Phaedra Parks is stoked about her long-awaited return to “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” – and assures fans that the cast shakeup was worth it!
“We’ve got some new ladies that are just firecrackers,” she exclusively told Page Six after making her debut on Season 33 of “Dancing With the Stars” Tuesday night.
“They shook up the cast, but it’s definitely … it’s a good thing, it’s a good thing! I think people are really going to enjoy it.”
Parks raved that she had a “wonderful time” reuniting with stars like Porsha Williams and Cynthia Bailey, who are also returning for Season 16 as a full-time cast member and as a “friend,” respectively.
“I mean, the gumbo is gumbo-ing again,” Parks, 50, teased. “So the Titanic, honey, it’s the love boat, now. It’s coming back up.”
In addition to some familiar “RHOA” faces, the all-new season will also introduce Kelli Ferrell, Brittany Eady and Angela Oakley as full-time cast members. Shamea Morton Mwangi, who was previously a “friend,” has also been promoted to a Housewife.
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While it’s unclear how long fans will have to wait to see Parks’ return to the beloved Bravo franchise, they can get their Parks fix on the current season of “DWTS.”
She and her pro partner – reigning mirrorball champion Val Chmerkovskiy – made their debut during premiere night on Tuesday, dancing a cha cha to “I’m Every Woman” by Whitney Houston. The duo received a combined score of 19/30 from the judges.
“I feel awesome! I mean, we’ve been practicing, and I wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into, but I’ve got a great teacher here. He is excellent,” Parks told us just moments after the first live show wrapped.
“He’s just very personable, so that’s been really fun, and I actually like him, he’s cool.”
Fans have been wanting to see Parks on the show for a long time. She spoke to Page Six about why now finally felt like the right time to put on her dancing shoes.
“You know, this has been like a year of ‘yes.’ I did ‘The Traitors,’ which of course is really out of my repertoire, but I said ‘yes’ to that. And this is one of my mom’s favorite shows, too. So mama is watching,” she shared, noting that Chmerkovskiy, 38, is “mama’s favorite” pro.
“She knows he’s a winner so she’s like, ‘You’re in good hands.’”
As for Chmerkovskiy, he told us he’s “excited to be back” after winning Season 32 with Xochitl Gomez. He called his new partner, Parks, “amazing” and raved about their partnership being “a special one” already.
“I just wanna showcase this beautiful woman, and have a good time doing it!” he exclaimed.
As previously reported, Parks has been booked and busy with reality TV projects over the last two years. Her fans were thrilled, however, when she confirmed she’d be returning to Season 16 of “RHOA” in July after a six-season absence.
“You called. I answered 🍑#RHOA #S16,” she wrote via Instagram at the time, sharing a picture of herself holding the franchise’s signature peach.
Bravo has yet to release a premiere date for Season 16 of “Real Housewives of Atlanta.” In the meantime, fans can watch Parks and Chmerkovskiy on “Dancing With the Stars,” which airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC and Disney+.
