“The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Roaring 20th” premiered in August 2026, with the upcoming episode taking the ladies to Atlanta. As has already been revealed, “Real Housewives of Atlanta” alum NeNe Leakes will make an appearance, her first time on Bravo since 2020. Now, ahead of the episode, Andy Cohen is sharing his thoughts.
Regarding RHUGT, the limited series stars Vicki Gunvalson, Luann de Lessepps, Porsha Williams, Kyle Richards, Teresa Giudice, Gizelle Bryant, and Lisa Barlow. Each episode also features other iconic “Housewives” stars from various cities in the franchise.
Andy Cohen Says Having NeNe Leakes on ‘Ultimate Girls Trip’ Was Essential
GettyCohen spoke to PEOPLE ahead of the premiere of “The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Roaring 20th.” During the conversation, the reporter mentioned Leakes and that Bravo fans would see her on the network for the first time in several years, thanks to the limited series.
The “Watch What Happens Live” host said of the RHOA alum, “We couldn’t have celebrated 20 years without her. She’s such an important part of the franchise, and it was really fun.”
Cohen added, “And the response has been great.” The “Housewives” executive producer shared similar sentiments in January 2026 when it was first revealed that Leakes would appear on “The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Roaring 20th.”
Cohen said on SiriusXM’s “Radio Andy,” “People are very happy about it.” He continued, “Listen, we are going to be celebrating 20 years of Housewives, and it would be hard to without her, and so I’m happy about it.” After that, he discussed the series in general.
Cohen said at the time, “They’re going from town to town. A group of about seven or eight gals is gonna be going from town to town. More will be revealed, and then there will be, in total, I think you may wind up by the end of the series seeing 60 of your ‘Housewives’ friends. Something like that.”
Andy Cohen Previously Discussed His History With NeNe Leakes
GettyCohen sat down for an in-depth interview with Vulture in May 2026. During the conversation, the topic of the beloved “Real Housewives of Atlanta” original cast member came up, with the reporter asking about his first meeting with the Bravo legend.
She stated, “Well, I didn’t meet Nene in person until the season-one reunion. I saw her on tape. Her tape was great. She was funny. It’s online somewhere. She and Kim were riffing.” After that, the reporter questioned why the network would invite her back, albeit in a limited capacity, following her 2022 lawsuit.
He responded, “We are celebrating 20 years of the Housewives. I can’t speak to that lawsuit, but it’s in the past. She was integral to the show and its success. As we looked back on 20 years, it felt like doing something with her would be really nice for the fans, and she really wanted to do it. It was very positive.”
From there, Cohen was asked whether there was a chance Leakes could return to “The Real Housewives of Atlanta,” which has seen a resurgence in its latest season.
He stated, “We are celebrating 20 years of the Housewives. I can’t speak to that lawsuit, but it’s in the past. She was integral to the show and its success. As we looked back on 20 years, it felt like doing something with her would be really nice for the fans, and she really wanted to do it. It was very positive.”
