Bravo, BravoCon, Bravo

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BravoCon has ended, and I’m completely exhausted! My brain is overflowing with everything reality TV, and I can’t stop thinking about the celebrities and taking selfies. I’m even dreaming about Andy Cohen promising more of The Real Housewives of New Jersey. It was a busy weekend running between interviews, panels, and trying to spend time with friends, all while avoiding any issues with Bravo’s public relations team. I managed to do some of it well, and some of it not so well!

Seeing my favorite reality stars in person was fun, but the real highlight of BravoCon is always connecting with other fans. Everyone kept saying Bravo fans are the best, and it was amazing to feel that energy! Getting a picture with someone like Britani Bateman is cool, but what I love most is talking to people who truly get all the inside jokes and share the same passion. The whole weekend was filled with people ready to have a good time and instantly bond with strangers – even if those bonds sometimes turned into friendly rivalries, just like on the shows!

If you kept up with our live coverage of BravoCon, you already know the highlights. If you missed it, you can find a detailed recap there. (Or, if you’re short on time, check out this sneak peek at the upcoming Below Deck Down Under and RHOSLC crossover.) But to give you even more from the weekend, here are some fun superlatives I’ve put together just for our amazing fans!

Vulture has covered most of the big news, like the trailer for The Real Housewives of Rhode Island featuring Dolores Catania, but here’s a quick rundown in case you didn’t see it: Andy Cohen confirmed Vicki Gunvalson will be a full-time cast member for the 20th season of RHOC next year. The midseason trailer for RHOP shows Karen Huger doing a post-prison interview with Andy. Plus, a new season of Ultimate Girls Trip is happening, with an unconfirmed cast hitting the road to visit different Housewives cities and meet fan favorites. Finally, there’s a trailer for season four of Traitors, but it doesn’t reveal much.

Mary M. Cosby was the clear standout at BravoCon. She won two awards with her friend Angie Katsanevas, playfully admitting she almost didn’t attend, and received a hero’s welcome at the RHOSLC panel hosted by Casey Wilson and Danielle Schneider of Bitch Sesh. The audience erupted in cheers and chanted her name when she answered the first question, visibly moving her. The love for Mary continued throughout the weekend – Andy Cohen even said he’d love to see her visit all the Housewives franchises! Riley Burruss from Next Gen NYC bonded with Mary, and the crew from the RHOSLC and Below Deck Down Under crossover declared her their favorite to work with. It’s quite a transformation for someone who previously preferred a quiet Filet-O-Fish break – Mary truly became the star of BravoCon.

Several moments received strong negative reactions, including Charlie Zakkour’s comments during the Next Gen NYC panel, criticism towards Julia Lemigova for her treatment of Guerdy Abraira on RHOM, and Erika Jayne’s statement about Garcelle Beauvais on Watch What Happens Live. However, the most significant backlash occurred when Britani Bateman had her boyfriend, Jared Osmond, stand up in the audience, which was met with widespread disapproval.

Kandi Burruss received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Bravos, and the audience gave her a standing ovation as she spoke about her career. She expressed gratitude to her fellow cast members, her fans, and Andy Cohen, jokingly thanking him for helping her earn a lot of money. The speech was so moving that many people in the audience were brought to tears.

At BravoCon 2027, amidst several surprising pairings on stage, Madison LeCroy from Southern Charm called Sai De Silva of RHONY “the meanest girl” she’s ever known.

Reality TV producers are excited about a potential new romance! On Summer House, Carl Radke revealed he’s interested in Venita Aspen from Southern Charm. Venita confirmed they spent time together and even considered their meeting a date, saying she’d be open to seeing him again. While some are comparing them to Ashley Darby and Luke Gulbranson, that relationship didn’t last very long.

It’s a bit overdone: Yes, Captain Jason is attractive, but does the show really need to imply he’s dating almost every female character? It feels repetitive and unnecessary.

During a recent fan question segment, Andy Cohen was asked a tricky question: would he prefer to have happy fans or have Tamra Judge return to The Real Housewives of Orange County?

Viewers don’t seem too bothered by the recent legal issues of two stars from The Real Housewives of Potomac. When Karen Huger, recently released from jail, appeared at the Bravos awards to present an award, the audience went wild. Wendy Osefo also received a huge ovation when she took the stage for a panel discussion. Bravo fans are very forgiving, especially when someone brings the drama.

One of the best parts of BravoCon is the Bravo Bazaar, where the stars sell merchandise. This year, though, the selection felt a little disappointing. While brands like Sewing Down South and Loverboy were there, the overall quality and appeal of the items weren’t great. You could find things like a Brooks Marks tracksuit or a Meredith Marks bath bomb, and Captain Jason was promoting his new scent (coming out Monday!), but most things were either too pricey or just not very interesting. I wasn’t looking for Jen Fessler’s shoes or Marysol Patton’s hair extensions. I was hoping to find Melissa Gorga’s famous sprinkle cookies or the popular “Send It to Darrell” hoodies! I really wanted a keychain with the phrase “Money Can’t Buy You Class” to share with all my friends. I only ended up buying one thing all weekend – a T-shirt and tote bag from Angie K with the slogan “High Body Count Hair” – and that just felt…off.

This year’s Wendy’s activation at the event, sponsored by Clorox and T-Mobile, really embraced brand integration, and honestly, it worked! As Kandi Burruss would say, it didn’t miss a step. I especially appreciate Bravo for successfully incorporating the brands into the show’s culture, rather than forcing the culture to adapt to them. Wayfair designed rooms inspired by the Housewives for photo opportunities, State Farm offered custom-embroidered bags and tea towels based on Sewing Down South, and Wendy’s – which feels like Lisa Barlow’s side hustle now – had a fantastic set for selfies and even handed out free Frosties!

BravoCon had a serious lack of edible food options – it was practically a food desert! Many attendees, including myself, were there all day, from the 9am DJ set to the final panel around 5pm, and the only food available was things like chips, candy bars, or stale sandwiches. There was plenty of alcohol, but real meals were hard to come by. One fan jokingly asked for more Top Chef connections, but it seemed like she was really just desperately hungry and wanted something substantial to eat.

Fans consistently impress with their creative costumes, which often outshine the official merchandise. This year’s highlights included a pair sporting Dorit-themed shirts, someone dressed head-to-toe in lemons (a nod to Dorit’s drink), and sisters recreating iconic looks from Bronwyn and Gretchen. However, the best costume went to the woman who came as Dorinda Medley’s Fish Room, complete with a large swordfish headpiece.

Friday’s panels were pretty dull, honestly—they felt like something Paige DeSorbo would fall asleep through! But things definitely heated up on Saturday during the Real Housewives of Atlanta panel. Shamea Morton, Drew Sidora, and Kelli Farrell got into a surprisingly intense argument about singing, album charts, and even whose waffles are better! The moderator, Rachel Lindsay, let them go at it, and it was exactly the kind of drama everyone paid to see—it felt like watching a full episode of the show.

The Real Housewives of Miami panel was as chaotic as the show itself, highlighted by Adriana de Moura’s spectacularly awkward moment. She started by dramatically presenting a coffee maker, claiming it was the same brand owned by the mortician she was discussing. Then, she announced she’d reveal his identity on stage, desperately asking a woman named Melissa in the audience for a picture. A disagreement between Adriana and Julia Lemagova led to Lisa Hochstein trying to calm Adriana down. Eventually, Adriana left the stage, only to return shortly after with a phone supposedly containing the photo. When she showed it to the moderator, Kiki Monique, it turned out to be a picture of Phaedra Parks, completely shocking everyone. The energy in the room instantly dropped – it was like a vacuum cleaner convention had sucked all the air out!

While there was drama on RHOM and RHOA, and Mary Cosby was a standout on RHOSLC, the most fascinating panel discussion featured veteran editors from several Bravo shows. They offered a compelling look at how they craft memorable TV moments – like turning the RHOC Ireland trip, which initially lacked footage, into a reality TV success. It was also great to see fans ask thoughtful questions, giving these behind-the-scenes pros a well-deserved spotlight.

Let’s finish with the latest buzz! Word on the street about the upcoming season of RHONY is that it won’t be a mix of returning favorites and original cast members. Instead, sources say we’ll see three ladies from the recent reboot and three newcomers. Erin Lichy, Sai de Silva, and Jessel Taank’s presence at BravoCon seems to confirm they’re staying on the show, and filming is expected to begin in early 2026. There were rumors swirling before BravoCon that Kyle Cooke and Amanda Batula were living separately, but both Kyle and Lindsay Hubbard dismissed those claims. However, Kyle and Amanda only appeared together on the Summer House panel, which raised some concerns among fans. As for drama, DeuxMoi reported a physical altercation between Scheana Shay and Salley Carson at a BravoCon party, but both women denied it happened. Finally, there’s talk that Below Deck‘s Fraser Olender is dating someone famous – and equally good-looking!

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2025-11-17 23:57