“It was a difficult season for me”: Heather Dubrow dishes on filming RHOC season 17 amid Tamra Judge’s comeback

Heather Dubrow and Tamra Judge
Heather Dubrow and Tamra Judge (Image via Instagram/ @heatherdubrow/ @tamrajudge)

Real Housewives of Orange County is all set for its record-breaking 17th season. The show has already attracted quite a few headlines before its premiere.

Recently, RHOC's cast member Heather Dubrow appeared on Page Six's Virtual Reali-Tea podcast, where she revealed many details about the upcoming season.

Heather Dubrow also talked about how difficult it was to film this season amid Tamra Judge's Bravo comeback. During the interview, she mentioned:

“I really hope that it’s the way that I remember it and I hope by the end that there can be some resolve for everyone. It’ll be interesting to see how it plays out.”

In a report by Page Six, it is mentioned that tensions existed between these two castmates during the production of RHOC season 17. However, things got worse when the cast went to Mexico on an explosive trip.

Additionally, Page Six Insider reports that during production, Tamra Judge participated in a "gang-up" against Dubrow, leading to a "nasty" confrontation.

Since filming has already been completed, the trailer has been released on April 25, 2023. The show's 17th season premieres on Bravo on June 7, 2023, at 8 p.m. ET. The latest episode of RHOC season 17 will be released the following day by Peacock.


Heather Dubrow, the cast member of the 17th season of RHOC, talked about the experience of filming the show

During her interview, Heather Dubrow didn't reveal anything about what actually happened with Tamara, but mentioned that Heather Dubrow was happy to be at home with her family after filming the season.

According to what Heather said:

“These shows are hard to do, they really are. But any time I was having a difficult moment, I was very cognizant of the fact that … I get to go home to my husband [Dr. Terry Dubrow] and my children.”

Heather and her husband Terry Dubrow have four children together, Max and Nick, 19, Kat, 16, and Ace, 12. Additionally, Heather Dubrow explained how supportive she is of Tamara's return to show business:

“I was excited that Tamra was coming back. Tamra is … ‘Orange County.’ She really is and she’s been on the show for so long and she’s added so much to the show. And I think will continue to do so for as long as she’s on.”

Tamara was last seen in season 14 of the show, and in July 2022 she confirmed her return. She was joined by other cast members including Shannon Storms Beador, Heather Dubrow, Gina Kirschenheiter, Taylor Armstrong, Jennifer Pedranti, and Emily Simpson.

Especially in light of Heather's statement, Tamara gave an interview to Entertainment Tonight back in October 2022 where she mentioned her relationship with Heather.

“We’ve had our ups and downs, and you’ll definitely see that, but overall, the cast is good. We have a really good cast, it’s a very strong cast. It really feels like old school Housewives, it really does.”

Following this, during an Instagram Live in February 2023, Tamara expressed disappointment that Heather hadn't invited her to a party.

Tamara added that she did not include Shannon Beador and Taylor Armstrong, but all the other members of the cast. Fans will have to wait for some time before finding out exactly what went down in RHOC season 17.

Season 17 of The Real Housewives of Orange County premieres on Bravo on June 7, 2023, at 8 p.m. ET

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