Welcome to the second annual Reality Tea Awards! It’s that time of year when we look back and reflect on the best that reality TV gifted us in 2025. It was quite a year, especially for Real Housewives fans. After all, The Real Housewives of Orange County celebrated its 19th season this year. And that is the franchise that opened up this privileged world behind the gates to Bravo viewers.
This year gave us some real jaw-dropping moments, including some shocking firsts, feisty feuds, and even lie detector tests. In the end, the following franchises gave us a reason to rejoice and be merry! These shows wowed us with great casts and plenty of drama to keep us glued to our chairs.
However, only one franchise can be crowned the best of the best. Here are the nominees and the winner for the Best Real Housewives Show of the Year.
Nominee: The Real Housewives of Atlanta
Season 16 of The Real Housewives of Atlanta had a fresh and fun feel. After several key cast members, including Kandi Burruss, exited the franchise, it paved the way for the return of Porsha Williams and Phaedra Parks. Frick and Frack were back at it! I missed their crazy friendship energy.
Meanwhile, the centerpiece and glue of the show became Porsha’s longtime bestie, and newbie housewife, Shamea Morton. The reboot featured a friendship fall-out between Porsha and Shamea, and Porsha’s messy divorce drama from Simon Guobadia. It also marked the exit of RHOA shade assassin Kenya Moore.
Plus, another newbie, Angela Oakley, alleged that Phaedra hired someone to spread cheating accusations about her husband, Charles Oakley. Fix it, Jesus! Add in a spicy trip to Grenada, and it was a great comeback. However, the drama seemed to slow down a bit as the season progressed, which is why RHOA didn’t land at the top of our list.
Nominee: The Real Housewives of Potomac
The Real Housewives of Potomac brought new energy in 2025. Alas, Grand Dame Karen Huger exited the show and entered jail following her DUI conviction. However, when Stacey Rusch joined the show during Season 9, she was the perfect addition.
Now, Ashley Darby is re-blooming all over the place following her divorce. And Wendy Osefo has plenty to contend with – although perhaps not quite as much as outside of the show post-filming. It really is fascinating to watch her in this reality TV world, before her actual world imploded thanks to an arrest for both her and her husband Eddie on fraud charges.
While it’s an incredible watch this season, the scales do feel a little too tipped in favor of pretty much everyone except Stacey. And if there’s one thing Real Housewives audiences don’t like, it’s attempts at a takedown, or a complete gang-up. Fortunately for Stacey, she’s got big Zaddy Andy Cohen on her side. He can’t get enough of her antics…
Nominee: The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City
With perhaps just one or two filler episodes throughout the entire season so far, The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City is undoubtedly one of the best reality TV shows on the box today. An incredible ensemble cast comes together to deliver ridiculous drama, such as fighting over who bought a Cartier watch first, and if Meredith Marks really did throw Britani Bateman’s unicorn overboard during a history-making crossover with Below Deck Down Under.
What has let RHOSLC Season 6 down is a touch of overproducing by certain cast members. Naming no names, but if we aren’t ever going to see footage of Meredith’s alleged meltdown on the airplane, then we don’t want half of the entire season focused around it. Sadly, we have to let it go. But certain castmates are like a dog with a bone.
Hopefully we’ll see less of that and more about Bronwyn Newport’s recently-announced separation from her husband of nine years, Todd Bradley, discussed at the upcoming RHOSLC reunion. That’s real, and raw, and if there’s one thing we know about Bronwyn, it’s that she won’t be afraid to mention it all.
Winner: The Real Housewives of Miami
From the beginning to the very end of the rebooted Real Housewives of Miami, we’ve been entertained. RHOM Season 7 was no different. And can we just mention that history-making reunion, where Julia Lemigova alleged she had had an affair with fellow cast member Adriana de Moura? CINEMA!
We also had an incredible new cast addition in the form of Stephanie Shojaee. Is she precocious and a bit of a show off? Yes. Is she kind of annoying at times? Also yes. But is she absolutely filthy stinking rich and not afraid to show it? YES. And that’s what we want from our Real Housewives. We shouldn’t expect perfection, but we do want to see a glimpse into a world that the majority of us are unfamiliar with. That’s what Stephanie delivers; plus, she’s not afraid to stand up to the OGs.
A special shoutout must go to Guerdy Abraira. Seeing her not only battle through her real life issues and inspire countless people at home, but a cast who holds her to a different standard to everyone else, is compelling. She is one of the best Bravo stars the network has ever seen, and she should have a place on RHOM for as long as she wants one.
So, congratulations to Guerdy, and the rest of the Real Housewives of Miami cast. You are our Best Real Housewives Show of the Year!
TELL US – DID WE GET IT RIGHT? IS REAL HOUSEWIVES OF MIAMI THE BEST REAL HOUSEWIVES SHOW OF 2025?
