The original Real Housewives of New York stars are back on reality TV, and this time you can watch them on E!. But will audiences want to?
Countess Luann de Lesseps, Jill Zarin, Ramona Singer, Kelly Bensimon, and Sonja Morgan are set to star in a new reality docuseries from Versant Media Group's E! cabler. Versant is an independent, publicly traded media company spun off from Comcast/NBCUniversal. The new company was founded in January 2026. Previously, The Real Housewives aired on Bravo.
The show's working title is The Golden Life, and will reunite the "iconic New York City friend group in glamorous Palm Beach.”
“We’re thrilled to welcome reality TV royalty to E! for a reunion fans have been waiting for,” Versant Entertainment president Val Borland said in a statement. “The energy within this group has always been electric, and we’re excited to watch it unfold in a new chapter of life by the beach.”
RHONY alum, Bethenny Frankel, took to social media this week to share her excitement about the series despite not being involved.
Fans react to RHONY stars' return
The Real Housewives of New York City debuted in 2008 and ran for 13 seasons before being rebooted in 2022. RHONY was the second series in the Real Housewives franchise, and became a fan-favorite among reality TV viewers. While some people are excited to see some of the original women reunite, others will be boycotting due to the women's politics.
Some folks are excited at the return of their old favorites after Bravo's failed attempts at rebooting RHONY. "Thank God…Can't believe Bravo actually thought we wanted a reboot of RHONY with a bunch of nobodies with no personalities," wrote @fearqueerhorror on X. "Thank you E! For giving us what the gays want."
"It's like I'm getting my beloved aunties back," exclaimed @cortneyannie in response to Sonja Morgan's announcement. "I feel whole!!"
@RankedReal simply wrote: "We won. 😍"
Others, however, aren't interested in a potential MAGA fest. "This is…. not how I wanted Luann back on my screens. All of these women are liabilities except Lu," wrote @mosquatsaloon.
It's missing some key players, some noted. "I love the OGs but they need Bethenny and Dorinda to keep it moving," wrote @TweetTreet.
"I know everyone warmly remembers old-school rhony but I do not need to watch present day Ramona on my television," agreed @Will_Kellogg.
"No one wants to see the Maralago Golden Girls," added @Greg_D93. "This is gonna flop so hard."
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