Heather Gay says she has a new lease on life since joining RHOSLC

The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Heather Gay reveals that filming the show has given her a new and positive outlook on life.

The Beauty Lab + Laser owner sat down with ET to reflect on her time on the show.

“It’s been transformative,” Heather explains emotionally. “I’ve been reinvigorated with, like, humanity and the community that’s out there, and the love and connections you can make through social media and through television, and so I feel like I have a new lease on life.”

She adds that this opportunity has empowered her to take charge of her life.

“I feel hopeful, and I’m emotional about it because I had resigned to just kind of, you know, peddling the back seat of the tandem bike for my kids and for my family, you know?” Heather admits. “And so I never really thought that this opportunity and this type of chance would cross my path. So I feel grateful, and I feel lucky.”

She also admits that the show “forced” her to be honest.

“Forced me to,” she insists. “Helped?! Helped is like a fire hose for a drink of water. [It] forced me to live authentically, as it should’ve, and how sad for me that that’s what it took, but I have to be honest, that’s what it took.”

Heather has received backlash from the Mormon church

Since appearing on RHOSLC, Heather has received backlash from her community at the Mormon church.

She explains that it’s mostly the “devout” Mormons who have taken issue with what she has said about their religion.

She explains that she has said things on the show that could be “interpreted as negative about the church” and therefore was “breaking code.”

As she claims, Heather has been honest about her journey with Mormonism and how the community treated her differently after she and her husband, Billy Gay, got divorced.

At the time, she began to feel like an outsider and question some of the Mormon practices as she worked on becoming her own person.

She even identifies as a “good Mormon gone bad.”

Even though she has some qualms with the religion’s practices, she still seeks the approval of her Mormon community.

Heather teases a dramatic reunion

Heather admits that the recently filmed RHOSLC reunion was way more intense than she expected it to be.

She explained that there was one point where all six women were talking over each other.

However, she commends Andy Cohen for how he handled the reunion.

Heather even boasts that she “won” the reunion. She seems to be referring to the feud that she and Lisa Barlow had over how long they’ve known each other.

Heather confesses that the issues between her and Lisa do not get resolved during the reunion.

She also has admitted that she thinks she might surprise viewers the most out of all the Housewives with how angry she gets during the reunion.

The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City airs on Wednesdays at 10/9c on Bravo.