'Real Housewives' star Heather Dubrow clarifies if she’s leaving Orange County

If you think Heather Dubrow has time for fake friendships, you’d be wrong.

Now back for her seventh season of Bravo’s “The Real Housewives of Orange County,” Heather joined the franchise back in 2012 and quickly earned the moniker “Fancy Pants” for her aspirational lifestyle. After leaving the show in 2016, Dubrow returned in 2021 for Season 16 of “RHOC,” offering fans a refreshed view of what was happening in her world.

Season 17 finds Heather reunited with former castmates Tamra Judge and Shannon Storms Beador, as well as “OC” veterans Gina Kirschenheiter and Emily Simpson who appeared last season. New “Housewife” Jennifer Pedranti also joined the fold, and former “RHOBH” star Taylor Armstrong makes appearances as a “friend of” in Season 17, bringing an old-is-new-again vibe to Orange County.

Three episodes into Season 17, TODAY.com caught up with Heather to hear her hot takes on what’s gone down on screen.

This interview was edited and condensed for clarity.

Season 17 reunites you, Shannon, Tamra and Vicki (Gunvalson), which feels like a return to form in Orange County. What makes the season special?

I agree with you, and I think having Tamra back sort of made it feel complete, because when I went back last year, except for Shannon, I didn’t know anybody, so it was almost like walking onto a completely different show. Now it feels more familiar to me, which I really think the audience is going to respond to.

You sold your home in Orange County, which led to fan speculation about if you would be leaving 'RHOC' after this season. If you were asked today to come back next season, would you?

We’re only on Episode Three. A lot could change. Look, in general, I’ve been doing this, whether actually on the show, taking a hiatus, coming back, for about 12 years, and I am incredibly grateful for the platform that this has presented for me and for my family. Having said that, what’s the next evolution of me, my life, my family, my career — I guess time is going to tell.

Would you put permanent roots back down in Orange County?

This is what’s cool. … I have no idea. There’s a misconception that we have moved. What happened was we went looking for a place for me and Terry (Dubrow) for some day and found the place, bought the place and then 10 days in escrow, Josh Altman, who I did not know at the time and now is a dear friend from “Million Dollar Listing,” called and said he had someone that wanted to see our house. The rest is history. Our house got sold and so here we are going, “Oh, my gosh. It’s almost like we’re newlyweds.” We go, “What are we going to do?” We’re sort of figuring it out. Look, I’m looking for a new project. I like to build houses and do renos and the whole thing. So we’ve looked at places in Orange County, we’ve looked at places in Beverly Hills and we’ll see.

Let’s move over to your family: How are your kids doing in college?

They’re great. So Max is home from Boston from Tufts, and she’s working with animals this summer. She’s traveling with her girlfriend in Europe. And then Nick got his real estate license, and he is interning for Josh Altman this summer. He may end up on some episodes of “Million Dollar Listing.”

You’ve shared a lot about your family’s journey on social media and on the show. Why is transparency and honesty important to you?

When they asked me to come back to the show, obviously it was a family conversation. It was a conversation between me and Terry. It was like, “Why — what is the benefit?” And what I really thought would be important would be to start conversations in other people’s family life, and we’ve done that, and that I’m the most proud of. So even with all the nonsense from the show, I know that we’re affecting some kind of change, even if it’s in a handful of people, it is 100% worth it.

Let’s jump over to Season 17 of 'RHOC.' You’ve gotten a lot of flack for being an 'interrupter.' Watching yourself back, do you think you are one?

Well, I mean, first of all, you could see that I didn’t hear what anyone was talking about, right? But if that’s my worst quality, I think I’m OK with that.

You’ve encouraged Tamra and Shannon to make up, but now that they’re friends again, you’re at odds with them. How does that feel?

It sucks, it feels terrible. I mean, three women together are difficult, three kids together are difficult, someone’s always an odd man out. As much as I wanted the two of them to become friends again, because I really did, my one concern was that I was going to be on the outside, and it’s exactly what happened.

Tamra and Shannon both told me that they think your friendship with Gina is an alliance for the show. What are your thoughts on that?

I really like Gina, and I really felt we had a real friendship. However, you see in the first episode, that she ghosted me. I mean, I had her parents over, I invited her to all these things and then I never heard from her again, which I found upsetting. She tells me she’s going to work on it and now you’re going to have to watch and see, but I’ll tell you this, I have four kids, a husband, friends, 12 jobs. If you think I have time for fake friendships, that would be wrong.

Do you think Tamra and Shannon’s friendship is just for the show?

Let’s just go with the facts. The facts are that they were quote, "best friends," and then as soon as Tamra left the show, they didn’t speak. Now that she’s back on the show, all of a sudden, we’re very close friends again. You do the math.

Let’s go back to Gina and her best friend, Emily Simpson. You and Gina have had a rocky few episodes, and it’s teased in the trailer that things with you and Emily also get a bit dicey. Where are your friendships at with them today?

I would say that my friendships with everyone are at odd, different states, all of them, and there’s definitely going to have to be things worked out at the reunion.

Shannon told me that Tamra’s return was better than yours. What do you think about that?

By the way, I find that hilarious. I am not competitive, she can have it. The truth is, like it’s an ensemble show, and we all want to be on something successful, right? I mean, would we be here if I hadn’t come on last year? Will we be wherever we’re going next year if Tamra hadn’t come on this year? It’s all cumulative, and it’s all fantastic. I don’t understand why it’s a competition, you know? Putting out someone’s candle does not make yours burn brighter.

Who do you have the most issues with to sort through at the reunion?

I’m going to have a lot of work to do.

Yeah, a lot of preparation?

I don’t have to prepare. I feel very strong in my convictions. I mean, obviously, you have to watch your show as we go along, because sometimes your memory is not exactly equal with the narrative.

Would you do 'The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip'?

No.

Why not?

What’s weird is I really never went on a girls trip before I joined the cast of our show. I love the girls trips, we have a great time together, but that just seems like a lot to me. It just doesn’t feel like my thing. I think it’s awesome, I love watching it. My friend Gretchen Rossi is on the newest one, which I’m so excited for her about, but I don’t want to go.

Would you want Gretchen back on 'RHOC'?

She’d be awesome back. I think she’d be great. It’s interesting, Alexis (Bellino) and I have seen each other a lot. Our kids were in a play together a few years ago, so we started talking. We have a lot in common and with our children and whatnot. So you know, we’ve been talking, and then Gretchen and I have mutual friends, I see her at events all the time.

With Season 17 airing and so much happening in your world, what are you the most excited about right now?

I just rebranded my podcast. It’s now called “Let’s Talk with Heather Dubrow,” which is such a great evolution of where it started and where I’d like it to go. But what’s been very cool is this new network I’ve started with the Fireside App, which is the first interactive streaming app that was created by Falon Fatemi and Mark Cuban, and they asked me to do the first lifestyle network on the app, which is so funny because I’m so low tech. ... So I’m doing my show. Terry’s got a show called “Curbside Consults.” He’s doing live consults, it’s amazing. ... I’m producing my show, his show and then five other shows.

The "Real Housewives of Orange County" airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo. (Bravo is part of our parent company, NBCUniversal.)

This article was originally published on TODAY.com