The Real Housewives of Orange County is the OG Real Housewives series. For 18 seasons now, dozens upon dozens of ladies have happily granted Bravo access to their gated communities, hoping for long-standing careers on-air. However, some of them didn’t quite make the cut fitness. In fact, there are eight RHOC newbies that only held an orange for just one season.
Kimberly Bryant (Season 1)
Kimberly Bryant appeared in Season 1, and she also filmed brief guest appearances in Seasons 3 and 4. As for her main storylines, Kimberly underwent a boob job, and her A cup grew to a D cup. RIP, Kimberly’s back. She also helped raise awareness for skin cancer, following a benign mole found on her son, alongside her battles with melanoma.
This saw Kimberly moving away from the harsh sunlight, and setting up shop in Chicago. Even still, she tagged Andy Cohen a few times online, asking if she could return to filming. However, her full-time orange never materialized, making this founding RHOC star the very first one-and-done star in the entire franchise.
Quinn Fry (Season 3)
Quinn Fry joined the cast in Season 3, and she also made a few cameos in Seasons 5 and 6. Her single mom status came with a love for younger men, ala Stifler’s Mom. Likewise, Quinn also loved shiny wigs and very, very deep v-necks, which helped to showcase her voluptuous mammary glands. Overall, Quinn was entertaining, but she’s still a one-and-done RHOC star.
Peggy Tanous (Season 6)
Peggy Tanous brought awareness to mental health issues in Season 6. Like the others above, she also popped up once more, making a cameo in Season 7. However, Peggy ultimately departed due to anxiety, amid her constant struggles with Alexis Bellino. Turns out, the OC dating pool is small, as Peggy used to be in a relationship with Jim Bellino.
Even though there was zero overlap, Alexis kept Peggy at arm’s length, while Jim tried to hide this past romance altogether. This caused Peggy to throw her hands up in the air and exit. She’s now yet another one-season wonder on RHOC.
Also, Alexis is now dating Shannon Beador‘s ex, John Janssen. I’m sure that’ll play out kindly on RHOC Season 18…
Lizzie Rovsek (Season 9)
Lizzie Rovsek was on RHOC Season 9, and has made appearances in seasons gone by ever since, filming briefly with Emily Simpson in Season 14, for example. On-air, she often sparred with Tamra Judge, calling her out left and right for her antics. Back at home though, Lizzie’s marriage was quickly deteriorating. Despite this, and her filming Season 10 under the assumption she would be full-time, Lizzie was demoted when production on that season ended, slipping into a “friend of” role from that point on.
Peggy Sulahian (Season 12)
Peggy Sulahian starred in Season 12, where she asked “Coal? What is coal? Who is Santa?” With a clear language barrier in place, her wit was still present. However, she failed to make strong connections with her cast. She even physically clamped Meghan King’s mouth shut once, solely to stop her costar from speaking.
In addition to this, her journey with breast cancer teetered on confusing. This saw her on the defense with the cast. After Season 12, Peggy exited stage left, as one season spent on RHOC was more than enough.
Elizabeth Lyn Vargas (Season 15)
Elizabeth Lyn Vargas shared about her cult upbringing in Season 15. Her revelations about her childhood were heartbreaking, while her divorce from her wealthy ex was interesting. However, Elizabeth got axed after just one season on RHOC. Following her time on Bravo, Elizabeth’s then-boyfriend held her hostage in her Newport Beach home, forever cementing Elizabeth, in my mind, as the Real Housewives star with the wildest stories to tell.
Jen Armstrong (Season 16)
When Jen Armstrong appeared in Season 16, she seemed to have it all. Pretty quickly though, the cracks in her then-marriage to Ryne Holliday started widening, creating many uncomfortable scenes in turn. Ryne was clearly not at ease with the cameras. He seemed to be an excellent father though, not only to their children but also to his emotional support chihuahua.
In 2022, Jen filed for a divorce. She then had papers filed on her, as an ex-patient sued Jen, accusing her cosmetic dermatology practice of using non-FDA-approved products. On top of all of this, Bravo pulled Jen’s orange away, making her yet another one-and-done RHOC star.
Noella Bergener (Season 16)
Noella Bergener also appeared in Season 16. As for her main storyline, everything centered around her now ex-husband, an attorney named James Bergener, who never appeared on RHOC. Only one year after tying the knot, Noella filed for legal separation. Then, she learned that James had filed his divorce papers in Puerto Rico an entire month earlier.
After James filed, he went completely off the grid. On a phone call with Shannon, Noella revealed that she didn’t even know where her husband was, adding that all of his stuff was still at their house, but that he’d “shut off the credit cards.” Even with all of this drama, Noella failed to secure her orange for an additional season, and just like Jen, Season 16 was her one-and-done showing on RHOC.
TELL US – OUT OF THESE EIGHT ONE-AND-DONE HOUSEWIVES, WHO SHOULD RETURN TO RHOC, IF ANY?
