Trouble in the O.C.? When Bravo announced Tamra Judge‘s return to The Real Housewives of Orange County, at least one person wasn’t totally thrilled: her former costar Vicki Gunvalson.
The Coto Insurance founder left the original Housewives franchise in January 2020 after 14 seasons on the show, which premiered in 2006. “I will always be the OG of the OC, but it’s time to say goodbye to The Real Housewives of Orange County,” the reality star wrote via Instagram at the time. “It’s been an incredible ride for 14 years and I want thank all of you for your support, for your love and for ‘whooping it up’ with me along the way. It’s been a wild 12 years. But it’s time to move on. I’m sad to go but I’m very excited about my future. Love you guys.”
Tamra left the series that same month, having joined RHOC in season 3. “They offered her a part-time role and she declined,” a source exclusively told Us Weekly at the time, explaining the reason for the fitness coach’s exit. “She was on the fence anyhow.”
Two years later, however, Tamra confirmed that she’d be returning to the reality show for season 17 — without fellow Tres Amigas member Vicki. (The third member, Shannon Beador, has been on the show since season 9.)
“I have FOMO [fear of missing out],” Vicki admitted during an August 2022 appearance on E!’s Daily Pop. “I’m like any other woman that would be feeling that way.”
Days before Tamra officially confirmed her return, Jill Zarin let it slip that the “Two Ts in a Pod” host would be back for RHOC‘s next season — and offered some insight into Vicki’s mindset. “Tamra’s coming back, and you know, my friend Vicki’s not happy,” the Real Housewives of New York City alum revealed in a since-deleted Instagram video in July 2022.
Tamra, for her part, replied, “Go f–k yourself @JillZarin! You thirsty bitch!”
Jill later explained that she didn’t know the news about Tamra’s return wasn’t already public. “I had read online that Vicki was not coming back and Tamra was — and I said that,” the New York native said at the time. “I just repeated what I had read. I don’t have any inside information. Nobody talks to me at Bravo. I know absolutely nothing. I just repeated the news that was already printed.”
While Vicki was initially sad about Tamra’s return, she eventually got some good news of her own. In October 2022, the insurance agent confirmed that she too would be back for season 17 as a guest star. “I’m going to be doing a little cameo — one or two times — that’s it this season,” Vicki told E! News at the time. “It was good.”
Keep scrolling to see everything Vicki has said about Tamra’s return to RHOC:
