So tonight is the second episode in the epic fourth season of Real Housewives of New Jersey. While the filming took place months ago, the ladies have still not recovered from slights, bruised egos, and cookbook insults. #OliveGardenGate2012. Let’s make this a thing on Twitter, people!
Apparently, all the drama, which has been dangling like a sequined bikini in front of her Jersey-loving noses, has paid off big-time in the form of ratings. Last week’s RHONJ season premiere was the highest rated premiere in Bravo history with over 3 million viewers tuning into watch the ‘when you’re here you’re family fest.’ In fact, last Sunday was Bravo’s best-rated night in network history, according to TV By The Numbers, with the network ranking as the highest watched channel in the 18-49 age range. Wow!
I guess no matter how much complaining I do about the trashiness overtaking the shows, it’s not gonna change because people are watching—big time!
Proving that the drama will continue, the ladies of NJ took to their Bravo blogs to talk last Sunday’s episode and do what they do best—complain about each other! Gotta love public venting!
CLICK THE CONTINUE READING BUTTON FOR THE REST OF THE DRAMA!
The last two seasons of Real Housewives of Atlanta have focused on NeNe Leakes marital issues, separation, and potential divorce from husband Gregg Leakes. Unfortunately, many suspected that NeNe and Gregg were creating the marital drama for ratings and a storyline!
This season NeNe was seen receiving elaborate gifts and “dating” sugar daddy, John Kolaj, as she wrestled with signing her divorce papers on film, citing she wasn’t ready to officially end her marriage. Even more confusing was the fact that NeNe and Gregg were seen together out and about several times over the last year when their marriage was supposedly in jeopardy and on the brink of divorce. It was to everyone’s surprise that in last week’s finale episode Bravo announced NeNe was officially divorced! When did that happen? And did it really?
The internet has been abuzz with questions about whether or not NeNe and Gregg’s marriage is actually over—or if it was a Bravo fabricated storyline with the two remaining in marital bliss behind the scenes. After all, last year NeNe was allegedly supposed to receive her own spin-off; which would focus on her single life and entry into the dating pool after fifteen years of marriage. Obviously that never happened—and many believed it was because NeNe was actually still very much a Mrs. and the couple wouldn’t go through with ending their marriage for a pay raise. Apparently, they have officially called it quits and the divorce is indeed a done deal.
CLICK THE CONTINUE READING BUTTON LEARN THE DETAILS OF NENE’S DIVORCE!
The very interesting thing about Real Housewives is that off-screen drama is always a zillion times more interesting than on-screen drama. Case in point; the latest Real Housewives of Orange County on-again/off-again Gretchen Rossi and Tamra Barney friendship or feud debacle.
Days after a story leaked, claiming Gretchen told tabloids that Tamra and now fiancé Eddie Judge got engaged after Bravo paid for both a ring and a luxury vacation to film the proposal, both ladies are defending themselves against the allegations. First up, is Gretchen who adamantly denies any involvement in so-called tabloid tattling!
Speaking to CNN news, of all places, Gretchen claims everyone wants the fight between Tamra and herself to continue! “I think because Tamra and I have been at each other’s necks the last few years,” Gretchen claims. “I mean, bottom line, the audience likes the fight, to think that Tamra and I are at each other’s necks angry at each other.”
“[And] I think a lot of people were expecting an engagement between Slade [Smiley] and I and when that didn’t happen and all of a sudden Tamra’s engaged, I think that the press just made this up.” That’s an interesting assessment – are that many people really dying for Gretchen and Slave to tie the knot, because frankly, I think most of us couldn’t care less!
Gretchen claims that not only is she thrilled beyond belief for her new friend, she is planning the bachelorette party! “For goodness sakes, I went out to dinner with her and Eddie and Terry and Heather and we celebrated the engagement and I’m gonna throw the bachelorette and Heather’s gonna throw the bridal shower!;” Gretchen insists. “If I actually believed it’s a sham, why would I offer to throw the bachelorette party?”
“It’s disappointing; we know the truth, we know what’s going on,” Gretchen says, adding that the media is spinning it out of control. You can see the video of Gretchen defending herself below!
Unfortunately for Gretchen, Tamra doesn’t seem to exonerate her from involvement in the story – nor is she confirming any news of bachelorette parties! Instead, she is talking wedding plans and while there are none until next season she is thrilled to be engaged! “Proposing to me in Bora Bora was a huge surprise and the most romantic trip of my life,” Tamra tells RumorFix. “We have no wedding date or plans set, but we are thinking about having a destination wedding somewhere fabulous.”
“Regarding the recent report on TMZ article. I find it hurtful and vicious for someone to make up such horrible lies about my engagement,” she fumes. “To try and take away from my happiness is just down right mean.”
And she is completely insistent that Bravo had nothing to do with the most romantic day of her life! “Bravo does not control my life and my love can not be bought or manipulated by them or anyone else.” You know what, I kind of believe her!
Moving right along, Vicki Gunvalson is talking about herself again. No, just kidding… Vicki is talking how being a Housewife has changed over the years – and she blames the inclusion of younger ladies into the mix. And Vicki prefers the old way of doing things!
“I was one of the youngest cast members and now I’m the oldest,” Vicki shares. In the beginning, “We weren’t fighting, we were just talking about our lives, raising kids,” Vicki tells The Huffington Post.
Vicki believes in order to amp up drama, the producers started matriculating younger, less settled, and more fame hungry girls into the cast. “They are bringing in the girls 16 years younger. Hello,” she claims. “I think the producers wanted to sexercise it so we got the younger girls, but its okay, just more fights.” I assume Vicki is referring to Gretchen and her grifter-buddy Sarah Winchester, who has barely been on screen so far – much to my delight!
Interestingly, Vicki says the shift in the show’s dynamic has been hurtful to her insurance business; which she still maintains is her primary job. “Yes, absolutely it does hurt business,” Vicki confirms. “I have to be very careful of what I say and how my temper shows and I really try to control all drinking on camera because I’m not a big drinker anyway, but they sensationalize it. [They] Make them think you are drinking more than you are when you’re not drinking that much.”
While Vicki insists the producers don’t force the drama–they just cast accordingly–apparently it’s working! Or maybe not. NBC is reporting that the seventh season of RHOC is gearing up to be the series’ highest rated season yet. Which is ironic, considering new addition Heather is in her forties and hardly the youngest of the bunch. Also interesting, it is the OG’s Vicki, Tamra, and Gretchen who are causing the most trouble this season!
New episodes of the show are averaging about 2 million viewers and ratings are up 10% from last season, according to the Nielsen Ratings. Tuesday night’s mainly dramaless episode garnered a whopping 1.36 million adult viewers aged 18-49 and was the most watched episode of the season since the premiere. Apparently, people really want to see Vicki and Gretchen throw down over Slave Slimey!
I have to say, although the drama is exciting, I preferred earlier seasons of the shows where the fights seemed less forced and were less often. I agree, recent seasons of Housewives of all varieties have become increasingly low-brow and trashy. If I wanted all that nonsense I’d tune into Bad Girls Club! But maybe, the majority of viewers prefer the over-the-top behavior and non-stop bickering. What do you think?
SO – DID GRETCHEN LEAK THE STORY TO THE TABLOIDS OR NOT? ARE YOU SURPRISED SHE’S THROWING THE BACHELORETTE? IS VICKI RIGHT THAT YOUNGER HOUSEWIVES HAVE AMPED UP THE DRAMA AND TRASHED UP THE SHOW? THOUGHTS ON THE RATINGS?
CLICK THE CONTINUE READING BUTTON TO WATCH SEE GRETCHEN’S CNN INTERVIEW!
I think it’s fair to say that Alexis Bellino and Gretchen Rossi‘s friendship is over. The two have squared off all season and this week’s episode of Real Housewives of Orange County featured a pretty heated exchange between the two former besties about loyalty and friendship responsibilities.
In fact, the in-fighting and fragmentation of former friends has equaled a big ratings jump for Bravo’s least watched Housewives series! LALate News is reporting that Tuesday’s episode was the number five most watched cable show for 18-49 year-olds and garnered 2.1 million viewers. Pretty solid!
Proving that big animosity means big drama, Alexis shares her perspective in her Bravo Blog. And, Alexis all but declares her friendship to Gretchen over! Clearly, Alexis has not moved past Gretchen outing her nose job to enemy,Tamra Barney! “Why would Gretchen even mention my surgery to that group? What purpose did that serve? How foolish and juvenile!,” Alexis seethes.
“First off, it’s no one else’s business what procedure I’m getting done. Why does everyone seem so interested in my personal life when I’m not including them in it? Yes, I have been talking about a nose job for years, but I have NEVER HAD THE NERVE TO DO IT!”
“So when Tamra says ‘Just own it,’ HELLO! I am owning it. I’m doing the procedure on national television. . .I don’t think there is any hiding in that!;” Alexis reminds us.
And as to allegations that she was being defensive, she is owning that too! “Yes, I’m defensive because all of you are talking about me! That would make anyone defensive, and frankly, buzz off! I’m not looking for a fight.”
“The most difficult part of this entire evening is seeing Gretchen turn on me. Last year she would have stood up for me if Tamra was attacking me,” Alexis declares.
“I have been by Gretchen’s side for two years now. Gretchen says she didn’t get involved because I was handling myself just fine, and that I never got in the middle of she and Tamra. I spent numerous occasions defending Gretchen to Tamra, especially in group settings.”
“The bottom line is, if anyone I knew, friend or not, was talking about Gretchen the way Tamra was talking about me that night, I would have defended Gretchen. I knew at that moment I was on my own island. It really hurts my heart to know that I don’t have Gretchen to back me. Only time will tell if our friendship can sustain.”
Jim Bellino is also getting in on the action to defend his wife. The retired Househusband took to his personal blog to explain how loyalty works and describe how certain people haven’t figured it out yet!
“The major difference between real life and reality TV is that in real life, what someone thinks about you either never gets back to you, or it takes a while—it’s part of a social process that takes time and many leaky sources. On reality TV, you find out fast—and it’s brutal, and there are no holds barred,” Jim explains.
“Loyalties become extra fickle when there’s a third party helping viewers decide what to think,” Jim assets. “How people on reality TV treat one another changes every episode. How can this be?”
“How cast mates regard each other in their private interviews changes more than the weather—and what’s worse, some of the audience watching the show changes their opinion of someone based on what their favorite cast mate on the show says.” I hate to say it, but, Jim makes a lot of good points in his blog. Who’s really writing them, Jim?
“Loyalty is nine-tenths of the law—Alexis and I are not interested in bandwagon friends, and you shouldn’t be either,” Jim concludes.
Finally, Vicki Gunvalson is speaking out about the horrendous fight she had with on-and-off-camera nemesis, Gretchen. “My thought on the never-ending bunco episode is “true embarrassment.” Am I disgusted at myself and how I lost my temper with Gretchen andSlade [Smiley]? One word — absolutely!;” Vicki starts off explaining in her Bravo blog.
And, Vicki is wasting no time explaining the difference between Brooks Ayers‘ child support arrest and Slade’s! “Gretchen and Slade were both just trying to make a case for their innocence for Slade’s past child support issues.”
“Fact is, once they found out that Brooks had been arrested for back child support several years ago, they felt it was a way to make Slade look better or equal by bringing Brooks into it.” Really, there is no way to make a deadbeat dad “look better” – it’s scummy no matter which way you spin it, ladies!
“Instead of questioning Brooks directly, they decided to attack me when I was most vulnerable and going through a very rough time in my life,” Vicki shares. Which is interesting considering Gretchen was complaining that Vicki has never directly asked her about Slade’s issues.
Giving some background on why she does not get along with Slade, Vicki reveals it all goes back to the beginning of Housewives time. “The issue with Slade and myself stems back all the way to Season 1 seven years ago when he was dating Jo [de la Rosa]. He lied about dating Lauri [Waring] after Jo and him broke up, and he treated all the ladies like we were second class citizens or beneath him.”
“When Tamra and I called Slade a deadbeat dad several years ago, it was because of him bashing us on and off camera and it was our way of getting back to him where it hurt.”
“I have kept trying to see the “good” in Slade and move on, however he just keeps stirring things up. Why does he continue to stir up trouble? What other man does that to women?,” she wonders. “I really think he thrives on the drama so he gets more airtime.”
“Brooks has never, nor would he ever, verbally attack a woman. . .EVER. One word comes to mind that I think Slade should consider is — chivalry. Where I come from and how I was raised, men are to treat women with respect and class. This is something Slade doesn’t seem to be able to do. You either have it or you don’t.”
“Slade you might want to take some lessons from Brooks, Jim, Eddie [Judge], Terry [Dubrow], and the previous male RHOC-ers who have never verbally attacked a women.” Dang, pretty harsh, albeit true!
Vicki makes it clear she has not made amends with the serial Housewives schtuper. “Class, integrity, and character are something you cannot buy or wish for. . .you either have it or you don’t and for Slade to do what he did in front of 300 people was disgusting and made me very sad.”
Vicki is also speaking out defending herself for attending Bunco night and appearing on film in the midst of daughter, Briana Wolfsmith‘s, health issues. Taking to Twitter, Vicki explains she has had a surprisingly low profile during filming! “The family emergency was my first priority and I stopped filming much of the time. Briana was my 1st priority an always will be,” she insisted.
ARE ALEXIS AND GRETCHEN STILL FRIENDS? DOES JIM HAVE A POINT ABOUT REALITY TV LOYALTY? IS VICKI A HYPOCRITE OR DOES SHE MAKE SOME FAIR POINTS ABOUT THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN BROOKS AND SLADE?
Last Tuesday marked the season premiere of Real Housewives of Orange County. Now in it’s seventh season, Bravo’s original Housewives series suffered from dismal ratings last year, but after shaking things up a bit, garnered about 2.3 million viewers last Tuesday – up 10% from last year’s season premiere.
Pretty impressive for a show most people swore they wouldn’t watch. I knew you would! Perhaps new Housewife Heather Dubrow, along with Tamra Barney and Gretchen Rossi putting their feud to rest, is what attracted more viewers. Or maybe it was other newbie, Sarah Winchester who was bringing the curious?
Sarah, billed as a “Friend of the Housewives,” is a close friend of Gretchen’s and a self-proclaimed heir to the Winchester Rifle fortune. Sarah made her mark when she showed up at Vicki Gunvalson‘s season kickoff party in a pair of ratty, old jeans and hair she forgot to comb. It wasn’t a great first impression.
An even worse impression comes in the form of Sarah’s dating history – most prevalently that she has been crushing hardcore, and apparently having a fling, with former Housewife Jeana Keough‘s eldest son, Shane Keough.
Fans of the show may remember Shane for his straight-up a$$hole outbursts and blatant disregard for his mother – oh yeah and his baseball career. Well it seems Shane has been hooking up with the 33-year-old Sarah for about a year. “They’ve had a fling for over a year,” an insider revealed to Star Magazine. Shane, a former Minor League Baseball player, is eight years younger than Sarah. So, does that make her, like, a cougar?
Sarah’s alleged fling with Shane may make sense given Jeana’s guest appearance this season. Perhaps we’ll see Shane as well! I know you’ve missed him! Upon hearing the news that he is supposedly dating Sarah, Shane immediately denied it via Twitter, answering: “Nooooo<<Weird that I am unaware of this,” when a fan asked about it.
Sadly for Sarah, Shane (who isn’t even admitting to dating her) is a “major upgrade” from the “sleazy guys” she usually dates. Where on earth does Bravo find these classy women?! According to the insider, Sarah whose seeming more and more like a grifter by the minute usually gravitates towards the sugar daddy types!
“She was living off older men,” the insider explained. “She was flying to the Hamptons all the time, always seen court-side at Lakers games, yet she never worked.” Because she’s an heiress. #duh
Apparently, much like Gretchen scored her spot on the show through her affiliation to wealthy former fiance, Jeff Beitzel, Sarah attracted producers, not through Gretchen, but through one of her wealthy, older men! “This rich dude, Kurt,” the insider says, failing to elaborate on just how this “Kurt” is connected to honchos at Bravo. Kurt, a sixty-something Newport Beach businessman, is a former boyfriend of Sarah’s, whom she was able to parlay her relationship with into appearing on RHOC.
Moving on to other less scintillating Housewives news, Vicki opened up about the season premiere and wants us to know she’s a whole new gal! We’ll believe it when we see it, Vicks!
Reflecting on how far she has come since her inaugural season, she is glad Gretchen and Tamra have made amends and are working to put the past behind them, although, she was as shocked by their new friendship as viewers were! “Watching Gretchen and Tamra go to lunch and discuss their past issues was interesting to me. How can Gretchen just put the past behind her and simply forgive Tamra for all the hurt she has put her and Slade through? From what Gretchen has told me, it was easier to forgive then keep fighting,” Vicki explains in her Bravo Blog.
“Maybe that’s a lesson for all of us. I just don’t know if I could do have done it. While I was watching Tamra give Gretchen a friendship bracelet with a key on it and “locking up the past and entering a new future,” I thought WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON HERE?!?”
Vicki, like Tamra, is really, really impressed by Heather. And Vicki thinks they have a lot in common. Sit down for this comment. “Tamra introduced Heather to our group by inviting her to my dinner party. When I met her, it was an immediate ‘Wow’ moment,” Vicki muses. “She was absolutely stunning, classy, and the only one who brought me a hostess gift. I liked her immediately and thought. . .’finally someone I can connect with.’ ” I thought Tamra was her BFFL?! What the heck?!
Vicki also talks that awkward moment when Alexis Bellino ran into her ex-friend whom she believes is secretly in love with her husband after they hooked up fifteen years ago. “I felt bad for Alexis tonight seeing Peggy [Tanous]walk in my dinner party. You could cut the air with a knife. The ended the season finale last year with such an uncomfortable situation with Alexis finding out Peggy dated Jim [Bellino]. How uncomfortable.”
Finally, Vicki gives us an update on her divorce to Donn Gunvalson. Vicki claims the two get along well. “Donn and I are at the final stages of settling our property and our divorce,” Vicki explains. “Donn is still active in my kids’ lives, and we are very amicable, which I am very grateful for. We truly want the best for each other, and realized we weren’t the best for one another.”
“As you will see this year, I am dating a great man named Brooks [Ayers]. He has become my best friend, my true partner, and someone that I really enjoy being with,” she concludes, reminding us that this will be a great season. I hope so!
SURPRISED BY THE RATINGS? DO YOU THINK SHANE AND SARAH ARE HOOKING UP? IS SARAH A GRIFTER OR DO YOU THINK SHE REALLY IS AN HEIRESS? ARE VICKI AND TAMRA STILL FRIENDS OR HAVE THEY “BROKEN UP”?
Hi guys! Bringing you weekly TV ratings for your favorite reality shows today! Below are the ratings for this past week ending July 8th for the reality shows we cover.
A number of shows were on hiatus this week due to the holidays including the Real Housewives of New Jersey and Basketball Wives so those ratings are not below. Enjoy!
