7 'Real Housewives’ Stars Who Never Should Have Left Their Shows

Although absence really does make the heart grow fonder when it comes to some former Housewives, there are just some Real Housewives stars who should have never left their shows. Some of these women just weren't appreciated in their time (aka until a boring season immediately followed their departure). There were others who just didn't get a chance and were gone way too soon. When others announced their departure, the fandom knew it was sad news for the franchise before the next season even started filming. Some of the shows just haven't been as good ever since.

It is usually a little bit unclear about who "left" their shows and who was asked to go (fired), but it doesn't matter because there are certain departures that were really hard to take... and honestly still are a pretty hard to deal with. It's tough to go from feeling like someone is a best friend via your TV to getting completely cut off from the ins and outs of their lives. Thankfully, some of these former Housewives have been diligent with their social media updates, but it's just not the same as watching their lives play out on Bravo.

Love them or hate them, these are some of the Real Housewives who made their shows interesting and really never should have left.

1. Heather Dubrow

Heather Dubrow's exit from Real Housewives of Orange County came at a terrible time. She spent all of Season 11 talking about her mega mansion Château Dubrow and then she left the show before viewers got to to see it. Aside from fans missing out from an official Dubrow house tour, removing Heather from the mix just threw off the dynamic of the entire cast. Recently, Tamra Judge did mention "Season 13" in a caption of a photo of Heather, so let's hope that means Heather will be back on the show.

2. Lizzie Rovsek

Why did Lizzie Rovsek only get one season on Real Housewives of Orange County? She (and the fans) deserved more. She had a great personality, a pre-Housewives business selling swimwear, and she had the gall to stand up to Tamra Judge during the cast trip to Bali. Lizzie did return for a minute for Vicki Gunvalson's birthday party during Season 12, but that's just not enough. Lizzie needs a real take two as a full-time cast member.

3. Jacqueline Laurita

During the first Real Housewives of New Jersey season, everyone sympathized with Jacqueline Laurita when she was caught in the middle of a conflict between her family and friends. Over time, Jacqueline's best friendship with Teresa Giudice turned into an epic feud. By the end of Season 7, Melissa Gorga became best friends with Teresa and took on her feud with Jacqueline. It makes perfect sense that Jacqueline would want to leave with all that hostility, but her departure took away some much-needed authenticity from RHONJ. Jacqueline's history with Teresa, her ups and downs with daughter Ashlee Holmes, and her journey as a mom to a son with special needs always made for compelling television. Oh, and let's not forget that she provided some GIF and meme-worthy moments, too.

4. Camille Grammer

Season 1 of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills centered around the Kyle Richards vs. Camille Grammer feud. That conflict that (weirdly) originated when Kyle asked Camille about her spring break plans was nothing short of iconic. Camille delivered legendary one-liners as a "villain." Then, she turned it around in Season 2 as someone to root for all while being just as funny. Camille is back on Season 8 as a Friend of the Housewives, but that is just not enough. Hopefully, appearing during the season will make her miss being a Housewife so she can return to where she belongs: holding a giant diamond in the opening credits.

5. Yolanda Hadid

Yolanda Hadid started out as Housewife when she was still Yolanda Foster. Since then she got a divorce, pushed through Lyme disease, and watched her daughters, Gigi and Bella Hadid, become supermodels. Now that Yolanda is really killing it, she needs to come back at full strength and show these women who's boss. Plus, she really left at such a tough time: right after the season where several cast members questioned Yolanda's medical diagnosis. Yes, they ended up apologizing at the reunion, but justice for Yolanda Hadid is more than necessary. She needs to return.

6. Jo de la Rosa

Original cast member Jo de la Rosa left Real Housewives of Orange County before Real Housewives became the powerhouse franchise that it is today. Sure, she was a lot younger than the rest of her co-stars and she wasn't actually a "wife", but these days that doesn't matter at all anyway. Yes, she was an OG cast member, but she didn't really have the chance to be a Housewife at a peak level. Plus, it would have made for great TV if she was still on the show when Gretchen Rossi started dating (and got engaged to) Jo's ex-fiancée Slade Smiley.

7. Eileen Davidson

Truth be told, Eileen Davidson was one of those cast members who wasn't a huge hit at first. No one disliked her, but she just wasn't as outrageous as the rest of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills ladies. With time, she proved that she may not be wild, but Eileen is a strong force to be reckoned with. She is one of the few who was brave enough to stand up to Lisa Vanderpump, after LVP asked invasive questions about her marriage. And Eileen was the cutest ever when she became an Erika Jayne super fan. She was also a calm voice of reason that was much-needed. Eileen is super busy on two other TV shows, but she is sorely missed on RHOBH.

Once a Housewife, always a Housewife. Yes, these ladies left their shows, but they are definitely missed, so hopefully they feel enough love that they are compelled to return to the reality TV franchise.