The Big Picture
- Heather Dubrow's potential transition to 'Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' could challenge Kyle Richards' power dynamic on the series.
- Heather offers authenticity to the group and could bring balance while holding the diamonds accountable.
- With established friendships, power, and influence, Heather's presence could correct ongoing issues with the cast of 'RHOBH.'
In July 2023, Heather Dubrow and her husband, Terry Dubrow, purchased a historic Beverly Hills mansion for a steal of a deal. Heather first joined the Real Housewives of Orange County in its seventh season, and left after Season 11. She returned once again in Season 16, and now in Season 18 of the series, Heather is just meeting with contractors to go over her impressive renovation plans for her new home in Beverly Hills. Heather is in a category of her own when it comes to Housewives who are still able to flash their glitz and glamour, wherever their zip-codes happen to be. Whether she calls Orange County or Beverly Hills home, Heather will always be a force to be reckoned with on reality TV. With renovations underway, and a change of location imminent, it seems possible that "Fancy Pants" may also have a career opportunity on the horizon.
Already this season, viewers have seen a connection between Real Housewives of Orange County and Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. At Heather's party in the opening episode of the season, Gina Kirschenheiter brings along her new friend Katie, who she met through Beverly Hills Housewife, Sutton Stracke. Apparently, Sutton is also set to make an appearance on the OC series, as she is seen in the Sneak Peek trailer for the season commenting that she would not want to go up against Heather in a fight. And it's true, seeing Heather in the mix on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills would change the dynamics in the group when it comes to their fighting. Heather has a fabulous reputation to uphold, and would certainly inject an authentic energy into the series. The last two seasons have made clear that her co-stars on the OC are tired of how "fancy" she can be anyway. If a transition is in the works with Bravo, Heather could be exactly what Real Housewives of Beverly Hills needs at the moment, since she can shake things up through her established friendships in the group.
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The Real Housewives of Orange County
A look at five families living in a protected Southern California enclave, and the real-life housewives who reside in one of the wealthiest planned communities in the country.
- Release Date
- March 21, 2006
- Creator
- Scott Dunlop
- Cast
- Tamra Judge , Vicki Gunvalson , Shannon Storms Beador , Heather Dubrow
- Main Genre
- Reality TV
- Seasons
- 18
Kyle Richards Is The Face of RHOBH
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Real Housewives of Beverly Hills currently has a power dynamic problem, with reigning Housewife Kyle Richards seemingly dictating what she is willing to share on the series, and what she will reserve for other reality TV programs, such as Netflix's Buying Beverly Hills, where her daughters and estranged husband are the main cast. Kyle has been on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills since 2010 and is now the longest standing cast member and the only remaining Housewife from the original group on her series. Kyle is also a TV producer herself, and this, plus her longstanding position on the Bravo series, has given her too much power and influence on how scenes are produced. Her inauthentic narrative made for a messy Season 13, and while filming for Season 14 is already underway, she seems unrepentant about how her decision to hide her marriage troubles and instead tease a relationship with country singer Morgan Wade derailed last Season 13. Heather entering the mix on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills could be the exact answer needed to correct what has been wrong with the series, as she has influence and a reputation of her own to uphold.
In a 2023 interview with Bustle, Heather named Kyle as one of the queens of Bravo, among the other OG cast from other franchises. She also named Kyle and Lisa Vanderpump as the two Housewives who have the "best" homes that she admires. Heather and Kyle's relationship extends back to at least 2016, when Heather invited Kyle to join her on her podcast. In a discussion about what draws viewers to their reality shows, Heather noted that her recent season was the highest rated season in OC history, and she felt that was a direct result of the cast members who were self-producing, and stirring things up just for a pay check no longer being present. Ironically, Kyle also spoke about her cast at the time having authenticity, saying she understands that viewers enjoy watching the ladies' real lives and relationships. Several years later, it seemed in Season 13 that Kyle had forgotten this commitment to authenticity.
Heather Jokes RHOBH Stars Travel Better Than RHOC
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On her podcast, Heather also joked about being jealous of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills ladies because their vacations take them all over the world, where she felt in comparison, the Real Housewives of Orange County ladies got the short end of the stick on the level of luxury with their vacations. She joked that the Beverly Hills ladies flew privately, where the Orange County ladies traveled on "the pony express." Although the OC ladies will be upping their travel game this season, traveling to London, England, while also taking some more local trips to Big Bear, Palm Springs, and Sonoma in California. While Heather should be able to fit in a good amount of fanciness on their trip to the United Kingdom, should she make a transition to Real Housewives of Beverly Hills she would be the perfect companion to travel with in style.
Because of their similar positions in society, Heather can check Kyle's influence in a way that other Housewives are not always able to. She, too, is fabulously wealthy, and has filmed Housewives long enough to have some power of her own when it comes to keeping everyone accountable. And unlike Sutton, who led the charge when it comes to holding Kyle accountable last season, Heather does not have loyalty to Kathy Hilton, Kyle's older sister, a relationship which was weaponized against Sutton last year. Since accountability has been lacking when it comes to Kyle being transparent about what is really happening in her life on the series, Heather's presence would help to balance out this problem on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
Related
Garcelle Beauvais Teases News on RHOBH Season 14
Filming is underway on ‘The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’ with an excited Garcelle revealing "wait till you see it"
Friendships on 'RHOBH' and 'RHOC' Are Shifting
Season 13 really tested the friendships on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Sutton wasn't the only friend who was on thin ice with Kyle after getting close to her sister, Kathy. Dorit Kemsley also found herself on the outs with her long-time friend after Kyle felt Dorit did not support her enough after her sister trashed her in Season 12. According to leaked footage from behind the scenes of Season 14 filming, this rift between Kyle and Dorit has only expanded, as the pair were seen fighting at an event at the historic LA hot spot, The Viper Room. Sutton and Kyle's relationship also appears to be further fractured after last season. It seems that Kyle has created an island for herself, and the only people welcome are those who will not challenge the narrative she wishes to produce each season.
Unlike her time on Real Housewives of Orange County, Heather would also be entering Beverly Hills with an ally, or a pair of allies. In an interview with The Wrap in June 2023, Heather opened up about never really having an ally on Real Housewives of Orange County, as she was put in the middle of an established group and left to fend for herself. Beverly Hills Housewife Garcelle Beauvais and Heather already have an existing friendship, and as Garcelle is also Sutton's best friend on the series, Sutton could be gaining an ally in her quest to hold Kyle to account in the future. Sutton, Garcelle, and Heather as a team would certainly be a force to be reckoned with in Beverly Hills. As Heather observed on her podcast when speaking with Kyle, her belief is that the best cast member is "someone that really is integrated into the friend group in an organic way."
Dubrow Has Issues With Some of The RHOC Cast
Heather's friendships on Real Housewives of Orange County aren't set in stone in Season 18 either. As the Sneak Peek trailer for Season 18 reveals, Heather is still on the outs with Gina and her friend Emily Simpson. Heather is shown calling Gina a "user," and saying that she doesn't consider her a real friend. Emily has always had a problem with just how fancy her cast mate "Fancy Pants" can be, often mocking her choices as party host to undermine how elevated Heather expects her friends to behave at these affairs. The season Sneak Peek also shows Emily escalating her quest to bring Heather down a peg or two, claiming that she singles her out as being "the big girl," and initiating a conversation about her weight where Heather denies thinking this way.
The season Sneak Peek also shows Gina's new friend Katie being warned by Sutton not to go up against Heather, but it seems the newcomer did not care to heed the warning. Heather is shown with her aggressive hand gestures repeatedly telling newbie Katie to stop saying that she lied about something. Katie claims to be able to see straight through Heather, setting up yet another season where Heather has to constantly defend herself against accusations from her cast mates and apologize for slights she claims she did not intend in the first place. With her history on the franchise of never feeling like she had an ally, and the feud between her friends Tamra Judge and Shannon Beador heating up, Heather might welcome a shift towards filming her friendships in Beverly Hills instead.
Heather Has Every Reason to Swap Her Orange for a Diamond
In April 2023, Heather told The Wrap that "anything is possible" when it was suggested she might join Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. She also said, "never say never" and "all things are possible." The repetition and coyness begs readers to hope for her to make the switch from OC to Beverly Hills. And since the friendship dynamics are already shifting on both reality shows, it would be a welcome change. If Heather were to join Sutton, Garcelle, and Kyle, women she already has a strong connection with, there could be someone there to mediate and keep peace in Beverly Hills. Heather has power, influence, and a reputation for integrity that she works hard to uphold. She would be a shake-up for the diamonds if she were to join the series in the future, especially as someone who could finally help to hold Kyle accountable.
Real Housewives of Orange County airs Thursdays on Bravo. Past seasons are available to stream on Peaco*ck.