The 'Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' OG becomes the first Housewife to swap franchises, joining 'Orange County' for season 17.
What's the exchange rate on diamonds to oranges? Well The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills OG Taylor Armstrong is set to find out, becoming the first Housewife in Real Housewives history to swap shows! The former 90210-er is set to join The Real Housewives of Orange County for its 17th season. People was first to report the casting scoop, though it remains to be seen if she's snagged a full-time spot or if she'll appear as a "friend of" the cast.
Taylor's move down the reality TV coastline comes after her big return to the Bravo universe on The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Ex-Wives Club, which also featured her now-Orange County co-star, Tamra Judge. The longtime RHOC star is returning to the show after a two-year break, joining Heather Dubrow, Shannon Beador, Emily Simpson, Gina Kirschenheiter and, likely, some new faces for season 17. Dr. Jen Armstrong and Noella Bergener, season 16's new additions, both announced they were departing the series last month.
Taylor starred on the first three seasons of RHOBH, making her mark as the Oklahoma spitfire who wasn't afraid to shout out, "Enough!" whenever she thought her castmates were taking things too far. She exited the series in the wake of tragedy, her estranged husband, Russell Armstrong, having died by suicide amid filming season 2. She made guest appearances in the years after, but left California behind for Colorado, where she and her now-husband, John Bluher, started their married life together, alongside Taylor's now-16-year-old daughter, Kennedy. They moved back to California in recent years.
"My life is so different now, after overcoming the tragedies that I went through, and I wanted to be able to share that with the audience, because I feel like my story just dropped off the face of the earth when I left," Taylor shared with ET about her decision to film RHUGT. "I wanted people to see that I'm in a different place now, and that I'm happy and healthy and having fun."
When ET asked Taylor if she'd be down to switch series in that same interview, she let out an excited "yes!"
"I love being in the OC," she gushed. "I miss my Beverly Hills friends, but I still love being down by the beach, so it's fun."
Well, fingers crossed for some of those BH besties to pop up down the California coast! The Real Housewives of Orange County is set to film season 17 this summer and fall; no premiere date has been set, but new episodes will likely debut on Bravo in 2023.
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