‘ORANGE’ IS THE NEW BACK
Lydia’s return to Bravo’s ‘Housewives’ franchise
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RAVO’S “Housewives” may come and go, but as Lydia McLaughlin explains, the quirky, sometimes dysfunctional family is forever. She should know, after returning to the “Real Housewives of
Orange County” (Mondays at 9 p.m.) following a three-season absence. McLaughlin, 36, says she decided to walk away from the veteran franchise in 2013 to expand her family. Now the mother of three young sons, McLaughlin — editor of the Newport Beach, Calif.-based Nobleman magazine — reveals that her second act has been in the works for some time.
“When I left ... I mean, the producers and the whole crew and everyone really becomes your family,” McLaughlin says. “When I decided to walk away, everybody was really on the same page and they knew where I was coming from. Every year when they would start filming, my husband [Doug] and I would go in and meet with them, so it has been an ongoing conversation. This season just felt like the right time.”
No longer the new “Housewife” on the block, McLaughlin joins series regulars Vicki Gunvalson, Tamra Judge, Shannon Beador, Meghan King Edmonds, Kelly Dodd and newcomer Peggy Sulahian, as they spice up Southern California with a dose of drama.
“This is a really interesting season. It’s super unique,” McLaughlin says. “I think you’re going to see more of me than you saw last time. [My first season] was like an introduction to me, and I think it’s a bit overwhelming when you first get thrown into the mix.”
Without giving too much away, the opinionated McLaughlin reveals she sticks up for herself more this season than she did in her first go-round.
“Last time, nobody ever really went at me. I was just the new girl and people were trying to get to know me,” she says. “This time, I’m involved in a little bit more of the drama.”
Though McLaughlin didn’t keep up with the show following her initial departure, studying up on her current co-stars could have been beneficial in the long run. “I feel like that is my regret,” McLaughlin says. “You’ll see [that] next week [when] I get into it a little bit with Shannon [Beador] — and I feel like if I had watched, I would have understood her better. I would have handled the situation differently.”
Beador’s marital strains have become an important “RHOOC” storyline since her Season 9 arrival three years ago. And, as McLaughlin explains, her reactions regarding what unfolds on Monday’s episode are completely raw.
“I didn’t know her core or her story,” she says. “In a way, I think it made my reactions and the way I interact with the women genuine, because I hadn’t seen the show, so my idea of who they are is strictly based on my interactions with them.” As for McLaughlin’s storyline, viewers will get to see her and her husband debate whether or not a vasectomy is in the cards.
“It’s a real journey that we go on and I definitely talk about his b---s on national TV,” she says. “So you know, [we’re] kind of letting it all hang out there.”