39. Kelly Killoren Bensimon, RHONY
Scary Island! Jogging in New York City traffic! "Satchels of gold." Kelly delivered plenty of WTF moments on RHONY, but watching her completely unravel on that trip is something we'll never forget.
38. Jacqueline Laurita, RHONJ
Jacqueline always seemed like the monkey in the middle when it came to the squabbling among the other women on RHONJ. Her more recent feud with former bestie Teresa, however? That was a whole new side to Jac.
37. Erika Girardi, RHOBH
Erika burst onto the scene in season six of RHOBH with an alter ego and an allergy for BS. Whether she's patting the puss or calling it like she sees it, Erika and her fashion are always welcome on RHOBH (despite getting dragged into ex husband Tom Girardi's unending legal troubles).
36. Cynthia Bailey, RHOA
Cynthia's life is never short on drama, but it's usually because of her now-ex-husband Peter Thomas or her meddling family. She did introduce the world to a friendship contract, which is the sort of Housewives thing we crave.
35. Brandi Glanville, RHOBH
Brandi is a cautionary tale of what happens when you take "telling it like it is" just one step too far. She went from being the audience surrogate in a crazy world to a razor-tongued enemy of nearly everyone. But it made for some damn good TV.
34. Monique Samuels, RHOP
Monique has all the makings of a great Housewife: She can more than hold her own when crossed by one of the ladies, she has four homes and isn't afraid to remind you of it, and she's taken to toting a potty-trained parakeet around on a leash. We repeat: A potty-trained parakeet on a leash. However, her physical fight with Candiace Dillard in season five slightly tarnished her reputation. Violence is never the answer.
33. Camille Grammer, RHOBH
The Dinner Party From Hell will always be Camille's shining contribution to the franchise. And her transformation between seasons one and two was remarkable. Once we learned her marriage to Kelsey Grammer was falling apart before her very eyes in such an ugly fashion, a villain was reborn as a tragic hero. However, her return as a friend in later seasons unfortunately saw her slide back down that slipperiest of slopes into villainy once more.
32. Kim Richards, RHOBH
Watching Kim is never easy, what with her tumultuous struggle with sobriety, but it's usually very riveting TV.
31. Ashley Darby, RHOP
After surviving her husband's sexual misconduct allegations (they were ultimately dropped), we give credit to Ashley for sticking with the show. Love her or hate her, she keeps it real and is not afraid to speak her mind.
30. Phaedra Parks, RHOA
Phaedra was a one-woman catchphrase factory. Seriously, everything she ever said seemed destined to be turned into a GIF. It's too bad she turned on former BFF Kandi Burruss with that truly heinous and totally fraudulent rape accusation, bringing about her quick dismissal. Say it with us now: "Fix it, Jesus!"
29. Melissa Gorga, RHONJ
The Gorga family drama has been the crux of RHONJ's story ever since Melissa joined the cast in season three, invading sister-in-law Teresa's turf. She's always seemed to be doing the best she can with an impossible situation. We hope Melissa is "On Display" and on our TV screens for years to come.
28. Yolanda Hadid, RHOBH
Yolanda and her cool European swagger always made her stand out of the RHOBH pack. Plus, she gifted us "Who is Adrienne Maloof in this world?" (aka the best put-down in the history of Housewives).
27. Kenya Moore, RHOA
Kenya was made for reality TV and she knows it. She's not always likable, but she's good at creating just the right blend of bonkers drama that RHOA needs. Admit it, the show wouldn't be nearly as entertaining without her.
26. Heather Dubrow, RHOC
Heather was the pinnacle of refinement on RHOC. And she'll never let you forget it. She was always quick with a witty reply, seemed like she'd be genuinely cool to drink some champs with, and is ridiculously rich. Remember the first time we were graced with a tour of her old house?
25. Dina Manzo, RHONJ
Dina's zen demeanor and her penchant for rescuing animals like her hairless cat Grandma Wrinkles were perfect for reality TV. Alas, Danielle's horrifying attempt to have Child Protective Services take Dina's daughter away cut her time on the series short. Her brief return for season six was a dud (mostly because that season was such a dud), diminishing her legacy some.
24. Kim Zolciak-Biermann, RHOA
The wigs. The songs. The Big Poppa. Kim belongs on reality TV, but the way she distanced herself from nearly all of the other RHOA ladies towards the end of her tenure left a sour taste in our mouth. Her return as a "friend" in season 10 proved time away from the ladies hadn't calmed her one bit. Boy, was that reunion a nasty one.
23. Denise Richards, RHOBH
Denise proved to be a breath of fresh air on RHOBH. As one of the bigger names to join the Housewives franchise, it was easy to assume she'd be a diva, but the down-to-earth Denise delighted with her no-frills attitude. Plus, she isn't afraid to throw down when necessary. Her second season was a bit bumpier, to say the least, with most of the ladies turning on her as she seemingly attempted to rehab an image we didn't realize needed rehabbing. It all led to a fascinating break of the fourth wall, allowing us a peek into how the sausage is actually made.
22. Sheree Whitfield, RHOA
"Who gon' check me, boo?" Sheree's bark always seemed a bit worse than her bite. Remember when she had a fashion show with no fashion? Remember Chateau Sheree, which was under construction for years? Sheree gave us so much. Long live the bone collector!
21. Dorit Kemsley, RHOBH
Dorit, she of the indiscriminate European accent (despite being born in Connecticut), came in hot when she was added to RHOBH in season seven, immediately pitting herself against fan-fave Erika in a feud that seemed to only exist in her head. That said, she's great for drama and an eye-popping look, and now that she's cooled into more of a veteran status, she's even begun serving as the voice of reason on occasion. No one is more surprised than us.
20. Dorinda Medley, RHONY
How were there six seasons of RHONY without Dorinda? That's what we want to know. This woman and her love of martinis are a damn delight. Though her tenure came to an end after season 12, we'll always thank her for making it nice (even in the fish room).
19. Shannon Beador, RHOC
Shannon's obsession with feng shui gave us the genius tagline, "When life hands you lemons, put nine in a bowl!" That alone earned her a high ranking, but the constant drama that she creates also helps.
18. Carole Radziwill, RHONY
Cool Carole was almost too cool for the Housewives. Almost. From weathering Aviva's relentless nonsense about Carole's memoir to joining Bethenny at the hip as RHONY's Lucy and Ethel, we couldn't get enough of Carole. And yes, we were devastated when she and B had their friendship breakup and even sadder to see her depart.
17. Lisa Rinna, RHOBH
Unlike her BFF Eileen, Lisa's years of starring in soaps primed her perfectly for her time as a Housewife. She's outrageous, she's dramatic, and she's not afraid to stir the pot. She owns it, baby!
16. Jill Zarin, RHONY
When Jill left RHONY after season four, she was public enemy No. 1. But the first few seasons of the series are defined by her outrageous personality, her relationship with Bethenny, and said friendship's long, sad demise.