Heather DuBrow is one of the former cast members of the Real Housewives of Orange County who really stands out. She was always a super fancy and elegant person who loved drinking champagne and celebrating life, and fans loved watching her family life with husband Terry and their children.

These days, fans are still following along Heather's journey, whether watching a video about her twins' 17th birthday or seeing a romantic message from Terry.

Heather starred on RHOC from seasons 7 until 11 and since she left, some fans have wanted her to come back, and as it turns out, that's exactly what is happening. Let's take a look inside Heather DuBrow's surprising return to RHOC.

Heather's Return

There has been a conversation about new cast members on RHOC for a while now and fans have suggested housewives.

News recently broke that Heather DuBrow will be on season 16 of RHOC. According to People, the only remaining housewives are Emily Simpson, Shannon Beador, and Gina Kirschenheiter. Three housewives are gone: Elizabeth Lyn-Vargas, Braunwyn Windham-Burke, and Kelly Dodd.

While there has been chatter about Kelly leaving the franchise for a while now thanks to her controversial COVID-19 opinions, it's definitely surprising to see a former housewife return, especially since it has been several seasons since she said goodbye.

[EMBED_YT]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxcM5Jb1zmw[/EMBED_YT] Heather interviewed Andy Cohen on her podcast "Heather DuBrow's World" and he brought up that she would join the show again for season 16. Heather explained, "Production called me in December – or something like that – and I laughed. My first reaction was I kind of laughed. And then I thought about it because, honestly, a year ago or two years ago, I might have said no because timing is a big deal. But at the time that I left, the culture of the show had sort of changed a bit since when I joined the show. I think we can agree on that. And I wasn’t happy, and it was a good mutual decision that maybe my time on the show was done. Now, things are a little bit different.” It's interesting and juicy for fans to hear a little bit about why Heather quit before, and it seems like she feels the show is in a better place now. Heather also said, “My family’s in a different place, my kids are a little bit older, [and] the pandemic has sort of given me a different perspective on things." Heather continued, "I started thinking about, okay, how many times do you get to go back and try something again? [I’m] like, ‘If I went back and I could do it again, I think I would have a better time, or I would be more successful if I could do it again.’ And this isn’t completely a do-over, but there’s something about being able to kind of go back.”

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Fan Reactions

Since Heather is now a veteran of the Real Housewives franchise since she was on RHOC for so many reasons, fans are eager to see how she will fare and what kinds of conversations she will have with the other cast members. Hindsight is 20/20, as people say.

While discussing Heather's return in a Reddit thread, some viewers of the franchise aren't so certain about it. One fan posted that they wish that Tamra Judge and Vicki Gunvalson could come back as well so there could be some drama and interesting moments between them. They wrote, "I’m unsure how I feel about Heather returning. I would’ve liked it more if Vicki and Tamra returned too, so I could see an epic showdown of Heather, Tamra, Vicki, Kelly, Shannon, and Braunwyn all on the same cast."

Another fan alluded to the general feeling that RHOC needs to make some changes and questioned whether Heather "alone can save OC."

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It looks like Heather's husband Terry thinks that this is a wonderful idea, as he commented on the possibility recently. According to Hollywood Life, he said that if Heather came back to the show, he would definitely be supportive. He explained that she is always behind him when he has his own ideas, which is very sweet.

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Whether fans are excited to see Heather DuBrow back or not, it's true that RHOC did need to refresh the cast members, and it will be fascinating to see season 16. How will Heather get along with Emily and Gina? What will Heather's storylines be now that her children are older and many of the housewives who she used to have drama with are no longer on the show? Fans can't wait to see.

NEXT: How Do Fans Really Feel About Season 11 Of ‘RHOBH’?