5 ‘Real Housewives’ Stars We Want to See Back

It’s not easy being a reality television star. Bravo’s Real Housewives franchise is arguably the largest platform, and joining a franchise nearly instantaneously makes one a star.

But what happens when a favorite cast member exits, whether by choice or being axed? It leaves a noticeable missing ingredient in the recipe. Here are five Real Housewives stars we’re hoping will make a comeback. 

Candiace Dillard-Bassett

Joining a well-established franchise can make or break (typically the latter) a cast member, as it can be hard to find one’s footing in the group, especially fans. For Dillard-Bassett, she was viewed as spoiled and immature when she joined the cast in Season 3 of Potomac, but midway through the season, she proved she could stand on her own when she verbally assassinated both Gizelle Bryant and Charisse Jackson. Over the next five seasons, Dillard-Bassett proved she was unmatched in verbal spats. 

No one, in her franchise or another, could spar with her. She had wit, an expansive vocabulary, and was quick in her responses. After two seasons in which her husband Chris Bassett was under attack, she had enough. She exited after Season 8 and has been missed, but notes she’s open to a return, and after Season 9’s legal drama and cast shakeup, she’s needed. As a new mom and after a hiatus, she’ll come back bigger than ever. 

Nene Leakes 

There’s a reason reality television producer Carlos King has crowned Leakes the greatest reality star of all time. For 12 seasons, Leakes was the premiere cast member, making Atlanta the most notable and successful Real Housewives franchise. Fans saw her rise from a real-life stay at home wife and mom living in a modest townhome, to being one of the highest paid stars on the network and starring in primetime shows and on Broadway. 

But Leakes became disgruntled as time went on, and seemingly disinterested and hard to deal with. She also had issues with largely the entire cast. Her exit was acrimonious. Still, she remains the meme queen, is responsible for many popular sayings in reality TV vernacular, and is the most requested cast member to return to the show.

Caroline Manzo

Manzo and her family starred in the Garden State franchise for five consecutive seasons. Lauded as the matriarch of the bunch, she gave heart and tough love. Some viewed her as a bully, but it was always fun to watch her go to war with anyone who crossed her or her loved ones. And she wasn’t afraid of going toe-to-toe with resident Queen Bee, Teresa Giudice.

After her absence, Giudice has maintained her reign. And she has no problem icing out any cast member who tries to confront her. Having an adversary on the show willing to not back down from Giudice is desperately needed. Bringing Manzo back will level the playing field.

Jen Shah

Love her or hate her, Shah is entertaining and was the reason everyone tuned into Salt Lake City. And regardless of her fraud charges, we enjoyed seeing the opulence of her life. Her husband, Coach Shah, mellowed her out. It was fun to see Shah go from 0 to 100 only to offer blanket apologies to her cast members, and they fall right back into her traps.

Since her federal season has been reduced and she’s currently scheduled for release in 2026, a comeback is very much in the cards. Everyone loves a good redemption arc. It’ll be a good journey to see her acclimate back into the real world, hopefully maintain her family life, and maybe even show a level of humility that she was missing previously.

‘RHONY’ Legacy

Fans are still getting used to the new RHONY cast. The friendships seem forced and the drama seems produced. Gone are the days of Dorinda Medley and Luann de Lesseps drinking themselves into oblivion, Sonja Morgan’s one-liners, Bethenny Frankel’s nonstop arguments and confessional shade, and Ramona Singer’s delusions. There was an Ultimate Girls Trip season featuring RHONY Legacy favorites, but it wasn’t enough. One more season of RHONY legacy would be good for the soul.