Just weeks before Bravo officially announced that Taylor Armstrong, 51, would be joining the cast of The Real Housewives of Orange County for the show’s 17th season, the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum sat down with HollywoodLife for an EXCLUSIVE interview on our Real Housewives podcast, Pay Attention Puh-Lease! And during that interview on June 17, Taylor hinted a potential future on the show — one that has now become her new reality.
We had asked her if she’s ever been approached about returning to RHOBH — she was an OG and a full-time housewife on that show for its first three seasons — and her answer was rather interesting, when considering the news that broke on Monday, August 1.
“After I left Beverly Hills, I moved to Vail, Colorado, so I spent a few years there just skiing and breathing and trying to figure out what to do next with my life. And then, when I moved back, I chose to move to Orange County. So I’m down here with the OC girls now,” she excitingly revealed, while promoting her upcoming stint on Season 2 of Real Housewives: Ultimate Girls Trip. And when we suggested that she join that show instead of RHOBH, she said, “That would be fun.”
She didn’t tell us whether she was already in talks with Bravo about joining RHOC, but she did tell us a bit more about who she’d like to film with. “I see Heather [Dubrow] periodically around town, and I just love she and [her husband] Terry. So I think that would be fun to be on a show with her. And then, of course, I see Vicki [Gunvalson] and Tamra [Judge]. And I’ve met Shannon [Beador] before, but we don’t hang out or anything,” she said, which leads us to believe she may buddy up with Heather and butt heads with Shannon.
Then, when we suggested that her friendship with Heather could be her way of joining the cast organically, she simply said, “Right?!”
Earlier today, PEOPLE was first to report that Taylor Armstrong would be joining RHOC, making her the first housewife to ever switch to another franchise. She’ll be joining Tamra Judge, who recently announced her own return to RHOC, Heather Dubrow, who made a return to the show last season, and returning favorites Shannon Beador, Gina Kirschenheiter and Emily Simpson.
Before Season 2 of RHOBH premiered in 2011, Taylor filed for divorce from her husband of 6 years, Russell, citing physical and verbal abuse. He later died by suicide on Aug. 15, 2011, just one month after their split was announced. She went on to marry attorney John Bluhe, 64, in 2014, and they live in Orange County with Kennedy, her 16-year-old daughter from her marriage to Russell.