After being on the air for nearly a decade and a half, The Real Housewives of Orange County has seen lots of cast members come and go. In fact, the show has officially gotten to a point where there are no original cast members left. While it doesn’t appear that any of the show’s OG stars plan on coming back, someone with a good amount of RHOC history has decided to return for the upcoming 16th season. Heather Dubrow who originally joined the show from seasons 7 to 11, is back in the building. A lot of people are pleasantly surprised to see one of the . While it’s clear that she’s had a change of heart, a lot of RHOC fans can’t help but wonder what could possibly be bringing her back. Keep reading to find out why Heather Dubrow is returning to The Real Housewives of Orange County.
Why Did Heather Dubrow Leave RHOC In The First Place
From the outside looking in, being on a reality TV show like The Real Housewives of Orange County seems like a pretty sweet gig. Sure, there’s lots of drama, but the cast members are essentially getting paid lots of money to film themselves doing things they would probably be doing anyway. That said, it’s always interesting when someone decides to walk away. So when Heather parted ways with the show in 2017, lots of people were wondering why. At the time, she issued a statement that said the following:
“After a lot of careful thought and deliberation, I have decided not to return to RHOC this season. These past 5 years have been an incredible journey and I’m so proud to have been a part of such an iconic piece of pop culture. I am so grateful to Evolution Media, Bravo and the whole NBCU family for all of the incredible experiences and the opportunities RHOC has afforded me and my family. However, at this point in my life, I have decided to go in another direction and do what’s best for my family and career. Should I change my mind, I thank Andy Cohen, Evolution and Bravo for telling me that the door is always open.”
As you can see, her statement didn’t really give a reason for her departure. Recently, however, she has shared that the culture of the show just wasn’t the same anymore, and she was no longer happy. Instead, she decided it would be best to get away from the cameras and focus on her personal life. Plus, she wanted to spare her children the embarrassment of having to have their awkward tween years immortalized by reality TV cameras.
Why Heather Dubrow Decided To Rejoin The Cast
Even though Heather’s farewell made it clear that there was a possibility for her return, many were still surprised to hear that she would be coming back for season 16. This is especially true because Shannon Storms Beador is the only cast member still around who was on the show at the same time as Heather. However, Heather’s reason for giving RHOC another shot is fairly simple: timing. Apparently, RHOC producers reached out to her in December of 2020 and asked if she’d be interested in coming back to the show. At first, Heather was hesitant, but she eventually agreed.
According to KARE 11, Heather said, “… timing is a big deal…My family’s in a different place, my kids are a little bit older, the pandemic has sort of given me a different perspective on things. I started thinking about, ‘OK, how many times do you get to go back and try something again?’ This isn’t really completely like a do-over, but there’s something about being able to kind of go back.” Heather also shared that she asked her children how they would feel about her doing the show, and they were all supportive.
How Fans Feel About Heather Dubrow’s Return
Most RHOC fans would probably agree that Heather’s return is good news. In fact, in her absence, a lot of people have been hoping she would come back. Now seems like a particularly good time for her to make her come back since the show is going through a bit of a reconstruction period in terms of cast members. For the first time in a while, viewers have no idea what to expect from the upcoming season. While Heather herself is a little nervous about how things will pan out, she’s excited about the opportunity and she’s looking forward to getting to know the new ladies on the show.
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