Luann de Lesseps and Ramona Singer are on the same page regarding Bethenny Frankel’s absence from The Real Housewives of New York.
They both agree that the show is better off without her. Ouch!
During an interview with The Naughty but Nice podcast with Rob Shuter on iHeart Radio, the former countess didn’t hold back when dishing on the new season of the show, and about her former castmate.
Filming the show is better without Bethenny
Shuter noted that Luann, Bethenny, and Ramona were the only remaining originals on the show from the first season – and he asked the RHONY alum about the show’s dynamics now that Bethenny has left.
“I think, and I’ve said this before, she’s a big personality and she takes up a lot of oxygen in the room, and I feel like people can breathe now,” Luann said. “The women can show their side of their personalities and get to shine without their lights being stolen.”
Rob, who says he’s been in a room with Bethenny, agreed with de Lesseps.
“I’ve been around Bethenny,” he said, “and it’s a lot; she comes on full-on.”
“Yeah,” Luann said, “She’s a strong personality, and I’m all for it, but I feel like this season because she’s not there, the women have a place to express themselves and show more of their personality, and… I gotta tell you it’s the best season yet.”
“It’s like, Bethenny who?”
Ramona Singer agrees and says Bethenny has FOMO
Another long-standing cast member, Ramona Singer, also shared similar sentiments about the single mom’s “big personality.”
During a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight, she said, “We couldn’t really be ourselves. She’s such a big personality, she kind of took over the room. No air left for us. And I think, this season, the fans will be surprised to see a different side of most of us.”
The “singer stinger” was also in full effect during the interview, where the 63-year-old accused the Skinny Girl CEO of FOMO.
“When we were filming, she’d be calling all the time,” Ramona said. “She’d be like, ‘What’s going on? What’s going on? What are you doing? What’s going on?’
“It’s like she’d be calling us nonstop to find out the dirt on our group trips.”
Ramona may not have missed Bethenny this season, but Luann shared fond memories of Frankel during her interview.
“Well I loved going toe-to-toe with Bethenny; it was fun. There was the good times, we had a lot of good times; she helped me and I won’t forget that.”
Despite the Nostalgia, Luann made sure to reiterate that this upcoming season will be the best one yet, and she says she can’t wait for viewers — and for Bethenny — to see it!
Season 12 of The Real Housewives of New York premieres on April 2 on Bravo.