Andy Cohen Defends RHONY Reboot Amid Criticism, Talks Rhonj

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Credit: Darla Khazei/INSTARimages

Andy Cohen is standing by the decision to reboot The Real Housewives of New York City.

Amid backlash over the new cast and calls for the OGs to return, the 56-year-old Watch What Happens Live host and longtime Bravo exec dished on the future of a number of series, including RHONY, The Real Housewives of Dubai, and The Real Housewives of New Jersey. He also teased the upcoming seasons of The Real Housewives of Atlanta and The Real Housewives of Miami.

“I think there are a lot of interesting personal stories with the women in the new [RHONY],” Andy said amid a November 21 interview with Deadline. “I think the group dynamic is a little bit of a challenge this season. I think the rap on the group in season one was, ‘Oh, there’s not a lot of history there.’ The interesting thing about them this season is they hang out a lot and they are a cohesive group.”

“I really believe in this group of women. I think they’re very aspirational. I think they’re fun to watch. I think the clothes and the window into a different kind of New York is all what we wanted it to be,” he added.

Although Andy has no plans to bring back any of the series’ former cast members, he maintained that he is a fan of the women who have been featured.

“We had 13 great seasons, plus a [Real Housewives: Ultimate Girls Trip] with that group of women, which is an incredible accomplishment,” he explained. “[But] a lot changed, a lot shifted in [their] world and in life – [for instance], [Sonja Morgan] is now living in Florida, [Ramona Singer] basically lives in Florida. Things have shifted.”

“So with this group of RHONY, we’re kind of looking to the future with them. I loved the original, but this is a new group,” he noted.

Regarding the recent news that RHODubai has been put on pause, Andy insisted he “[loves]” the show.

“I mean, a pause is a pause is a pause is a pause. But look, I love [RHODubai],” he stated. “I love what we built there. We’re looking at what we’re doing with [RHONJ]. We had this Housewives drought [over the] summer, [which] everyone was complaining about, and I think it’s about getting the rollout so that it’s a steady stream and there’s the right amount [of shows].”

As fans well know, RHONJ was put on pause following its 14th season, which saw a major cast divide between Teresa Giudice, 52, and Melissa Gorga, 45.

“We are taking our time. We are in no rush. We’re really gratified with what’s on the slate for next year,” Andy said of the show’s future.

One thing fans have to look forward to is the new season of RHOA.

“I’m seven episodes in of watching, [and] it’s outstanding,” Andy vowed. “I’m so excited for people to see this, and they’re going to see it early next year.”

Andy is equally as excited about RHOM season seven.

“[RHOM] is in the middle of shooting an absolute blowaway season. We’re coming off of one of the most popular seasons of [RHOC] that we’ve ever had. I think that’s 16 or 17 years into that series. So things are really good in Housewives world. We’re just being extra careful, because we want everything to succeed,” he reasoned.

Also during the episode, Andy commented on the dwindling ratings of the Real Housewives franchise, which is due in part to the many streaming options available.

“Anytime I ask the folks at Bravo, ‘Hey, let’s talk about those overnights,’ [Bravo will] say, ‘Let’s wait because this is not what we’re measured by at this point.’ I think it’s important to look at the bigger picture, which is that the viewership for this portfolio of shows is really big,” he stated. “They’re just watching it differently.”