Who Are The Longest Serving Real Housewives?
The Real Housewives franchise has seen many women come and go. Some are one-season wonders, unhappy with displaying their life whilst others are not asked back due to making boring TV. Some even get fired for misbehavior, becoming iconic in all the wrong ways.
Other women became mainstays of the show, lasting for many seasons and sometimes even crossing franchises. We get to love and hate them, understanding their family, their relationships and their career. Sometimes franchise favorites get spin-offs where we see them even more!
Despite the revolving door of women on all these hit Bravo reality shows, there are a handful of iconic Housewives who have stuck it out season after season and in many cases become producers of the show.
Take a look at some of the longest running cast members in the Real Housewives franchise and what it is that made us want to keep watching their life.
9 Kandi Burruss (14 Seasons)
Kandi Burruss recently earned the accolade as the longest-serving housewife. The singer/songwriter announced that she will appear in season 15 of Real Housewives of Atlanta, earning her the impressive title of long-serving Bravo housewife.
Kandi first graced our screens during the premiere of the second season of RHOA and has been impressing us ever since. Once Kandi wraps filming season 15, that will be her 14th season on the show.
8 Vicki Gunvalson (13 Seasons)
Vicky Gunvalson was originally known as the OG or the O.C, joining RHOC for the very first episode.
In January 2020, Gunvalson was fired from the franchise. “There’s several things we thought of…we got very expensive and I think they said that viewers were ready for younger blood,” the reality star said about her firing. She also believed her firing was down to a producer disliking her.
It has been rumored that she will be making a cameo in the upcoming 17th season of the franchise. Talk of her possible return started last month after photos of her dining with RHOC's Tamra Judge and Shannon Beador circulated online.
7 Tamra Judge (13 Seasons)
Tamra Judge joined RHOC in season 3 but by season 14 she was axed. A three-part special, and the first ever RHOC spin-off, premiered in September 2013 which followed Tamra as she prepared for her wedding to Eddie Judge.
In a 2020 Instagram Live chat with Andy Cohen, Tamra said that her firing was money-related: “I’m not cheap Andy, and that’s why I got fired!“.
This summer, Judge revealed that she was back for season 17. Ahead of the announcement of her return to RHOC, Tamra most recently appeared on Season 2 of Peacock’s The Real House Ultimate Girls Trip, alongside Vicki Gunvalson.
6 Ramona Singer (13 Seasons)
Ramona Singer appeared on the first 13 seasons of The Real Housewives Of New York, instantly becoming iconic for eccentric behavior and catchphrases.
She was apparently also let go from the show because she was asking too much money. In a Real Housewives first, the RHONY franchise didn’t have a reunion this past season. The official line was scheduling conflicts, but it's rumored that Eboni K. Williams filed a complaint over Ramona's behavior.
Despite her iconic status as a housewife, she was fired after 13 seasons due to failing ratings. The entire RHONY cast was replaced in 2022.
5 Luann De Lesseps (12 Seasons)
The countess appeared in the first 13 seasons of RHONY, 12 as a housewife and one as a friend of (season 4). The Countess has been an integral part of RHONY since the franchise's inception, with her relationship issues, arrest and stint in rehab taking center stage.
After filming season 13 of RHONY, Luann and her co-star Ramona Singer filmed The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip.
She may not be returning for any upcoming RHONY seasons, but she will be joining Sonja Morgan in a spin-off series. In a format similar to A Simple Life, the pair will be heading to a small Illinois town to "spruce it up."
4 Kyle Richards (12 Seasons)
The former child star has been Real Housewives of Beverly Hills from the very first episode. She has made it a family affair with her sister Kim appearing in early seasons, with her step-sister Kathy Hilton appearing more recently in a Friend Of role. She is the last remaining original housewife on the Beverly Hills version of the reality show.
Richards shared that when she finished filming on the turbulent season 12, she was sure it was her last time appearing as a Housewife. "I was like, 'There's absolutely no way,'" she shared. "I'm done. I'm finished. I want to live my life in peace. I can't take this."
The recent season saw her at war with her sister, with her children being trolled online, and her family torn apart. At this point, it's unsure whether she will return for further seasons but it will be a surprise if this is the last we hear from her.
3 Teresa Giudice (12 Seasons)
Teresa Giudice has been the heart of Real Housewives Of New Jersey since it first aired in 2009. She quickly established herself as a fan-favorite due to her lavish spending habits and outspoken personality.
She has perhaps the most iconic moment in Housewife history, when she flips a table in the sixth and finale episode of season one. Her entire family has appeared on the show, with her sister-in-law Melissa and her cousin Kathy joining as housewives.
Teresa and her legal troubles played such a pivotal role in RHONJ that the show stopped filming for over a year, waiting for her to return from jail. The producers did film a three-episode special where she appeared via speakerphone conversations with her family. The franchise continues to follow her post prison life and her new marriage.
2 Sonja Morgan (10 Seasons)
Sonja Morgan joined RHONY in the third seasons and appeared in every episode until that messy 13th series. We soon fell in love with her iconic townhouse, various business ventures and liaisons with younger men.
Luann de Lesseps and Sonja Morgan are getting their own show, which is slated to be modeled after The Simple Life, the early 2000's series made famous by Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie.
She may not be returning for season 14, but she may be making an appearance on the much-anticipated legacy season.
During a conversation at BravoCon 2022, Cohen spoke about outline for the series, which will allow some true legacy cast members to shine, while a whole new group of New York housewives will continue the main RHONY show. We don't know anything about the cast or when it will hit our screams, but we will be surprised is Sonja doesn't appear.
1 Lisa Vanderpump (Season 9)
Lisa Vanderpump is one of the most recognizable names from the reality TV franchise. The British restaurateur appeared in the very first seasons, until her very public departure in season 9.
Her story in Season 9 was one of the biggest controversies in the show's history. It all started when Dorit decided to adopt a puppy from Lisa's shelter, but when the dog bit one of Dorit's children, she had to rehouse the pup. It led to a huge feud between the entire group of women and Vanderpump walked away, not even appearing at the reunion.
Since January 2013, Vanderpump had her own spin-off, Vanderpump Rules, which focused on the staff at her restaurants and bars SUR Restaurant & Lounge, Pump Restaurant and Tom Tom Restaurant & Bar in West Hollywood, California. It was the first spin-off in the franchise's history.
In March 2021, Vanderpump was featured on E!'s Overserved with Lisa Vanderpump and Vanderpump Dogs on Bravo. So even though she is not on the show, she never appears to be off our screens.
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