‘Real Housewives of Orange County’: Who is joining Tamra Barney, Vicki Gunvalson next?

“The Real Housewives of Orange County” is getting ready for a very real change-up for the show for the upcoming ninth season, and this apparently includes shedding half of the women who were at one point on the show, and then adding some new faces.

First of all, let’s start with who has departed the show over the past several months. It was revealed that producers decided to move on from Gretchen Rossi and Alexis Bellino, seemingly because they felt like there were some more interesting stories to tell elsewhere at this point. Meanwhile, new cast member Lydia McLaughlin decided quietly that she didn’t want to do the show anymore, and will also not be a part of the new season.

Now, we’re left with original cast member Vicki Gunvalson, Tamra Barney, and Heather Dubrow, along with at least two other names. The people that we’re hearing about now, according to Us Weekly, are as follows:

Elizabeth “Lizzie” Rovsek – She seems like a perfect fit for this show already. She is a married former beauty queen who now a model / fashion designer, and owns a line of swimsuits that are meant to be of the glamorous variety. Whether or not she gets along with everyone else is to be seen, but she is at least off to a good start on the Housewives checklist. (Fortunately, there is nothing out there about her wanting to be a club singer.)

Shannon Beader – The wife of a very wealthy construction mogul, she has three children and has at least some sort of relationship at present with Tamra Barney. These two are going to have plenty of time to get to know their co-stars better, but that may or may not be a good thing.

Are you still as excited about “The Real Housewives of Orange County” as in years past, even with such a new cast on board? Share what you think below!