Season 20 of Bravo‘s “The Real Housewives of Orange County” is ongoing, with Vicki Gunvalson returning to the cast as a full-time orange holder for the first time in several years. However, one criticism the show has faced is that fan-favorite Tamra Judge seems different this season. Now, several weeks in, the 58-year-old reality star is teasing a return to form in the upcoming episode.
Tamra Judge Says Tune in to See Her Activated in the New RHOC Episode
GettyJudge took to her official X account on August 31 to discuss “The Real Housewives of Orange County.” She did so by posting, “If you miss activated Tamra, this is your lucky week.” The RHOC star then added the orange emoji to the post, followed by a hashtag for the hit series.
She received several replies, both from people who claim to miss “activated Tamra” and those who have appreciated “fun Tamra.” Notably, she responded to someone who said they like the fun side of her, saying, “I’m both.”
Of course, it’s unclear what will have Judge activated in the upcoming episode. However, ahead of the new season, she told ExtraTV that she only got into one fight, with Gunvalson.
She stated, “I got in one fight [with] Vicki. It was warranted. She did something not very nice and talked about my child. I have an estranged daughter, and it’s very heartbreaking. When I got divorced, you know, two of my kids don’t speak to their dad, and one of the kids doesn’t speak to me. It’s a very hard situation, and I hate it, and I don’t want it for either of us.”
One fan wrote, “Please stay friends with Vicki. Don’t push her away again because of the fickle fans turning again. She’s always been a lightning rod because she thinks out loud and is unfiltered. You have so much history. The Housewives world is better when you two appreciate each other.”
Regarding her being activated in the upcoming episode, another person said, “You gave the girls a chance, and they refused to clock in. Welcome back, queen.”
After that, a different fan commented on the state of RHOC in its 20th season. They wrote, “I love you. You’re damned if you do, damned if you don’t. Make those other women earn their checks. Makes no sense to me that last year ‘the season was too dark because of Tamra’ and now this season is ‘the season is boring because Tamra is too quiet.’ You’re not to blame.”
She First Teased Being Different in ‘The Real Housewives of Orange County’ in April
GettyJudge took to her “Two Ts in a Pod” podcast in April 2026 to discuss season 20 of “The Real Housewives of Orange County.” During her commentary, she teased that fans would see a different side of herself when the show returned, noting that she had been in a darker place amid the filming of RHOC season 19.
Judge said, “Season 20 is pretty exciting. Especially coming off season 19 [which] was not great for me. I was in a really bad place. I feel like I’m in a much better place.” She then noted that she was “very thankful just to be on season 20,” before highlighting that she was the longest-running RHOC cast member.
She continued, “I can’t say too much about what’s going on because I’ll get my ass handed to me. I think it’s going to be an amazing season. I think it’s going to be different, and I think it feels different. … I’m so much happier.”
