Tamra Judge On How She & Vicki Gunvalson Survived Post-'RHOC'

- Real Housewives of Orange County -
Tamra Judge On How She & Vicki Gunvalson Survived Post-'RHOC'

In the history of iconic friendships, there have been Monica and Rachel, Lucy and Ethel, Kathie Lee and Hoda, and Vicki and Tamra. Two legends, two brilliant frenemies who laid the groundwork for all of the Real Housewives. There would be no Gizelle and Karen or Sonja and Ramona without Vicki and Tamra. When they were fired from the Real Housewives of Orange County I remember people rejoiced and then when Season 16 aired we quickly realized... wow. What a fucking mistake.

The OC wasn't the same without these two. The series suddenly lacked a joie de vivre. Without these blondies ripping each other to shreds only to sew each other back together, we were left with, well, I won't get into what we were left with.

Since the cameras weren't rolling and we never got to see how Vicki and Tamra reacted to the news of their dismissal, I asked Tamra to fill me in. Did she and Vicki bond over their firings? What was it like to watch the franchise move on without them? Below, Tamra fills me in.

This interview has been edited for content and clarity.

Samantha Bush: What's your relationship like with Vicki now?

We we've always been close, obviously, on the show. We've had our ups and downs and some hard times, but through the end, I know Vicki's heart is good. And I know that she's a good friend.

There's a different side of Vicki that you probably don't know. Like, she loves to cook for you. She loves to be motherly. She tells me she loves me before she hangs up on the phone every single time. She always just wants love, you know?

And us being let go around the same time, it even made us bond even more.

Sam: Because then you can go through it together.

Tamra: Yeah. I mean, if she was still on and I wasn't, it would have been a hard transition for me, because I wouldn't really be able to still talk to her.

Sam: I mean, I hate to even ask this, but was it kind of a good feeling to know that people were boycotting the last season of Orange County when you were gone?

Tamra:
Maybe just a little. [Laughs]

Sam: Because I didn't watch one minute of the last season. I was like, I can't bring myself to do this.

Tamra:
It was a very tough transition for me. I'm not going to lie. It was hard at first it, but also it was something that I've been thinking about two years prior. I'm like, okay, I've been on this show at the time, let's say 10 years. I'm like, I kind of want to see what's next for me. I kind of want to relax a little bit.

So the past couple of years I had just been talking to the producers. Like, I don't know if I can do this very much longer. So they kind of knew. And honestly, just not filming after I got over the initial shock, it has been nice. It really has.

For more from my conversation with Tamra not featured above, listen to my podcast, below. And also, how excited are you that both Tamra and Vicki will be on Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip? Its Nov. 18 premiere feels so close.

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Image: Bravo screengrabs

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