RHOC Season 20 Cast Behind-the-Scenes Interview (EXCLUSIVE)

The Real Housewives of Orange County is back for a brand-new, historic 20th season, and the cast — Heather Dubrow, Gina Kirschenheiter, Shannon Storms Beador, Emily Simpson, Tamra Judge, Jennifer Pedranti, Vicki Gunvalson, and Carmella Garcia — doesn’t take the milestone lightly. 

“It’s crazy,” said Heather, who first joined the cast during RHOC Season 7 (before exiting after Season 11 and later returning for Season 16). “When I started, it was almost 15 years ago and it was popular, but it wasn’t what it’s become. I mean, I had had no idea I’d be here still and I am so happy that I am.”

Tamra, who’s had a similar trajectory on the show, echoed Heather’s sentiment: “I just can’t even believe we’ve made it to 20 years — and that I’m still standing. It’s just an absolute honor. I mean, to be part of a legacy like this, who could say that they’ve ever been involved in anything like this?”

“Honestly, it’s really cool to be part of something that has lasted this long and is a true part of television history,” added Gina, who joined the cast during RHOC Season 13. “I think it’s really, really amazing. I feel very special and privileged and honored to be a part of it.”

Hear more about the honor of making Housewives history, as well as everything to come on RHOC Season 20 (including who’s causing the most drama), by reading Bravo Insider’s exclusive interviews with the entire cast, below. You can also stream all previous 19 seasons of RHOC on Peacock.

What to expect from Vicki Gunvalson’s RHOC return on Season 20

RHOC Season 20 marks the return of Vicki, who appeared on the first 13 seasons of the show before becoming a friend during Season 14. As she put it, “It’s good to be back.”

That said, “It’s been a little tiring ’cause I had both shows back to back,” Vicki said of RHOC Season 20 and The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Roaring 20th. “Plus, my COTO insurance business. So I’m a little stressed out, but I’m getting through it.”

Thankfully, she’s not doing so alone. “I got divorced on the show and dated two bad boys, but now I’m dating somebody else,” Vicki told Bravo Insider. “I’ll show a little bit of him, but he didn’t sign up for the show.”

As for what else to expect from Vicki, Emily teased some “old-school Housewives” fun. “Like, the show was popular in the first place because people really latched on to these quirky, crazy women that live in Orange County who have these funny lives and interact with one another and have some drama,” she said. “It just feels more old-school Housewives to me, which I think the fans will like.”

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Who is RHOC newcomer Carmella Garcia?

RHOC Season 20 also marks the addition of Carmella, a former model, WWE wrestler, and Playboy Playmate. Put simply, “I feel like people either love me or they hate me, or they can’t live without me,” she told Bravo Insider, noting that she’s “probably” the cast member who causes the most drama this season “just because I’m the new person, the new lady on the block.”

“Like, everybody’s curious and they’re guarded and they’re very protective over their circle. So to try to break into that and soften the barrier was a little intimidating to begin with, but I think I just came in and I just did me,” Carmella continued. “And it was gonna go one of two ways — it was either going to be accepted or not, and I was okay with either side of it, but I think we’re going strong at this point.”

Today, she’s especially close with Shannon.

“I love a woman that can stick up for another woman,” Carmella explained. “It’s very easy to sit and listen, but sometimes it can be hard to walk in the fire when the target’s not on you. So I have mad respect for somebody that can interject and have another woman’s back. That’s really important to me. And Shannon has done that several times, so I’m very appreciative.”

Who really causes the most drama on RHOC Season 20?

Tamra and Shannon agreed that Vicki is the harbinger of “the most drama,” with the latter adding, “Vicki always brings it with her, but some of it is fun.”

However, Jen, Gina, and Emily said that things get a little testy with Heather this season. 

“She hasn’t caused it, but we’ve had some drama around Heather. Poor Heather,” Jen said. “She’s kind of taken it a bit this season. And it’s never fun to sit in the hot seat.”

Added Gina, “I think that Heather Dubrow just seems to be at the center of a lot of the drama so far this season. I don’t think she wants to be there, she just happens to be there — which is sort of unexpected for her.”

“I would say she would prefer to be out of the drama, but somehow when you try to stay out of the drama, you end up in it,” Emily agreed. “So I would say it’s Heather unintentionally in it.”

Heather, however, is seemingly unfazed: “Things seem to keep centering back to me, which is not that fun. But I will say that there is a lot of fun, which is great.”

Why fans will be surprised by RHOC Season 20

If there’s one thing the entire RHOC cast agrees on, it’s that they’re not afraid to break the fourth wall on Season 20. “Everybody’s breaking the fourth wall,” Tamra explained. “It’s to the point where people are like, ‘Oh, oh my God, stop.’ I mean, you try not to, but I personally like it when we break the fourth wall as a viewer.”

Shannon even said they “do it almost daily.” Trying to explain why, Gina told Bravo Insider, “When you think about it, it’s the 20th year and we’re bringing back Victoria, who has been on this for 20 years. We have a real veteran cast. So it’s kind of hard at this point not to break the fourth wall because we have a lot of history together and a lot of the things that bother us about each other happen as a result of the fact that we’re on this reality television show, so sometimes we do break the fourth wall.”

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“I mean, we’ve all known each other for so long now,” Emily said in agreement. “We’ve been around a long time and we’ve been friends for a long time. So when you’re making reality TV, there’s so much that goes on behind the scenes as well because we’re all interacting, we all see each other. We’re all there in places at the same time. And so it’s very difficult not for that to flow over into the show side of it.”

Learn more about what to expect from all of the women on RHOC Season 20.