Roxanne 
After nearly two decades of Housewives drama, Andy Cohen is revealing which franchises hold a special place in his heart and why a single reunion performance can change a cast member’s future.
While speaking to Page Six ahead of the release of his new book, Andy’s Bravo Scrapbook: Twenty Years Behind the Scenes of the Real Housewives and the Bravoverse, the Bravo executive opened up about the franchise’s success, his favorite cities and what really happens behind the scenes.
Although Andy has worked with Housewives across the country, he admitted that two franchises have always been particularly meaningful to him.
“I will say New York and Atlanta have always been kind of close to my heart,” Andy revealed.
Both The Real Housewives of New York City and The Real Housewives of Atlanta helped define the early years of the franchise, delivering some of its most memorable personalities, friendships, feuds and reunions.
RHONY originally premiered in 2008, introducing viewers to women including Ramona Singer, Luann de Lesseps, Jill Zarin, Bethenny Frankel and Alex McCord.
RHOA followed later that year, eventually becoming one of Bravo’s most recognizable franchises thanks to personalities including NeNe Leakes, Kim Zolciak, Kandi Burruss, Phaedra Parks and Porsha Williams.
While Andy acknowledged his affection for both cities, he was not willing to single out one Housewife as his all-time favorite.
“I have many favorites,” he explained.
According to Andy, one of the things that makes Housewives successful is that no single cast member is responsible for carrying the entire show.
“The great thing about the show is that it really is an ensemble show and everyone plays their part,” Andy said.
He pointed out that Housewives can have quieter seasons before unexpectedly becoming central to the drama the following year.
“Someone can have a quiet season and then they come back and it’s all about them. So, you just never know what’s going to happen.”
Andy added, “Real life is fascinating.”
His comments come as Bravo continues navigating cast changes across its Housewives franchises, with longtime stars departing, familiar faces returning and new women entering established groups.
Andy also revealed that reunions can have a much bigger impact on casting decisions than viewers may realize.
In his upcoming book, which celebrates 20 years of the Housewives franchise, Andy takes readers behind the scenes of memorable reunion tapings and shares what he and the team were thinking before and after filming.
“The great thing about the book is I take you behind the scenes of pretty much every reunion show we’ve ever done,” Andy explained.
“I share my insights about what I was thinking and what I went in thinking.”
And according to Andy, some Housewives have completely changed their futures based on how they handled themselves at a reunion.
“There were reunions where we thought it was gonna be someone’s last season and then they totally blew us away at the reunion,” he revealed.
However, the opposite has also happened.
“And there are reunions where someone came in, and we were, you know, thinking, oh, this is great. And then they wind up isolating everyone in the group or isolating themselves.”
Andy acknowledged that these moments can influence what happens next.
“So they really can determine a lot in terms of the future of the show.”
The revelation offers interesting insight into Bravo’s casting process, especially considering how frequently Housewives reunions become the final opportunity for cast members to address conflicts, repair relationships or defend their place in the group.
Andy also addressed criticism that Housewives encourages women to fight and rewards bad behavior.
He pushed back on that characterization, arguing that the franchise offers much more than conflict.
“I think that’s an over-generalization and that if the show was just only that, it wouldn’t still be on the air in all these iterations,” Andy said.
He explained that Housewives can be funny, emotional and centered around genuine friendships just as much as it can involve arguments.
“You know, it’s funny, it can be about sisterhood,” he continued.
Andy believes critics who focus exclusively on the drama are missing what has allowed the franchise to remain popular for so long.
“If you just skim the surface, it’s kind of an easy way to slam the show. I don’t think that it’s actually representative.”
As Bravo celebrates the 20th anniversary of The Real Housewives, Andy admitted he is still amazed by how successful the franchise has become.
Over the years, Housewives has developed an audience that includes celebrities such as Michelle Obama and Julia Roberts, while creating memorable moments that have become part of pop culture.
When asked whether there were any downsides to being associated with the franchise, Andy made it clear that he views the experience as a privilege.
“It’s a gift,” he said.
“Anyone would want to be a part of a franchise that has entertained so many people and means so much to people, especially in this day and age where, you know, people don’t connect to programming in this way anymore.”
