” he continued. “And I personally felt that it was too soon from when you left, and you wanna come back when everybody is really, really hyped up and excited about it. And I think that’s the time now.”
Heather claims she hasn’t seen the show since season 11, and she has no plans to catch up before filming begins.
“I have not watched the show since I left. I didn’t watch it before I started and I haven’t seen it since I left,” she revealed. “And I’m not playing any catch up because there’s no point. As far as I’m concerned, when you meet someone, you shouldn’t know their whole history because you’re meeting them for the first time. And people are allowed to show [you] who they want you to see.”
No word yet on when production will begin filming season 16 of The Real Housewives of Orange County, but it will likely happen soon.