Andy Cohen Opens Up About Heather Dubrow's Return to RHOC

Now that it's been confirmed that Heather Dubrow will return to The Real Housewives of Orange County for Season 16, we're hearing from Andy Cohen about the news. He appeared on her podcast, Heather Dubrow's World, in an episode released on June 16 to talk all about it.

"Is that crazy?" Heather said once the Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen host confirmed that it was a "rumor verified" that she is returning to the series. "It is crazy," he added. "It's so great. I'm so excited. And, you know, it just is a testament to kind of everything at the right time."

Heather first joined the franchise in Season 7, and during her time on RHOC, she shared with fans her friendships, her love of couture and champagne, and let fans into her home to see her life as a mom to four kids and wife to Dr. Terry Dubrow (who also stars on E!'s Botched). She exited RHOC after Season 11.

Heather then explained why she felt she was ready to put her life in front of the cameras again. "Timing is a big deal," Heather said about why now is the right time to return to the cast. "Now things are a little bit different. 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. And then I started thinking about, 'How many times do you get to go back and try something again?'"

Andy agreed with that point: "It's just, time has passed and it's cool because, also, I'm excited for people to see your life has changed. We haven't seen your house [the Dubrow Chateau], really. Your kids are in a totally different place."

Heather's kids (Max, Collette, Katarina, and Nicholas) have grown up a lot since she exited the show in 2017. So when the opportunity presented itself again, they had a family meeting ("we had a serious talk about it"), and Heather noted that "they were 100 percent, all of them, all in" for her to return. "They were cool," she added.

As for what else fans can expect, Andy noted that he's looking forward to what will happen next on RHOC. "Yes, I'm very excited," Andy added about his feelings for the upcoming season.

Heather added, "I am excited. I'm mildly terrified. It seems so surreal."

Andy ended the chat with this message: "Welcome back. Once a Housewife, always a Housewife."

The same day it was revealed that Heather will return to the series, it was confirmed that Shannon Storms Beador, Gina Kirschenheiter, and Emily Simpson will also return to the next season of RHOC. Kelly Dodd, Braunwyn Windham-Burke, and Elizabeth Lyn Vargas are confirmed to exit.

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