Whoop it up! Vicki Gunvalson is set to return to The Real Housewives of Orange County.
The news was revealed at BravoCon 2025, when Vicki took the stage at The Bravos awards show in Las Vegas. The self-proclaimed “OG of the OC” was accompanied by series executive producer Andy Cohen, who presented Vicki with the highly coveted Housewives orange.
Vicki Gunvalson reclaims her orange for RHOC Season 20
“Vicki, would you join us as a Housewife for Season 20?” the Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen asked during the live taping.
Footage shared on social media showed Vicki becoming emotional as she hugged Andy and accepted the offer with a resounding, “Yes!”
Naturally, the crowd erupted in cheers and applause.
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Vicki Gunvalson exits Housewives after a 14-season run
Vicki joined the Bravo-verse in 2006 as an original member of RHOC, the series that introduced the world to the ever-expanding Housewives franchise. She remained a full-time cast member until Season 13 and then took on a “friend of” role in the following season. Andy spoke about the casting change in a 2019 interview with Us Weekly, insisting that Vicki had achieved a rare feat within the reality TV realm.
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“The truth is we’re always looking to freshen up every show,” he told the outlet. “She’s been on the show for 14 years. That is an unprecedented run on a scripted show, on a reality show, anything.”
After RHOC Season 14, Vicki announced that she would not appear in the series as a full-time cast member or friend; however, she did return as a guest in Seasons 17 and 18.
“I will always be the OG of the OC, but it’s time to say goodbye to The Real Housewives of Orange County,” she wrote in a January 2020 Instagram post. “It’s been an incredible ride for 14 years and I want to thank all of you for your support, for your love and for ‘whooping it up’ with me along the way.”
Vicki Gunvalson receives Wifetime Achievement Award at BravoCon 2023
Although she was no longer a Housewife, Vicki maintained a strong and respected presence among the network figures. This was further proven at BravoCon 2023, when the mother of two received the Wifetime Achievement award.
“If you watched Season 1… I was like, ‘I don’t want to get old’ — but here we are getting old together,” she said during her acceptance speech. “I want to thank my sisterhood of all my housewives fans and friends and my cast members that we filmed with season 1, 18 years ago. I love you all…. None of this would be possible without all the fans who supported me and loved me through all the s—t that I had. It has not been easy.”
Bravo has yet to announce any other casting decisions for RHOC Season 20. The Bravos award show was filmed on Friday, November 14, in Las Vegas and will air on Sunday, November 16, on Bravo.
Get more details about Vicki’s BravoCon 2025 experience, including her reconciliation with The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum Teddi Mellencamp.
