Andy Cohen is opening up about the cities Bravo has explored for future Real Housewives franchises, and some of the answers may surprise fans.
In a new interview with Variety, Andy was asked the question Housewives fans have been debating for years: what city does he still want to see get its own Real Housewives show?
But according to Andy, the best Housewives cities are not always the obvious choices.
“The answer is the cities that we want are usually the ones that are not obvious,” Andy explained.
Andy then revealed that Bravo has already looked into several major cities, including Nashville, Chicago and Greenwich, Connecticut.
“We’ve cast in Nashville two or three times. We’ve cast in Chicago two or three times. We’ve cast in Greenwich, Connecticut,” Andy shared.
That does not mean those shows were officially picked up. Instead, Andy explained that Bravo has explored those cities, met with potential women and tested possible groups, but never found the exact right cast.
When asked if “cast” meant they had auditioned women, Andy clarified what the process looked like.
“Meaning we have cast wide nets and put groups of women on camera who could be potential Housewives,” he said. “But that we’ve just not found the right groups yet.”
Andy pointed out that some of Bravo’s most successful Housewives cities were not the ones fans necessarily expected at first.
“When you look at Potomac and you look at Rhode Island, Salt Lake City before everybody started doing reality shows in Salt Lake City, these are places that people hadn’t thought of,” Andy said.
His comments make it clear that Bravo is not just looking for a glamorous city name. They are looking for the right group of women, the right dynamics and the kind of social circle that can actually carry a franchise.
That is why a city like Chicago or Nashville may seem perfect on paper, but still not move forward unless the casting clicks.
Real Housewives of Salt Lake City is a perfect example. When Bravo first announced the city, many fans were surprised. But RHOSLC quickly became one of the most talked-about shows in the franchise because the cast brought layered friendships, religion, wealth, scandal and chaos.
Potomac also became a standout after initially flying under the radar. And now Bravo is once again betting on a less obvious location with The Real Housewives of Rhode Island.
“So I think it’s going to be more like that,” Andy said of the next potential Housewives city.
Translation: fans may keep asking for obvious places like Chicago, Nashville or Las Vegas, but Bravo may be more interested in finding the next unexpected Housewives goldmine.
For now, Andy says Nashville, Chicago and Greenwich have all been explored.
But until Bravo finds the right group of women, those cities are staying in the maybe pile.