Watch:Vicki Gunvalson Gives Engagement, Marriage Update With Michael Smith
The Real Housewives of Orange County are taking a walk—or better yet whoop—down memory lane
To celebrate the Bravo reality series’ milestone 20th season, the cast is reflecting on their most iconic and meme-worthy moments throughout the past two decades
For the O.G. of the O.C. Vicki Gunvalson, who has appeared on 17 seasons since helping launch the franchise in 2006, family milestones will always be her fondest memories from filming
“Watching my kids be raised,” Vicki—mom to son Michael Wolfsmith, 41, and daughter Briana Culberson, 39, from her first marriage to Michael Wolfsmith Sr.—exclusively told E! News of her favorite ???. “My daughter’s a parent, a mother now and just the journey of life. People don’t get to document it the way we do, so it’s been great.”
Specifically, Vicki relishes the memory when Brianna and husband Ryan Culberson officially made Vicki a grandma in 2012 with the birth of their first child
“When Briana brought Troy home,” the 64-year-old added, “that’s a remarkable time. Ryan was in Afghanistan serving our country and it was her and I and Troy. It was awesome.”
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The Real Housewives of Orange County Season 20 Cast Photos
Vicki’s perpetual on-again, off-again frenemy Tamra Judge echoed her longtime costar when it comes to cherishing the many on-camera interactions with her loved ones
“There’s a lot of favorite moments,” Tamra, who joined RHOC season three, shared, “being engaged, my granddaughter being born, my daughter Sofia being back on the show after she couldn’t be on the show for a while.”
However, one steamy scene between Tamra and husbandEddie Judge from season six will always be a mile above the rest
As the 58-year-old cracked, “That bathtub scene.”
Koury Angelo/Bravo
And remember: That’s her opinion!
For Shannon Beador, past shenanigans with the Tres Amigas (a.k.a. Shannon, Vicki and Tamra) take the cake as she admitted, “Basically any time with Vicki Gunvalson is a kick with the two of us.”
But her season nine debut remains most memorable. “It was a kayak ride my first season in Bali,” Shannon recounted, “and we capsized.”
Heather Dubrow also pointed to her inaugural season and the unforgettable season seven scene when one of her party guests ate the fondant decorations off of her cake
“To me the name-changing party and ‘she broke the bow off my cake and ate it,” Heather shared. “Also, in that party was Vicki screaming at Tamra, ‘You’re supposed to be my soul sister,’ which became her podcast name. It’s one of those perfect Housewife nights: It’s petty, it’s way too important to us and it’s fabulous.”
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Is Vicki Gunvalson Ready for Engagement? RHOC Star Shares Marriage Update With Michael Smith
Like Shannon, Emily Simpson will never forget one cast trip in particular, her favorite being season 14’s getaway to Key West
“We actually got to go rouge for a minute, they had no control over us,” the attorney reflected. “We talked so much s–t all the way from Miami to Key West. It was the most beautiful scenic drive in a Maserati convertible.”
Meanwhile, Emily’s BFF Gina Kirschenheiter said the show will always serve as a time capsule of sorts for their unbreakable bond
“Just seeing my friendship with Emily has been really cool,” she said, “and seeing the reaction to that true friendship has been really cool.”
Matthias Clamer/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images
Last but certainly not least, Jennifer Pedranti, who joined season 17, admitted she had trouble picking just one favorite moment over the years
“I think the moment is the journey,” she reflected. “In my mind, it was going to be one way and then that didn’t go the way I thought. I felt like I got run over and then you pick yourself back up. The journey where we sit at season 20 is I can’t even tell you how good.”
See the cast make more unforgettable memories together when The Real Housewives of Orange Countyreturns Thursday, July 9 at 8 p.m. on Bravo
In the meantime, whoop it up by reading E!’s official ranking of every Housewife ever below
Adam Olszweski/Bravo175-178. The Real Housewives of D.C.Bravo’s ill-fated attempt at highlighting our nation’s capital brought together four women so forgettable you’d be forgiven for erasing them from your memory—though their names are Mary Amons, Lynda Erkiletian, Cat Ommanney and Stacie Scott Turner—and one so desperate for fame that she gate-crashed a party at the White House. More on her later.Chris McPherson/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank174. Kimberly Bryant, The Real Housewives of Orange CountyWho?Matthias Clamer/NBCU Photo Bank173. Tammy Knickerbocker, The Real Housewives of Orange CountyVaguely familiar, but…Virginia Sherwood/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank172. DeShawn Snow, The Real Housewives of AtlantaOnce upon a time, DeShawn starred on the same TV show as NeNe Leakes. Surprising, we know.Yavir Ramawtar/Bravo171. Elizabeth Lyn Vargas, The Real Housewives of Orange CountyThis one-season Housewife brought nothing to the Orange County table.Chad Kirkland/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank170. Jennie Nguyen, The Real Housewives of Salt Lake CityUtah’s newest season two Housewife went out with a bang (and not in a good way). In January 2022, Jennie was fired after “offensive” and racially insensitive old Facebook posts resurfaced online. Jennie later apologized but the damage was done.Kelsey McNeal/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank169. Quinn Fry, The Real Housewives of Orange CountyHer defining trait was “cougar.”Tommy Garcia/Bravo168. Jen Armstrong, The Real Housewives of Orange CountyThe Orange County doctor was never a source of drama during season 16 and her brief marriage troubles with eternally shirtless husband Ryne (or Ryan?) were less than riveting. However, we will never forget Dr. Jen getting absolutely wasted on wine during the Dubrows’ insanely awkward—yet wildly entertaining—dinner party.Bravo167: Annemarie Wiley, The Real Housewives of Beverly HillsThe nurse anesthetist’s flop first season can be summed up in one cringe-worthy word we hope we never hear again: Esophagus-gate. Tommy Garcia/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank166. Katie Rost, The Real Housewives of PotomacKatie loved to talk about her charity work, but…didn’t do much else on screen. She was one and done, only to come back and not contribute much as a friend. Leaving the cast trip early? A Housewives no-no.Tommy Garcia/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank165. Charrisse Jackson Jordan, The Real Housewives of PotomacHer marriage problems were on full display the two seasons she was a full-time Housewife…that and her champagne room are the two memorable things about Charrisse.Alex Martinez/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank164. Shamari DeVoe, The Real Housewives of AtlantaA one-and-done Housewife, Shamari was at least fun?Tommy Garcia/Bravo163. Peggy Sulahian, The Real Housewives of Orange CountyWhile it was nice to see some diversity in the lily-white O.C., Peggy ultimately proved to be a frustrating presence in season 12. The fights she chose to pick were bizarre, and often involving someone using a word she simply didn’t understand, and her decision to simply hide out in her room for an entire day during the trip to Iceland proved that she wasn’t really cut out for this Real Housewives life.Jai Lennard/Bravo162. Nneka Ihim, The Real Housewives of PotomacInstead of bonding with fellow Nigerian costar Wendy Osefo during season eight, Nneka’s first season storyline centered entirely around her allegedly accusing Wendy’s mom of being a witch (yes, seriously). We wish we could have seen the two bond over their shared culture rather than fighting with no resolve.Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank161. Noella Bergener, The Real Housewives of Orange CountyNoella spun through season 16 like a tornado of frantic energy. While her personal struggles were somewhat compelling (her husband James up and left the country and asked for a divorce right before filming started), it was her constant drama with queen bee Heather Dubrow that helped her not land completely at the bottom of the list. Maybe with more time and another season, we’ll warm up to Mrs. Bergener.Tommy Garcia/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank160. Siggy Flicker, The Real Housewives of New JerseyFrom peacekeeper in her first season to unrelenting complaints about a thrown cake and unfounded claims of anti-Semitism in her second (and last) season, we’re not sure we’ve ever seen a quicker Real Housewives fall from grace than this one.Alex Martinez/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank159. Amber Marchese, RHONJEverything Amber and her husband Jim did seemed to reek of desperation. Plus, he was involved in more of the drama than she was. Not a good look.Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images for Allied-THA158. Karent Sierra, The Real Housewives of MiamiAll we remember about Karent is that she was a dentist and none of her co-stars seemed to like her at all. Next!Alexander Tamargo/WireImage157. Cristy Rice,The Real Housewives of MiamiThis was a real person with a show on Bravo. We promise.Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank156. Jules Wainstein, The Real Housewives of New York CityAs one of RHONY’s more recent one-and-dones, Jules’ tenure was too brief to rank any higher. However, she sure did deliver her fair share of drama. Phylicia J.L. Munn/Bravo155: Amanda Francis, The Real Housewives of Beverly HillsHate is a strong word, but it’s hard to remember anyone who was as swiftly disliked by Bravo fans as RHOBH’s season 15 newbie Amanda Francis.
The author, financial advisor and self-professed “Money Queen” rubbed not only her castmates the wrong way, audiences were also put off by Amanda’s obsession with material things and questionable career advise.
But it was her refusal to engage in any sort of confrontation with her castmates that truly signaled she wasn’t made out to be a Housewife. It’s a hard job, and not everybody is meant to do it.Mike Pont/Getty Images153-154. Teresa Aprea and Nicole Napolitano, RHONJSo unnecessary they couldn’t even get individual taglines.Chris Haston/Bravo152. Nina Ali, The Real Housewives of DubaiMuch like co-star Sara Al Madani, Nina exemplified a multidimensional, successful Arab woman who is blending modern life with centuries-old cultural traditions. She avoided most of the season one drama and was sometimes overshadowed by her co-stars’ bigger, louder personalities.Bravo151. Taleen Marie, The Real Housewives of DubaiTaleen was a nice addition to RHODubai’s sophomore season, but we only have one season to judge her on.Phylicia J.L. Munn/Bravo150: Angel Massie, The Real Housewives of PotomacTo say Angel failed spectacularly at being a Housewife would be an understatement. With one miss after another, the WAG and wife of retired NFL star Bobby Massie fumbled her way through season 10 as her more seasoned and shadier costars relished in her unsuccessful attempts to fit into the friend group.
Despite her shortcomings, it is pretty epic that her Colorado glamping excursion ended with the cast lost in the wilderness and eating fast food from a roadside gas station.
Definitely a first for the Housewives.Tommy Garcia/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank149. Eva Marcille, RHOAThe America’s Next Top Model veteran picked up a peach for seasons 11 and 12, but never really made an impression in the world of RHOA, aside from being pregnant for what felt like her entire tenure. Points for that epic read of Marlo Hampton while in Tokyo, though.Bravo148. Katie Ginella, The Real Housewives of Orange CountyPer usual, we typically need to see more than one season to place a first-time Housewife higher on our list. But Katie came in swinging during RHOC’s 18th season, immediately going up against veteran Housewife Heather Dubrow. It takes a brave woman to call B.S. on Ms. Fancypants.Clifton Prescod/Bravo147. Stephanie Shojaee, The Real Housewives of MiamiWe’ll be honest: Stephanie is not our cup of tea. While her vast wealth had the makings of a great Housewife, the fact that she continuously used her private jet as leverage to hold power over her new costars during season seven left an icky raste in our mouth.
Maybe Steph can redeem herself if she returns for season eight.Rich Polk/Bravo146. Sara Al Madani, The Real Housewives of DubaiSara’s positive, enlightened outlook on life was certainly pleasant, but didn’t provide for much drama (besides that one time she offered co-star Caroline Brooks some not-so-well received parenting advice). However, the tech entrepreneur shattered stereotypes of what it means to be a modern Muslim woman in the Middle East and for that we applaud her. Andrew Eccles/Bravo144-145. Rachel Fuda & Danielle Cabral, The Real Housewives of New JerseyRHONJ’s season 13 newbies certainly fit the mold of your typical Garden State Housewife and quickly found themselves in a season-long fight over literally nothing that Andy Cohen deemed pointless at the reunion. The former friends unfortunately didn’t bring much more substance during season 14.photos
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