Credit: : Sami Drasin/Danny Ventrella/Bravo
A source revealed which cast members are returning to Real Housewives of Orange County for its historic season 20 — and who’s still in limbo.
Many have suspected that Bravo will fire certain castmates to make room for Vicki Gunvalson’s paycheck. At BravoCon 2025, Andy Cohen announced that Vicki is coming back to the show, eight years after she was fired from the main cast.
“The entire cast was asked to return to the show [except] Katie Ginella,” revealed a source speaking to Radar Online. “Yes, this means Heather Dubrow, Emily Simpson, Gina Kirschenheiter, Jennifer Pedranti, Shannon Beador and Tamra Judge were given an orange for Season 20.”
A different source addressed Gretchen Rossi, who returned last season as a ‘friend.’
“Currently, Gretchen is in limbo,” said the insider. “Some of the women on the show who are fond of her have been calling her and asking her what’s going on and if she’s going to be returning.”
According to the source, Gretchen’s return is “still possible,” perhaps even in a “full-time role,” even though last season was a “rough one” for her.
“It’s uncertain what will ultimately happen with her, but at the end of the day, there’s still a lot of drama to be hashed out, and it would make sense to do it in front of the cameras,” the source explained.
Earlier this month, Katie revealed that she wasn’t asked back for season 20.
“After two seasons as a cast member on RHOC, the network has decided to move forward with Season 20 without me,” she said at the time on Instagram. “While disappointing, it’s not entirely surprising after seeing how Season 19 played out. I’m incredibly grateful for the love and support I received – it was seen, felt, and deeply appreciated.”
“Representation matters, and I’m proud to have shown up authentically, even when it wasn’t easy,” she continued. “This chapter may be closing, but my voice and my story don’t end here.”
The new season of Real Housewives of Orange County will reportedly begin filming soon. As for Vicki, she’ll also film for The Real Housewives: Ultimate Road Trip, which will show dozens of past and present Housewives from various franchises.