Bravo is celebrating two decades of Real Housewives with an epic Ultimate Girls Trip series, which premiered on August 9. But one cast member who seemingly isn’t in the celebratory mood is Vicki Gunvalson.
In Episode 1 of Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Roaring 20th, the self-proclaimed OG of the OC hosted the likes of Porsha Williams, Teresa Giudice, and Luann de Lesseps in her hometown. As well as presenting her castmates with a COTO Insurance-branded goody bag (would you expect anything less?), Vicki took the group on a boat trip and arranged a party at The Quiet Woman.
Throughout it all, however, Vicki’s vibe was less “woohoo” and more “boohoo.” This prompted many viewers to question: Was she the right choice to represent The Real Housewives of Orange County? And, should tenure trump what a Housewife brings to the table?
Vicki Gunvalson may be the biggest mood killer on Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip
Following RHUGT: Roaring 20th’s debut episode, social media has been awash with viewer reactions. And there hasn’t been too much praise for Vicki thus far. “I don’t know why everyone wanted Vicki back so bad. She is so miserable and annoying,” wrote @swiftlybravo on X. “Vicki is killing the vibe on #RHUGT,” agreed @FfionWeston21.
It’s not just RHUGT viewers who are less than impressed with Vicki’s vibe, however. In a recent episode of RHOC, Emily Simpson branded the OG a Debbie Downer. And hundreds of comments on Reddit agree with exactly that.
Unlike Tamra Judge and Shannon Beador, who consistently bring chaos and comedy to RHOC – even doing so during their short guest appearance on RHUGT – Vicki, so far, hasn’t given viewers the (orange) juice they so desperately want. “Y’all might be mad, but Tamra would’ve been the better #RHOC representation,” argued @kaeleb0813 on X. “Vicki brings the vibes down.”
So, what happened to Vicki, AKA the woman who once did a keg stand after surprising her son at college? Well, as the OG explained in RHUGT Episode 1, she’s faced a difficult two decades in the limelight.
“This Vicki moment is actually sad,” @LabrishTeaor wrote on X of the scene in which she recalled undergoing cosmetic surgery due to negative comments about her appearance. “Being a woman on television for 20 years and having the whole world dissect your face, your body, your aging, your procedures. Yeah, I hate that for her.”
Perhaps, then, viewers ought to be a little kinder if we want the fun-loving “whoop it up” Vicki to return. While it’s true that she has made many a mistake, she has also delivered some of the most iconic moments in Real Housewives history. You could even argue that Vicki made the show the success it is today, and with two decades of good TV (and 12 legendary franchises) in mind, surely we can forgive her occasional bad mood … even if she does insist on sharing it with everyone else?
TELL US – DO YOU THINK VICKI IS A DEBBIE DOWNER? AND, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SEE FROM HER ON THIS SEASON OF RHUGT?
