Several former “Real Housewives of New York City” stars are set to film a brand new reality show, “The Golden Life.” Jill Zarin was originally part of the group of ladies, but her casting has since changed. Here are four RHONY alums fans would love to see either replace the former Bravo star or simply make appearances.
RHONY Fans Want Dorinda Medley on ‘The Golden Life’
Page Six reported in January 2026 that Luann de Lesseps, Sonja Morgan, Jill Zarin, Kelly Bensimon, and Ramona Singer had signed on to film a new reality show on E!. Following the report, many fans hoped Dorinda Medley would be in some way involved with the series.
According to PEOPLE, Medley announced in August 2020 that she would not be returning to RHONY. Since then, she’s appeared on multiple UBCUniversal properties, including “Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip” and two seasons of “The Traitors.” Still, there is a considerable desire to see her with at least some of the ladies she filmed with during what many would call the glory years of RHONY.
The potential problem with Medley joining “The Golden Life” is that she still has a great relationship with NBCUniversal, as does de Lesseps. The difference between the two ladies is that Medley has a show centered on her Blue Stone Manor in development.
Tinsley Mortimer Could Replace Jill Zarin
Tinsley Mortimer joined “The Real Housewives of New York City” in 2017 for the show’s 9th season. She remained until season 12, with much of her storyline focusing on her relationship with Scott Kluth and her changing dynamics with co-star Sonja Morgan.
According to Bravo, she’s now married to businessman Robert Bovard and lives in Augusta, Georgia. “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Sutton Stracke gave an update about the former RHONY star in 2024.
She said, “I think she is very happy there, and I was really happy for her. I saw her with his children. I think she kind of hit the jackpot. He’s a good guy and well respected in the community. I mean, she fits right in. I’m happy to hear she’s doing well.”
Alex McCord Could Be a Good Fit
The production team behind “The Golden Life” has done a solid job of casting some of the most iconic RHONY stars from the franchise’s history. However, one who could replace Jill Zarin is Alex McCord, who appeared on the hit Bravo show from its first season until the fourth.
Since the announcement of the new show, many fans have expressed interest in seeing her in some capacity. Unfortunately, she and her husband, Simon Van Kempen, now live in Australia, where, according to Bravo, she’s a psychologist.
Still, this doesn’t mean the RHONY OG couldn’t visit the ladies in Palm Beach while they’re filming. In fact, she was recently in New York City and interviewed with Andy Cohen for his radio show.
Bethenny Frankel Should Join the RHONY Offshoot
Bethenny Frankel is one of the most talked-about “Real Housewives” stars from any city. Because of this, there is great interest in seeing how she would interact with some of her former costars on “The Golden Life.”
Of course, she’s stated on TikTok that she isn’t interested in this type of show. However, it’s important to note that, according to the press release from E!, “The Golden Life” will be very different from RHONY, so perhaps her mind could be changed. Either way, she’s one of the former RHONY stars fans most want to see on the new series.
