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DRAMA-FILLED RETURN

Did Tamra Judge return to RHOC?

TWO SEASONS went by without Tamra Judge on Bravo's The Real Housewives of Orange County.

With the premiere of season 17 in June 2023, fans are curious about Tamra Judge's comeback.

Tamra Judge first joined RHOC during its third season
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Tamra Judge first joined RHOC during its third seasonCredit: Photo by: Andrew Eccles/Bravo via Getty Images - Getty

Did Tamra Judge return to RHOC?

Season 17 of Real Housewives of Orange County first hit screens on June 7, 2023, with Tamra Judge back in the mix.

In July 2022, drama between Jill Zarin and Tamra reportedly started after Zarin let it slip that Judge would be returning to the popular Bravo show.

In a since-deleted Instagram Story, Zarin said: "And Tamra's coming back, and my friend Vicky's not happy," according to .

Shortly after, Judge confirmed the news, taking to Twitter to call out Zarin for leaking the information.

Judge wrote: "Go f*** yourself @JillZarin! You thirsty b****!"

Despite the drama between Zarin and Judge, a source told that "Tamra is thrilled to come back to the show," and that she "can’t wait to get back in the mix on ‘RHOC’ and see how she can shake up the dynamic."

Why did Tamra Judge leave RHOC?

For 12 years, Judge had been a regular cast member of RHOC, but she shocked fans in 2020 after she announced she was leaving.

"It's been a wild 12 years," Judge wrote on Instagram at the time.

"But it’s time for me to move on. I'm sad to go but I’m very excited about my future. Love ❤️ you guys ✌."

At the time, a source told the media outlet that she was offered a returning role on the show, but she turned it down to "walk away on her own terms."

Her departure came just one day after Vicki Gunvalson announced she was leaving the show.

It was later revealed that Simon Barney's stage three throat cancer diagnosis and Eddie Judge's ongoing heart issues influenced her exit from RHOC.

Tamra Judge at the grand opening of Villa Azur Las Vegas on December 8, 2022, in Las Vegas, Nevada
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Tamra Judge at the grand opening of Villa Azur Las Vegas on December 8, 2022, in Las Vegas, NevadaCredit: (Photo by Denise Truscello/Getty Images for Villa Azur Las Vegas - Getty

The TV star told : “The reality of it is, after Eddie’s heart condition and now Simon with cancer, it’s just very hard for me to want to go on a show where people are screaming and yelling and arguing about things that don’t even matter.

"They’ve taught me that life is precious, and you don’t get that time back."

Judge was married to Barney from 1998 to 2011 and later tied the knot with Eddie Judge in 2013.

How can I watch season 17 of RHOC?

The new season of the hit television series premiered on Wednesday, June 7, 2023, at 8pm ET on Bravo.

Episodes are available for streaming the following day on Peacock.

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