Tamra Judge Opens Up At BravoCon On Return To 'RHOC'

Getting fired after season 14 of the "Real Housewives of Orange County" came as a surprise to Tamra Judge. So did getting rehired ahead of season 17. The reality star opened up about her thoughts on leaving and returning to the Bravo series at this weekend's BravoCon 2022 event in New York City.

Judge said she wasn't expecting to make a comeback to the show after being let go. "I was like, 'Oh s---.' Like, really? This is happening?" she said during the "Bravo, Bravo, F---ing Bravo" panel on Saturday. "I got to a state where, the first year, I was in a fetal position crying. I was very sad about not being on the scene, everybody filming and all that stuff."

The reality star also talked about how launching her podcast, "Two T's in a Pod" with ex-housewife Teddi Mellencamp helped her to focus on something other than not being on the show. Then Judge was asked to be a part of "Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Ex-Wives Club" and during the press tour for the show, the call came in about "RHOC." "[They said], 'Hey, we want to meet with you.' And I was like, 'What the f---? Really? This is happening?'" she explained. "Of course I wanted it! I still don't know why I was fired!"

Now that filming season 17 of "RHOC" is in full swing, Judge said "it all just happened so quick." "I'm here, what, three months into filming and like, 'OMG I got asked back.' It still hasn't sunk in," she said. "Nobody really gave me a hard time when I came back. I gave everybody a f---ing hard time, but everybody was super nice to me and then it made it weird for me because I was like, 'Why? You danced on my grave when I was gone. And now you're being nice to me? Why?'"

Former housewife Vicki Gunvalson shared at BravoCon that while she hasn't returned to the show, she has filmed a scene in the new season. "I wasn't cast as a full-time 'Housewife' or even a 'friend of.' I filmed a scene with Tamra and Shannon [Beador] which was fun and I miss filming. But nothing more," Gunvalson told Page Six. Despite Gunvalson's exit from the show causing some issues between her, Judge and Beador, she revealed that, "we're good." "We're all good. I was in Tamra's room this morning and then I was out with Shannon last night," she said. "So everything's find. Everything's been fine."

Gunvalson also explained how their friendships have been. "Tamra and I were never really in a bad place. We were fine," she said. "Shannon and I just stopped talking for whatever reason. And there really was no falling out or even a specific issue. We just reached out to each other and we're back at it."

Judge and Mellencamp are sharing some of the behind-the-scenes action and their thoughts from BravoCon 2022 on their podcast. From the plane ride to New York City to all the excitement over the weekend long event, the two are dishing it all.