Luann de Lesseps has a lot of thoughts on the “Real Housewives of New York City,” both the OG version and the reboot. She believes that the new cast was never entirely accepted by longtime fans, and Lu offered up an easy solution in an exclusive interview with Parade.
“I think that they should combine the cast,” de Lesseps says of the original and new cast members.
Luann Thinks Fixing ‘Real Housewives of New York City’ Isn’t Complicated

Fans were skeptical when Bravo first announced that they were going to reboot the cast of RHONY, because the original cast members are extremely popular. Taking a fresh approach with a younger cast made the old beloved series feel foreign. The irony is that if the same cast had launched in a brand-new series, it likely would have worked.
Lu believes that replacing the cast was Bravo’s big mistake. “I mean, I think the first problem was that they had an all-new cast and they didn’t keep the OGs. I think that was a big problem, and I’m sure they realized that was probably not the best. But it is what it is. It happened, so let’s see what they’re gonna do moving forward. Watch what happens! You gotta watch what happens!”
Luann Calls the Early Days of RHONYC ‘Epic’
De Lesseps said in her interview with Parade that the original series — which premiered on Bravo in 2008 and ran for 13 seasons before going on hiatus in 2021 — was nothing short of “epic.”
“It’s like Sex and the City, right? Those days — you capture them and, thank God, they’re captured on film, right? Because I can’t get those back. It’s that kind of thing. I mean, listen: know, they talked about [bringing it back],” she reveals.
“I don’t know where they stand on that and where the girls stand. Ramona [Singer] has moved to Florida. Sonja [Morgan] moved to Florida. She finally sold that townhouse, thank God. And you know, Jill [Zarin] is in Florida. Kelly [Killoren Bensimon] and I are in New York, and Dorinda [Medley]. So, you know, we’ll see what they cook up. I never say never. I say maybe.”
What do you think is the best way to revive the “Real Housewives of New York City”? Would you like to see a few members from each cast combined? Or should Bravo put a pin in the series if the original cast won’t return?