
I was recently talking with y’all about who is coming back and who is not on Season 12 of Real Housewives of Orange County. Vicki, Tamra and Shannon had supposedly signed and Kelly was in the final stages of her contract negotiation. I mentioned that the two empty slots were to be filled by one of Kelly’s rich friends and one returning housewife.
Since that post I’ve been told by two separate sources who the two new housewives will be. They are adamant that Lydia McLaughlin is back. This blows my mind. I’m starting to wonder if Lydia was willing to come back because Heather is gone. When Lydia was last on the show I remember some drama# about Heather and her house being on her magazine. Also, Lydia has more money than Heather and that always seemed to bug Heather. I am told she is definitely in. So in true Tamara fashion I shot back with, “You don’t know! They are still testing people! It might not be the final answer!” Both sources patted me on my pointy little head and said, “I do know.”
It’s not that I mind a burst of pixie dust and kind behavior. I’m fine with Lydia coming back. I just don’t believe it. I mean I believe it, but I am just shocked. I mean she QUIT!

The other person is a name that has been discussed for a couple of months. I didn’t believe it. The new wife slot is apparently going to an Atlanta lady named Brianna Stanko. Not only will we have a housewife with the last name Stanko, her husband’s name is Brian. Brianna and Brian sell makeup online. It’s not their product, it’s just an online makeup store that sells high end makeup and high end anti-aging products. Apparently, they make plenty of money doing that. The Stanko family moved from a $575,000 house in East Cobb to a $1,130,200 house in Cumming in May of 2015 and put it on the market for a short time in September of 2016 but quickly removed the listing only to relist it that November. It is currently on the market for $1.350 million. It looks like they built the house to their specifications. Certainly not something someone planning to move to Orange County would do.
But last July the family spent a lot of time in the Los Angeles area. It seems that is when Brianna’s quest to be on RHOOC began. And apparently, it has been successful. It appears that the family moved to Orange County over the first semester holiday break. The Stankos have two young sons currently in the third and fourth grade a few fancy dogs and a cat. The boys are close in age to Lydia’s

It appears that Brianna will be brought in as Kelly’s friend. As you can see she is already palling around with Vicki, her man, and Gretchen going to dinner at Maestros. So it is very clear she will be on Vicki and Kelly’s alliance.
Lydia may end up being brought in to be a calming Christian mentor for Tamra. That mean Shannon will have to grab a prayer cloth and go church. Do they still have that giant drive in church out there in California? That would be great because they could pack a Thermos of Bloody Marys and some brunch items to eat in the car.
Oh and one more thing. Gretchen is pictured above eating out with Vicki and Brianna (Who we will be calling Stanko if Vicki’s daughter is on). This leaves the door open for Gretchen and maybe even Jeana to do some friend of housewives kind of scenes. So we could still get Gretchen without Slade.
I knew Lizzie was probably a pipe dream.
I still say it is too early to know that this is the final cast for Real Housewives of Orange County season 12, but apparently production is pretty happy with it.
I am confused on Lydia’s money. She runs a magazine but has more money than Heather. Is there a family money connection that I missed? I don’t mind her coming back but I just thought she was a tad boring and normal for this bunch.
I don’t remember the details but I remember Lydia talking about her family being wealthy and how her grandfather would inject gold into his knuckles to treat his arthritis.
Lydia’s dad is basically the Ted Turner of Canada. She pretty much blows any of the housewives…even Bethenny…out of the water coin wise.
I was hoping she would just run her magazine, raise her babies and stay out of the madness again.
Lydia back? YES!
There is a town in Georgia named “Cumming”? Oh dear. I mean, the jokes just write themselves.
Ha-ha! We have a town in Michigan named Climax. When we drive past the exit, I always tell my spouse “I’l get off here!”
There’s a tiny spot in Alabama called “Intercourse”! Maybe 8 houses and a store. Whenever we go to my grandmother’s house we all post on Facebook so it’ll show our location! ?
My grandmother lived in a tiny town in Alabama called “Intercourse”! We all post on Facebook when we go down there so it’ll show our location! ?
Didn’t mean to post this twice! I didn’t think it posted the first time and now I can’t delete it.
Minnesota has Fertile, Climax, Reamer and Akin – you write the jokes. There was actually a headline once that read “Fertile Woman Dies in Climax”.
I use to see that exit sign (for Climax) off of I-94 traveling from Chicago to Michigan, & back but it has been gone for a long while!!!! But, my husband and I did joke about it too, when we’d see hat sign! Then one day it was just gone!
I hope Lydia is NOT coming back!!! She just irritates me and I find her very boring!! Pray…..
There is a tiny little burg in NC, also called Climax, blink and youve missed it!
Yes Cumming is way up by Lake Lanier. Rich people with boats love the area. Lots of cheap land to buy an build on.
Yes, good ole white-only Cumming. It was known as an all-white, notoriously racist community, Years ago, Oprah did a ground-breaking show on race up there, and their bigotry was palatable. Decades ago, I had a good friend whose family had a big house on Lake Lanier and most of the lake houses were second/vacation homes for well-off Atlanta folks, but still fancy. The big complaint from the wealthy homeowners, at that time, was the unavailability of household help. There was no mass transit to bring up their regular help from Atlanta, and their black housekeepers and landscapers were afraid to drive through the community, based on their fear of the white residents.
Some really bad acts took place in that community and it was a cesspool of Klansmen and racism. The fact that Cynthia Bailey bought a beautiful lake house there clearly shows just how far that area has come. Since it’s Black History Month, it’s important to be honest about the South’s white history, too, as sordid as it may be.
Tamara, I seriously doubt there are any lakefront lots up there you could buy on the ‘cheap’. If you find one, let me know, we’ll build a house!
Have a great weekend!
Clearly I’m mistaken. I had know idea that you were the expert on North Georgia. It is very, very, very expensive. Don’t even bother looking.
Cumming is way too far from Atlanta, East Cobb is farther than I would like to be. Traffic nightmare.
Oh my, all this talk about Cumming has me very intrigued. My married name is Cummings so I will have to read up on the name and I am all the way from South Africa! Yes, and don’t get me started on that either as my country’s history is a story for another day!
As far as OC is concerned, I am not too much of a Lydia fan but I think if she can pray the nasty away, sway her this way:)
Shoot, I was hoping for Gretchen to come back. Not because I particularly like her but I found her more interesting than Lydia. Other than the original OC seasons, I liked watching the Gretchen “naked wasted” seasons the most of any of them. I’m glad Heather is gone though. Found her boring and pretentious. Seems odd they would cast someone from Atlanta? I can’t believe there aren’t blondes with big boobs and rich(ish) husbands all over the OC that would want to be on TV.
Sorry, somehow that showed up under “Sam”…I’ve been posting under SamT normally, not sure how that happened.
Awesome couldn’t be any more happy! Go team Vicki whoop whoop!
I’ve been following Brianna stank for awhile on her YouTube channel. She works for a dermatologist and sells high end skin care but she has really informative tutorials and makeup reviews. After I turned 30, the Jaclyn Hill’s of the online makeup world really weren’t for me anymore. Brianna is sweet.
I’ve watched he for years too. I’m kind of excited! I hope I don’t end up disliking her because of housewives 🙁
Lydia’s family owns a mine of some sort. I don’t remember if it’s in Canada or the Northwest.
I thought Jesus called Lydia and told her not to return, but to write a book instead. Maybe you’re right, TT, maybe Jesus called her back to assist Tamra on her journey.
All I can say is I swear I don’t recognize Gretchen in that photo. Wow.
I had the exact same reaction! Thought it must be a different Gretchen. YIKES! Why do women change their looks so much when they were fine to begin with?
I have no idea!! It kills me. I guess they don’t see how beautiful they are. And I guess it has to do with the culture and values of their worlds. I’m glad I’m the age I am cause I fear plastic surgery and genetic engineering are the future. Then again I believe in reincarnation so who knows what I’ll come back to…
So is Meagan gone ?
Yes, I believe she is.
So is Kelly back or no? I’m confused on that one. She makes good crazy but on a personal level I deeply dislike her. Gretchen always creeped me out with the sloppy 4ths w Slade and cheating on her dying sugar daddy/fiancé. None of these women will ever win moral awards. Most disappointing Vicki is still in but like you said she’s never going to leave, in 20 years she and Tammy Sue will be the Patsy & Edena of Bravo
YES! Kelly is back. Thank God.
Ugh! (ducking and running for cover, lol)
No cast changes will help this awlful show. Lizzie would of been a good addition.
Kelly needs to go. I probably will stop watching it. It’s no longer fun or enjoyable
I’m with you. Kelly should be in a show
What have trailer parks.
Sorry, that have trailer parks
If Lydia comes back, and Tamra acts at all like she is comparable, I’ll puke.
Lydia left for a reason, she needs to stand by that. I think it will do nothing for her, her family, her marriage. Just a bad feeling.
I never really got into Lydia. She seemed nice I guess.
Curious to see Brianna as I’ve watched her videos for a while. I don’t think she sells any actual makeup on her site, just high end skincare. She has skin to die for. I wondered why she moved to LA when she had just moved recently. No mention of housewives on her YouTube channel!
Maybe she can help Vicki with her skin issues.
“She seemed nice I guess” LOL, sums up Lydia perfectly.
Im am so on-board with Lydia coming back and I will tell you why- I have not been a HW fan for as long as some; I had no idea what they were till my BFF from work, who is a HW Superfan, told me all about them and said ” The new OC season starts tomorrow night, give it a try”, so I did- Alexis walked into that dinner at Cut with Lydia in tow, all hell broke loose, and the rest is history! That night she read Gretchen and Slade after his idiotic comment about how she needed to eat, I loved her after that! Now, bring back Alexis, dump Shannon Boo Hoo, and I will be be ecstatic!
Wow–I’m going to have to dig up an old pic of Gretchen to compare side to side with the one above. I’m really happy that Lydia it sounds like Lydia is returning. Loved her. She seemed quirky in a good way and was fun to watch. Her scenes with kids and her husband were always sweet. Hoping they move away from the nasty attacks and the focus on the past. Would love more footage of beautiful homes and fabulous parties. Just my two cents worth–afraid we will get more of the same. However, at least Heather is gone.
I’ve been watching Brianna’s videos for a couple years and following her in snapchat. I actually order my skincare from her site. Sometime around September she said they were moving into Kim Beirman’s neighborhood in snapchat and showed the home that was under construction. She explained it like it was a opportunity they couldn’t pass up and that’s why they were going to sell their house that they hadn’t been in but a year or two. Then a couple of months later she says she is moving to California. She showed on snapchat rolling up to her new Cali house and I was like wow. Her other house was nice but this had ocean view and looked like a mansion. Even her kids said “this is a fancy house” lol. It seemed like a huge upgrade. Huge!