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If there’s one guilty pleasure of ours, it’s the Real Housewives franchise. All of these women bring the best drama. In this piece, we will rank our 10 favorite all-time Real Housewives stars. All of the ladies are incredibly special, and the list could go on and on, but here is our narrowed-down list of 10:
10. Kyle Richards
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Kyle Richards has been the queen bee of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills since it first aired. If there’s one thing she’s been known for throughout the seasons, it’s been her intense family drama. Whether it be between her and Kim, her and Kathy, they air it all out on the screen. And most recently it’s been between her and her husband Mauricio — who recently split. Their marriage has been in question for multiple years with constant speculation of cheating, and in season 13 Kyle finally admits to there being trust issues. But we’ve still been fans from the start, and we can’t wait to see Kyle’s single era.
9. Vicki Gunvalson
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Vicki is truly one of the “OG” housewives, as Real Housewives of Orange County was the first of the franchise and she continued to be on the show until 2020. She is widely known for her iconic lines, as well as her lackluster taste in men. From her “love tank” being full or empty to her “whooping it up” with Tamera, you can count on her being her unapologetic self. Although no longer on the show, she can still be seen on the spin-off Ultimate Girls Trip!
8. Luanne de Lesseps
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The Countess of Cabaret herself! When she first started, she was known as “Countess Luanne” since she was married to a Count — which the ladies continuously make fun of. But throughout the years, you watch Luanne go through a lot — from getting divorced, getting arrested, to getting married again, to getting cheated on, to getting divorced again. Quite the whirlwind. She continued to make a new name for herself with her cabaret show, which the ladies also continued to make fun of. She is a powerhouse no matter what the ladies say.
7. Ramona Singer
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If Ramona is known for one thing, it’s delivering the drama. And maybe also her fake apologies, tears, and “turtle time” throughout the years. She was known for her tumultuous relationships with all of women, including her best friend Sonja Morgan. Although Bravo completely rebranded Real Housewives of New York in 2023, Ramona can still be seen on Ultimate Girls Trip.
6. Bethenny Frankel
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Bethany Frankel and Bravo have an interesting relationship, to say the least. She has publicly spoken out about the network dragging them. But before all of that, she starred in eight out of the fourteen seasons. She always had hilarious fights with her cast members, specifically Ramona Singer where they had an on-and-off friendship. Most of the time, Bethenny seemed to be more realistic and down to earth than the other women and would put them in their place, with her trademarked blunt delivery. She has gone on to become a huge success, a major feat considering when she first started the show, she had major financial issues.
5. Lisa Vanderpump
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Lisa Vanderpump is real housewives royalty. She was on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills for nine seasons and then started her spin-off Vanderpump Rules in 2013. Most recently, she launched Vanderpump Villa in 2024. She left RHOBH in 2019 due to too much conflict with her other cast members. She has only remained friends with a few of the ladies. Some may say she moved on to bigger and better with her hit show Vanderpump Rules
4. Monica Garcia
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Monica was the newest housewife introduced onto Real Housewives of Salt Lake City this past season, but she has already taken her exit. In season four of RHOSLC, she befriended all of the girls only for them to find out (major spoiler alert) that she was behind a big Instagram account that would troll all of them. In the season finale of season four the other woman found out and collectively confronted her at a dinner. As viewers, this left our jaws on the floor. Throughout the season you could also watch her volatile and toxic relationship with her mom, which made us empathize with her. Although she had a great season, it’s safe to say she won’t be coming back!
3. Jen Shah
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Jen Shah was over the top and high-octane from the word “go.” Currently, she is serving her prison sentence due to her elderly telemarketing scam. Even before that came out, there was a ton of buzz around her due to her outrageousness. She was also known for her intense volatility on the show always fighting with her fellow cast members and taking it way too far. Despite her being convicted, she did make for great TV!
2. Theresa Giudice
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There are few things more memorable than Theresa’s table flip in the finale of season one. If you haven’t seen the episode, you’ve almost certainly seen a meme or GIF about it. Throughout her ten-plus seasons on the show, you’ve seen her and her family go through their ups and downs (including spending actual time in prison for fraud). But through it all, she has given us amazing moments season after season.
1. NeNe Leakes
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The best Real Housewife out of the franchise has to be NeNe Leakes. She is known for her iconic and meme-worthy lines throughout the seasons (such as “I’m a size 10. I could be a size 8 if I wanted to, but I’m effin’ hungry.”) Although she starred in the first seven seasons as well as season 10 and 12, she has since left. Bravo fans continue to beg for her to come back!
