'RHOA' Newbie Kellie Ferrell Tells Us How She Really Feels About the Other Housewives

   

Kelli Ferrell of 'RHOA' Season 16

Kellie Ferrell's tagline for the upcoming 16th season of Real Housewives of Atlanta suggests she is the spicy addition to the lineup. For Kellie to lay claim on the spicy title of the RHOA cast says a lot because the Atlanta franchise is known for having some of the biggest personalities in the "Bravosphere." "People would describe me as a good time, a little spicy," Kelli says in the RHOA Season 16 trailer. The newly single mother of four is ready to get her groove back after dealing with a drawn-out divorce and public scrutiny. She joined RHOA after interviewing to be on the cast twice before. "The third time is the charm and so here I am," she says sweetly. And while she's happy to be on the show, how does that transfer with her co-stars/

 

Kelli Ferrell and Porsha Williams Have Beef in the New 'RHOA' Season

Porsha Williams' promo portrait for Season 16 of 'The Real Housewives of Atlanta.'

Kelli insists she didn't watch the last few seasons of the RHOA drama, but judging by her confrontation with Porsha Williams in the trailer, she heard about the love triangle with her estranged husband Simon Guobadia and his former wife Falynn Guobadia. Fans have been eagerly anticipating Porsha's return to RHOA since her scandalous exit with Simon and the failure of her spin-off, Porsha's Family Matters.

Ironically, she is the only co-star that Kelli couldn't think of a word to describe initially. "Let's come back to her," Kelli initially said when asked about the owner of Go Naked hair. "She is really a girl's girl and an amazing Mom," Kelli said hesitantly. "She's going to be divorced soon, so she has every right to be out having fun right now. But we listen, and we don't judge," Kelli ended slyly. Her reluctance to speak about Porsha spoke volumes and suggests the two beauties may clash in the upcoming season.

 

What Kelli Thinks About the Rest of the 'RHOA' Season 16 Cast

Porsha, Shamea, and Phaedra smile on 'The Real Housewives of Atlanta.'

Drew Sidora has been accused of embellishing the truth in past situations and found herself at odds with several co-stars. Before joining RHOA, Drew was a well-known actress, with a passion for music. Kelli's thoughts about Drew were a bit tongue in cheek, leaving fans to draw their own conclusions. "The first word that pops into my mind with Drew is: "character". She is very good at what she does...and that is acting. She is also a talented singer," Kelli explains.

Kelli says she has enjoyed longstanding friendships with Brit Eady and Shamea Morton Mwangi long before she learned she was being cast as a principal peach. "Shamea is the true definition of a housewife. People didn't get a chance to see her actual life because they had her cast as a friend of the show. I think fans will be surprised to see her reality and that makes me happy," she says. Her other BFF, Brit, is a self-proclaimed Black Barbie, but Kelli says she is excited for audiences to see another side to her pretty friend in real time, as she discovers another side of herself. "I think people have known her to be a video vixen, and they haven't seen anything else from her, but she is a housewife as well. I think this will give people a chance to see more of her as she discovers more about herself."

Angela Oakley is the other newbie on the show. "Angela is 'that girl'," Kelli says enthusiastically. "She is running things over there with that basketball empire of hers. She is from Chicago, so trust she will get you together," she laughs, "but Angela is a huge inspiration, I think."

 

Kelli Says Most People Miss Kenya Moore's Inner Beauty

Kenya Moore WHHL

Aside from Porsha and Drew, Kelli was all smiles about the rest of the RHOA cast. She loves OGs Kenya Moore and Cynthia Bailey, referring to them as the ultimate boss chick and her favorite Pisces respectively. "Me and Kenya hit it off immediately. She's big on her business and very supportive of other women. People see her outer beauty but not very many see her inner beauty," she said. She refers affectionately to Cynthia as the fabulous auntie of the group. "Cynthia is super fun and sweet, but people don't know that she keeps it real too," Kelli says.

She gives RHOA friend of the show, Phaedra Parks, the highest compliment, sharing her spicy label with her. "Phae Phae is definitely spicy, I love her. She has a lot of jobs. She will represent you, bury you and can get you all the way together," Kelli jokes, "she is the real deal."

Kelli believes fans will be pleasantly surprised by the upcoming season of RHOA. She believes the timing worked out perfectly for her joining the show during a transitory period of her life. "I am being as transparent as I can be. I'm not hiding anything. I may be glitz and glamour one day and then crops and socks the next day," she says. Audiences will be privy to Kelli's second chapter as she navigates being a single mother again after being married for over 11 years. "Honestly, I'm still trying to find my way in this second chapter and that's a big part of my journey right now," she admits.

 

Nene and The Other RHOA OG's Have Fans In a Chokehold

Nene Leakes and RHOA cast

Whether audiences connect to Kelli and the additional new cast members Angela and Brit remains to be seen this Spring. After two extremely disappointing seasons, the RHOA shakeup could be the change fans have been demanding since the original OG Nene Leakes left the show. Sheree WhitfieldKim Zolciak and Kandi Burruss left some large shoes to fill in a franchise that repeatedly took the top slot for years.

The biggest burden will fall on Porsha and Drew as principal leads that the audience knows. With Kenya's fate being up in the air and Cynthia being relegated to an occasional friend of the show, Kelli, Brit and Angela have a short window to win fans over before the ratings start to reflect the possibility of the cast not gelling. Producers took a serious risk, losing Kandi and releasing Marlo and Sheree while introducing three new wives all in one season. If the ladies can pull it off, it could mean a whole new chapter for RHOA. If not, Andy Cohen and the executive producers will be back to the drawing board for season 17.