Since it first hit the small screen back in 2006, The Real Housewives franchise has spawned six successful series (read: D.C. didn’t cut it) all across the nation. But Bravo’s spotlight on all that lavish living, girl fights and gossip started with one original: The Real Housewives of Orange County.

Now as the show dives into the drama of its eighth season, there is a single survivor who has been there since the beginning: Vicki Gunvalson.

“It feels great,” she told Celebuzz at the Bravo upfront event in New York City on Thursday. “If we weren’t successful season one and two, we wouldn’t be here.”

After many have come and gone from the O.C. mania, Gunvalson now stars alongside five other diamond-dripped Housewives: Tamra Barney, Gretchen Rossi, Alexis Bellino, Heather Dubrow and Lydia McLaughlin, the newest woman to hop aboard the Bravo bandwagon.
“I don’t know if I’m even looking forward to it after all these interviews,” McLaughlin admitted. “They’re all saying, ‘Be careful. You’re not going to be excited. It’s a lot of drama.’ So I guess I’m a little more nervous now.” The O.G.’s advice? “Just to have fun and to trust us,” Gunvalson said with a wink.

Though the new season has only just premiered, the women are already waging war, so to speak. Not only are Gunvalson and Barney still at odds, but Dubrow stuck it her nemesis Bellino by making her the sole persona non grata at her posh clambake, a snub Bellino isn’t taking lying down. “Well, I sold her to another country,” Bellino joked, as Dubrow was absent at the Upfront because she’s vacationing in Mexico with her children. “So she’s gone.”

But the season promises more than just bad blood between the women — wedding planning is underway for Barney, who is engaged to fiancé Eddie Judge. Though she stayed lips-sealed on what role, if any, her costars will play in her big day, there are four people who Barney promises will have a hand in the ceremony: her four children, eldest son Ryan Vieth, 24, from her first marriage, and her three younger kids, Sidney, Spencer and Sophia, from her second husband, Simon Barney.

And might wedding bells soon ring for another one of the O.C. women? Rumors have been swirling that Rossi is ready to say “I do” to beau Slade Smiley after she was spotted sporting blinding bling on her ring finger. But turns out, the sparkler is not a gift from Smiley.

“You know what? This is my ring from Jeff,” Rossi explained, referring to her late fiancé Jeff Beitzel. “I will always wear this. It’s a very sentimental piece to me. I’m never going to stop wearing it.” But Rossi didn’t deny that an engagement could be on her horizon. “There might be,” she teased. “So you have to watch to see what happens.”

For more from the biggest Bravo-lebrities — from The Vanderpump Rules cast to the confirmed returning stars of RHONY — watch the videos below.

Meet the newest castmember of Bravo’s The Real Housewives of Orange County!

The network announced on Tuesday that Lydia McLaughlin is officially the latest glamorous mama who’s set to join the cast for their eighth season. Bravo’s hit series needed some extra spunk and the 31-year-old brunette is guaranteed to bring the drama when the series returns Monday, April 1 at 8PM.

So who is McLaughlin? While our favorite OC housewives have already gotten to know her, fans have been kept in the dark until now.

Celebuzz has compiled a list of nine things to know about the newest housewife:

1. McLaughlin is from major money. She is the granddaughter of Geoff Stirling, a famous Canadian businessman and media mogul – owning several newspapers and television stations under Stirling Communications International. Stirling’s net worth topped $100 million in 2011.

2. She is the mother of two sons and lives with her husband Doug in Dana Point, Calif.

3. Lydia isn’t just a housewife, she’s a busy business woman. Her main occupation is serving as the Managing Editor and co-founder of Beverly Hills Lifestyle magazine.

4. In her free time, McLaughlin also designs jewelry under the brand name Lydia M Jewelry.

5. She knows that dogs are a man, and woman’s, best friend. As part of her jewelry line, McLaughlin released a limited-edition collection for dogs only called “Puppy Bling.”

6. She works closely with her husband. The two co-own a web design and digital marketing company called SKYLAB Media and an art gallery called SKYLAB Modern Art.

7. McLaughlin wasn’t always a California girl. She was born in Canada but raised in La Jolla, Calif. and attended the prestigious University of San Diego.

8. She’s already friends with a few other housewives. McLaughlin has been friends with Lisa Vanderpump, who writes a column for Beverly Hills Lifestyle magazine, and Heather Dubrow for years.

9. She’s a devout Christian. McLaughlin bonds with Alexis Bellino over their religious beliefs, but be warned the newest housewife’s religion doesn’t stop her from being headstrong and outspoken.

Are you excited for the next season of RHOC? Weigh in below.