Dr. Heavenly Kimes Is Replacing Nene Leakes as Bravo's Biggest Star

Real Housewives fans have been tagging Andy Cohen with requests to reinstate Real Housewives Of Atlanta heroine Nene Leakes to the Bravo world. Fans suggest Nene is great for reality TV and one of the most entertaining characters to watch in the genre. Nene was introduced to audiences in the premiere season of RHOA in 2008 and immediately became a fan favorite for her brutally honest reads, and her ability to be humorous while shooting her signature rhetorical daggers at her opposing peach-carrying members in Atlanta. Audiences loved Nene's raw and uncut honesty and have felt a void in the Bravo universe since Nene finally left the series after Season 12.

Nene's presence has been superseded by a wife with similar qualities that are proving to be more entertaining and less of a liability than the Glee alum. Married to Medicine's Dr. Heavenly Kimes is the new and improved version of Nene, offering all the humorous honesty without the threat of violent outbursts and inappropriate backlash.

Dr. Heavenly Rises as Bravo Royalty

Nene Was a Liability While Dr. Heavenly Refuses to Push Certain Boundaries

Nene's humor made her a favorite for appearances and hosting events and at one time she started branching out into comedy. With fans voicing their love of her bold, unapologetic humor, Nene tried her luck hosting an all-female comedy tour. Things looked promising when she was booked to host R&B group Xscape's tour, but Nene was known for losing her decorum at the first sight of criticism. One night after being heckled by a woman in the audience, she shouted back that she hoped the woman's Uber driver sexually assaulted her on the way home. She was fired and canceled briefly on social media.

For anyone wanting the audaciousness of a reality star who entertains, holds others accountable, and offers the kind of good old-fashioned common sense that Nene was praised for when she told Kim Zolciak to close her legs to married men, should consider getting to know the funnier and far less problematic Dr. Heavenly. While attending BravoCon, Dr. Heavenly got on LIVE and pleaded with women not to spend their money on over-priced designer bags while they were still renting their homes. It was an outright dig at cast mate Toya Bush-Harris who has struggled with financial pitfalls throughout her time on the show, but continues showing up laced in designer labels. Dr. Heavenly's plea was met with laughter, but because most of her followers agreed with her suggestion, it was not seen as facetious.

After BravoCon she teamed up with Carlos King and discussed new castmate Sweet Tea and shared that she knew Dr. G continues to compare her to his ex-wife Quad. While Carlos gagged over the revelation, Dr. Heavenly shrugged it off and said she believed Sweet Tea would level up after being on a show with other "bad b--ches" like herself. Again, fans couldn't help laughing at the expense of Sweet Tea, but Dr. Heavenly's comments seem rooted in humor and truth, so it's hard to charge her with maliciousness.

Dr. Heavenly Offers All the Humor and Authenticity of Nene Without the Propensity for Violence or Inappropriate Behavior

Dr. Heavenly delivers on camera and, in most cases, is wittier and funnier than Nene. RHOA has a bigger audience than Married to Medicine, which could be the reason that more fans haven't realized their desire for outrageous reads and over-the-top honesty that defined their Nene fix could be satiated with a dose of Dr. Heavenly. Besides keeping her insults within reason, Dr. Heavenly makes the viewer believe she genuinely likes the other women, even if she enjoys making their lives difficult at times. Dr. Heavenly's friendship with Dr. Jackie allows the viewer to see a softer side that was never witnessed with Nene and any of the women she befriended on the show. In fact, Nene's friendships with Cynthia Bailey, Marlo Hampton, and even her current nemesis Kim Zolciak all pointed to the reality that Nene was never truly invested in any of the friendships beyond filming.

Married to Medicine airs every Sunday on Bravo at 9 PM EST. Next-day streaming is available on Peacock.