Andy Cohen Spills Details on Long-Awaited Return of ‘Real Housewives’ Franchise

Andy Cohen  spilled some tea on the long-awaited return of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta.” Nearly two years after its last season aired on Bravo, the long-running reality show will emerge from a “deep pause” on March 9.

Speaking on his Sirius XM show “Andy Cohen Live” on March 6, Cohen said, “Sunday is the premiere of ‘The Real Housewives of Atlanta. People have been waiting, people have been asking ‘where is it, where is it?’ We really took our time with this one.”

Cohen noted that there will be “all new graphics packages” and a new play on the theme song when the series returns for season 16. “It looks fresh, it looks dynamic,” he said.

Andy Cohen Gave a Rundown on the RHOA Season 16 Cast

Cohen was downright giddy as he teased the upcoming season of the show, which will feature a mix of familiar faces and new Atlanta ladies. “We are entering the season where Porsha [Williams] is just in the middle of a whole lot of personal drama,” Cohen said, before addressing the addition of four new Housewives to the cast. “That’s hard,” he admitted of adding so many new women at once.

“We’ve got Porsha returning,” Cohen said. “We’ve got Drew [Sidora] returning. In supporting roles are Cynthia [Bailey] and Kenya [Moore].” (According to Us Weekly, Moore denied appearing in the season 16 trailer amid rumors that she left the series early.)

On his radio show, Cohen continued, “And we’ve got four new women. Shamea [Morton], who is, of course, Porsha’s friend who you have seen for years on this show. But when I tell you, what a star turn from Shamea. She comes in, she is so likable, and you root for her so much. She is also so rich. Her home, you will not believe. She’s got this little capsule elevator, this like glass elevator. It’s so cool. I mean, it’s really great.”

Cohen noted that Angela Oakley, the wife of former NBA star Charles Oakley, is another new addition. “And she’s funny, she is a slow burn,” he said. ”There’s an air about her that I enjoy in the same way that I enjoy Sheree [Whitfield].”

Cohen described newcomers Brit Eady and Kelli Ferrell as “two pint-sized powerhouses.” “Kelli has a waffle empire,” he noted. “And they’re really funny, and those two are really good pals, Kelli and Brit. And it’s really fun to see them together.”

“It’s really hard to introduce this many new women but I think we did a pretty damn good job explaining who’s who and what their connections are,” the Bravo producer added.

While Cohen didn’t mention her, veteran star Phaedra Parks is also returning later in the season to bring some “extra sass and spice,” according to a press announcement shared by BravoTV.com.

“I’m really excited about Atlanta,” Cohen concluded. “As you know, Atlanta has always been one of my favorite franchises.”

“The Real Housewives of Atlanta” last aired from May to September 2023. It featured Moore, Whitfield,  Sidora, Kandi Burruss, Marlo Hampton, and Sanya Richards-Ross. With only Sidora returning as a main cast member, the return of the show was delayed as a new group was assembled.

In a November 2024 interview with People magazine, Cohen said it was “smart business” to put certain Housewives shows on pause, including Atlanta.

“We have a lot of Housewives going right now,” he explained. “And it’s one of the reasons it took so long to get ‘The Real Housewives of Atlanta’ going, and one of the reasons we’re in a deep pause with ‘The Real Housewives of New Jersey.’ We just want to make sure we get everything right and be very deliberate with everything we’re doing. … We love these shows, we all want to get  it right.”

 Around that same time, Cohen told Deadline the new season of RHOA would be worth the wait. “The new Atlanta, which I’m seven episodes in of watching, it’s outstanding,” he said last fall. “I’m so excited for people to see this, and they’re going to see it early next year.”