Vicki Gunvalson, 57, had a good reason for bowing out of Real Housewives of Orange County after a whopping 14 seasons. “Vicki was notified that she would not be coming back full-time so the network agreed to let her walk away on her terms out of respect for her,” an insider spills to HollywoodLife EXCLUSIVELY. “The network knew Vicki would take this hard so they wanted to let her know before making final casting decisions for everyone else next season. She did have a conversation with Andy before posting on social media. Vicki is sad but she understands it’s business and she seems to be looking forward to her podcast,” they continued.
In her lengthy and emotional post shared to Instagram on Friday, Jan. 24, Vicki revealed she had several things in the works — including her podcast Whoop It Up With Vicki. “She’s got her business and will focus on planning her wedding as well,” the insider continues, referencing her upcoming nuptials to Steve Lodge, 61. “She’s never been happier. She was adamant that she would only come back if it were full-time and she lived up to that message for herself.” While Vicki was a full-time housewife from seasons 1 – 13, the OG cast member was demoted to “friend” last year — leading to speculation that her run might be coming to an end. Vicki was reportedly upset by the move and made her decision accordingly.
“The other ladies still have not received their contracts and are waiting to find out who’s in or out which will be happening extremely soon,” the source also adds. “They’re sick of waiting. They all want to come back and would be really sad not to.” Hot off the feels of Vicki’s announcement, her longtime friend Tamra Judge, 52, also announced her departure from the series. Tamra joined back in season 3, and the back-to-back departures suggest there’s a shake-up happening behind the scenes.
“I will always be the OG of the OC, but it’s time to say goodbye to The Real Housewives of Orange County,” Vicki wrote in her Instagram post, captioning a promo image of herself from the series. “It’s been an incredible ride for 14 years and I want thank all of you for your support, for your love and for ‘whooping it up’ with me along the way. I’ve been working on new projects that will be exciting, empowering and inspirational. My podcast with Westwood One will be launching soon and I will have much more to say about this on Whoop it up with Vicki. I hope you will join me with my new journey so please stay tuned. I love all my fans, and I want to thank Bravo and Evolution for this incredible experience which my family and I have will never forget,” she continued.