A sense of relief. After Bravo cut ties with three housewives on The Real Housewives of Orange County, Gina Kirschenheiter was a bit on edge about her future on the show.
“I think it always crosses your mind, you know?” Gina, 37, told Us Weekly about her thoughts whether she would be asked back to the series on the Tuesday, December 14, episode of our “Getting Real with the Housewives” podcast. “I mean you’re probably gonna get fired if you don’t think it’s a possibility, but I’m just happy to be here. Like, I just enjoy it. I like the journey and I like how it challenges me.”
In June, it was announced that Kelly Dodd, Elizabeth Lyn Vargas and Braunwyn Windham-Burke were let go after Andy Cohen said the show needed to be rebooted. That same month, it was revealed that Heather Dubrow would make her return to the series after leaving the show after season 11.
“I was actually relieved because for a minute I was like, ‘Oh, they fired half the cast, oh my gosh, it’s so much pressure now,” Gina told Us. “And then, you know, to hear, Heather’s back. I was like, ‘Oh, this is way better.’ So, I felt really good about it. I was excited to meet her. I was excited to meet fancy pants and get to know her.”
The New York native added, “I thought I would get along with her because she’s from where I’m from. I always found her to be — when I watched the show — very reasonable, but I was surprised by how cool she was. I thought it was going to be one of those relationships where we respect each other and we’re fine and I was very pleasantly surprised by how close we got and how cool she was and open.”
Despite getting off to a rocky start with costar Shannon Beador this season, Gina admits that she feels “really good” about her costars, which also includes Emily Simpson and newcomers Jennifer Armstrong and Noella Bergener.
“I actually feel really good. I feel really good about the season. I feel really good about our cast. I feel really good to say that I actually feel like it’s a group of friends,” Gina admitted to Us. “I’m riding that high note.”
The Real Housewives of Orange County airs on Bravo Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET.