Andy Cohen and Jeff Lewis Argue Over ‘RHOC’ Season 18 Casting
Andy Cohen, Jeff Lewis.
Getty Images(2)Jeff Lewis asks for answers from Andy Cohen about casting for season 18 of The Real Housewives of Orange County.
“Why don’t we bring back Taylor Armstrong?” Lewis, 53, asked Cohen, 55, when he stopped by Sirius XM Jeff Lewis Live on Wednesday, December 20. “That just seems like a good value to me. You didn’t pay her that much. I think she gave you guys, I mean, a lot. Why not bring her back? What is that reasoning?”
In response, Cohen simply said, “I don’t know,” prompting Lewis to shoot back, “Why [does] no one to consult me?”
Armstrong, 52 — who appeared as a “friend” during season 17 of the Bravo series — previously told Lewis that she had “no idea” why she wasn’t asked back for more episodes.
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“I was actually quite surprised, and it was a great year and [I] I got to know the girls and we’re going to maintain our friendships, but I was quite surprised,” she told the radio personality during an appearance on his show earlier this month.
Lewis also spoke about Cohen RHOC degrade Vicki Gunvalson to guest status in season 17. Gunvalson, 61, was one of the main cast members for the reality show’s first 13 seasons before being demoted to a “friend” for season 14. After sitting out seasons 15 and 16, she returned as guest for season 17.
“Just give [Vicki] an orange for the sake of it,” Lewis joked, referring to the citrus fruits the main cast members are holding in their hands in the show’s intro. “You keep bringing her back as a ‘friend.’ She doesn’t want to come back as a ‘friend’.”
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Cohen defended Gunvalson’s current role RHOC, saying: “I thought last season was a big load of Vicki. I thought she came in, she came out. She was nice. She is as light as a feather.”
However, Gunvalson told it Page six earlier this month that she isn’t interested in being just a “friend” again.
“I proceeded in good faith and thought I would show the network that I love them, I love filming [and to show] my worth,” she said. ‘But when I go back [as a ‘friend’]it looks thirsty.”
Lewis then asked Cohen if Alexis Bellino will return for season 18. Bellino, 46, last appeared as a guest on the show during season 14, and was one of the main cast members from seasons 5 through 8.
Although Cohen didn’t provide a concrete answer, he did address Bellino’s budding romance Johannes Janssenwho was previously in a relationship RHOC star Shannon Beador from 2019 to 2022. (Bellino and Janssen, 59, were seen exchanging a kiss this weekend while hanging out with friends on a boat in a video obtained via Instagram fan account @Bravoandcocktails.)
‘That’s wild. I mean, John Janssen is going there Slade smiley territory,” Cohen said.
Smiley, 50, briefly dated Lauri Peterson after ending his engagement to her colleague RHOC personality Jo De La Rosa in 2007. Smiley is now engaged to someone else RHOC alum, Gretchen Rossiwhom he started dating in 2009. The couple shares daughter Skylar, 4.
Cohen may not have commented on Bellino’s possible return RHOCbut he did acknowledge that she has “a lot of ties” to current cast members.
“She and Tamra [Judge] made up at BravoCon, and then she and Heather [Dubrow] We have come close in recent years,” he says.
When asked who else will return for season 18, Cohen only teased, “Just wait and see.”
A release date for season 18 of The Real Housewives of Orange Countywhich also stars Judge, 56, Beador, 59, Dubrow, 54, Emily Simpson, Jennifer PedrantiAnd Gina Kirschenheiterhas not yet been announced.