Vicki Gunvalson Recalls ‘Horrible’ Firing From ‘RHOC’ Ahead Of Grand Return

Vicki Gunvalson might be returning to Bravo for the 20th season of "The Real Housewives of Orange County," but that doesn't mean she's fully moved past being fired from the show in 2020. In a new interview, the OG of the OC recalled the moment she received the shocking news from producers who informed her that she wouldn't be filming scenes for the foreseeable future. "It was horrible," she told her co-star, Tamra Judge, on an episode of her "My Friend, My Soulmate, My Podcast" show.

The veteran reality star, who joined the series in 2006, stated that she received the troubling phone call from "RHOC" producers while she was at a conference in Las Vegas with her ex-partner, Steve Lodge.

"I'll never forget I was in Las Vegas on the balcony and Steve was in the room and he's like, 'What's going on? Why are you crying?' I'm like, I think I just got fired, but I think they have the wrong number,'" she said.

Gunvalson announced her departure from the series in January 2020 with a somber social media post. "It’s been an incredible ride for 14 years and I want thank all of you for your support, for your love and for ‘whooping it up’ with me along the way," she wrote.

Elsewhere in the podcast episode, Gunvalson's co-star and close friend, Judge, also discussed being fired after season 14. During their conversation, Judge remembered feeling confused by the producers' decision, as she was supposed to meet with them about her role on the show before they let her go.

"I was gonna meet the producers and tell them what I'm gonna do, all these things and then I get a phone call, ‘Sorry. We decided to go in another direction.' And you know what I said? ‘Go f–k yourself,'" she said.

Like Gunvalson, Judge also announced her departure on Instagram, calling her time on the show a "wild" ride. "But it’s time for me to move on. I’m sad to go but I’m very excited about my future," she added.

During her years away from Bravo, Gunvalson aired some of her grievances with the network, such as criticizing the cast and slamming the producers for how they handled sensitive moments.

While appearing on Vice's "The Dark Side of Reality TV," Gunvalson described feeling blindsided by the producers' decision to film the moment she learned that her mother had died.

"[My daughter] Briana had been calling, calling, calling, and they kept telling her, 'Well, she's filming right now, blah, blah, blah.’ She's like, 'I need to talk to my mom right now,'" Gunvalson recalled.

She explained that after some time, producers pulled her into a separate room with "lights and cameramen" to film the heartbreaking moment. "I was really upset that production knew for an hour, and they didn't tell me," she said. "They were out of line, and I think they should have taken me aside and said, 'Your mom has passed. Talk to your daughter off camera.’ If I was a producer, that's what I would've done."

She stated that she should've been able to process her emotions on her own. "It was very, very traumatic. I will never forgive Bravo for that," she continued.

While away from the series in a full-time role, Gunvalson made various guest appearances.

Those, however, are officially coming to an end, as the outspoken reality star learned that she was returning to the series as a full-time housewife for season 20.

At BravoCon 2025, "Real Housewives" executive producer Andy Cohen presented the 63-year-old with an orange and asked her to reclaim her rightful space in the "RHOC" cast.

In one of her first interviews after receiving the big news, Gunvalson shared that she was emotional attending this year's fan convention because she assumed it would be her last appearance as a Bravolebrity.

"When I went backstage and [Cohen] said, ‘Please hold my hand. Let's walk out together.' And I was sad because I thought this is my last hurrah," she said.

She added, "He's sending me off into the wilderness by myself without an orange. And when he said that, I kind of lost all where I was. And he goes, ‘Please say yes.' And I said, “I think I'm getting my orange.' He goes, ‘We want you back full-time.' And I just thought, ‘Thank you, Jesus.' Because I miss filming. I missed my girls. I missed the joy of being an Orange County Housewife."