'Real Housewives of Orange County' star Gina Kirschenheiter thanks fans for being 'patient'

Fans of the Real Housewives franchise can all agree that The Real Housewives of Orange County (RHOC) has gone through some growing pains and Gina Kirschenheiter thanks fans for being "patient" with the evolution of the show.

“I appreciate the fact that the viewers and the fans have been patient, and gone on this journey with us to find the right cast, and the right connections,” Kirschenheiter told Yahoo Canada. “I think we finally found it.”

“Even the whole Tamra being put on pause … and coming back, I kind of think that was necessary, because she came back different. By then me and Emily [Simpson] were more deep, … we've been here for five years. So if nothing else, there's so much history between all of us women and that's real relationships, whether there's good things, bad things. ... That makes, I think, a really good dynamic and really good TV.”

For a few years RHOC has had a sort of revolving door of one-hit-wonders entering the show, the original Real Housewives location that kicked off this entire franchise. But none of these women really stuck. The chemistry between the women just wasn't there, the storylines felt stale and some newer additions were so problematic as human beings, they took the joy away from the show.

A lot of fans believe that's changed with Season 17. It features fan-favourite friends Kirschenheiter and Emily Simpson, alongside the frantic Shannon Beador, "fancy pants" Heather Dubrow, Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum Taylor Armstrong, and the return of Tamra Judge, who originally joined the show in Season 3.

But what's really shaken things up this season is the addition of Jennifer Pedranti, initially introduced as Judge's friend she met at CUT fitness. Pedranti has caused chaos in Season 17 of RHOC, with accusations of her cheating on her ex-husband with her current boyfriend Ryan Boyajian. Going even further, many believe that Boyajian, who is a self-confessed cheater, isn't being faithful to Pedranti.

“Honestly [Jennifer], I think, is a really good new cast member, because she's the first one to come on and just simply do the job, which is show up and be yourself,” Kirschenheiter said.

'Heather and I do best when ... we don't try so hard'

To start Season 17 of RHOC (available to stream on Hayu in Canada), while Kirschenheiter was juggling a combined six kids with her boyfriend Travis Mullen, she was also trying to manage some hurt feelings from her co-star Dubrow, who felt she had to "chase" Kirschenheiter to spend time together.

“It’s a tricky thing with [Heather Dubrow] because she's sensitive, she's more sensitive than people would think,” Kirschenheiter said.

“It's hard because it's almost like she tries to be this relatable version of herself. ... But also, she has to just accept the fact that she lives a different lifestyle than all of us and we have different issues. Like for me, it feels a little unfair that you would get upset at me for not being able to come and do lunches and stuff over the summer when I have six kids. ... I'm trying to work. I'm trying to figure out how to take care of my family and that is always going to be the priority. She just lives a really different life.”

While Kirschenheiter largely connects with the audience by being relatable, not shying away from all her foibles and struggles, Dubrow is a more "traditional" Real Housewives cast member. Dubrow is a wealthy woman with a large family, a husband with a successful career (Dr. Terry Dubrow is a famed plastic surgeon who also stars in the show Botched), and we get to peak inside her impressive homes and luxurious lifestyle most people will never experience themselves.

“I think that Heather and I do best when we accept each other for who we are, and we don't try so hard,” Kirschenheiter said.

“I wasn't being insulting when I'm like, 'Heather doesn't want to be in a dive bar.' It’s OK that you don't want to come and play volleyball across the street with me and my friends, and my neighbours. I don't want to go to your fancy, bougie sh-t either. So it's like, as long as we accept that we stay in our own lanes, but still have respect and we care about each other, we can have a friendship still.”

'Whoop It Up' with OG Vicki Gunvalson's return to 'Real Housewives of Orange County'

In another move to return to what Real Housewives fans have loved in the past Vicki Gunvalson, an original cast member on RHOC, has returned to, as her famed catchphrase goes, "Whoop It Up" on Season 17.

When we first saw Gunvalson this season, she was quick to say that while she's stayed in touch with cast members Beador and Judge, that's not the case with Kirschenheiter and Simpson.

“I don’t talk to Emily and Gina," Gunvalson said on the show. "They’re not in my wheelhouse.”

While Kirschenheiter admits she hasn't historically gotten along with Gunvalson, things did change for her filming Season 17 of RHOC (maybe aside from that one comment).

“When she came back I was really like, ‘I don't know how this is going to go,’” Kirschenheiter admitted. “But I have to say I absolutely love Vicki. When she came back, she was a completely different woman.”

“She was so nice. So kind to me. She was interested in what I had going on and she knew already what I had going on in my life, and went out of her way to say really kind, nice things to me. I was like, ‘Who is this woman?’"

Kirschenheiter also teased that as we get to Wednesday's episode that features more of Gunvalson, the OG housewife is responsible for one of Kirschenheiter's "favourite" moments in the season.

"My favourite moment on the whole season came from something that Vicki shared at our dinner table on our next trip," she teased. "I hope for everyone's sake that it's in there because it's just too good and too amazing, and too hysterical."

'I'm just a real, regular person and it was hard, and it's still hard'

Out of all the Housewives that have been part of the Orange County show Kirschenheiter, in particular, has gone through an impressive personal journey since joining the cast in Season 13.

Starting the show as a total outsider, moving to Orange County from Long Island, going through a contentious divorce with her cheating ex-husband Matt, in addition to domestic violence charges against him, Kirschenheiter has certainly proven her resilience.

“I'm proud of myself,” Kirschenheiter said. “I think that I was dealt, like a lot of women, a tough hand.”

Looking back, the RHOC star believes that being on the show has been a positive experience for her, but stressed that it's been particularly difficult to go through some of these very personal moments publicly.

“It was a good thing that I got the show and got on the show, but also I had to navigate through this publicly," Kirschenheiter said. "I'm just a real, regular person and it was hard, and it's still hard."

"But I can tell you right now that I am healthy and happy, and in a really loving, committed relationship. I have a great co-parenting relationship with my ex and with his girlfriend Britt. My kids are so happy and that makes me feel like the richest woman in the world, honestly. So I feel good and I'm happy to continue to share my life, my real authentic life, for as long as that's interesting.”