A few years ago, The Real Housewives of Orange County was on life support. Vicki Gunvalson got demoted. Tamra Judge was running amok, and Kelly Dodd was claiming to be Black. Those were dark times, and Bravo has been slowly trying to pull us back from there.
It’s taken a bit of trial and error, but they finally got it right with Season 18. That’s my opinion, but also, the numbers don’t lie. The ratings prove they just had their biggest season in five years.
RHOC Season 18 was one of 2024’s most-watched entertainment shows
According to a report from The Wrap, Season 18 averaged 3.1 million total viewers and 1.6 million viewers within the 18-49 demo. This data came from Nielsen’s live-plus-35-day multiplatform viewing figures.
Compared to Season 17, there was a 5% uptick in viewership. Overall, that made it the biggest season they’ve had since 2019. So, does this mean they’ve officially bounced back from those cursed COVID seasons? It really seems that way.
Of course, we were all locked into Season 18 week after week to see Shannon Beador navigate the aftermath of her DUI and the unfortunate reality of having to coexist with her ex-boyfriend’s new girlfriend.
Katie Ginella and Jennifer Pedranti also deserve some credit for this runaway season. They have been a breath of fresh air. Plus, Jennifer fearlessly confronting Tamra in that hotel room became an instantly iconic Housewives moment.
Overall, RHOC landed within the Top 15 most-watched entertainment series in the 18-49 demo. With such a successful season, we’ll have to wait and see how Bravo plans to keep the momentum for Season 19. We’re hoping to see everyone back for another round.
Real Housewives of Orange County is streaming on Peacock.
TELL US – ARE YOU SURPRISED THAT RHOC SEASON 18 DID SO WELL? WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO SEE FOR SEASON 19?
