'RHONY' Stars Begging Andy Cohen For Cast Shake-Up To Save Show: ‘They Want Countess LuAnn Back Full-Time & Aviva Drescher OUT!'
May 14 2014, Published 4:51 p.m. ET
Could a casting shakeup save the ratings-troubled Real Housewives of New York City? RadarOnline.com has learned that cast members Carole Radziwill and Heather Thomson have banded together to suggest some major changes to Bravo exec Andy Cohen: They want Countess LuAnn De Lesseps brought on full-time, and Aviva Drescher given the boot!"
DeLesseps was demoted to cameo appearances for the sixth season of the show, but now her co-stars are vying to get her back as a full-time cast member, sources close to the Bravo show exclusively revealed.
“They want Andy to give her back that apple,” an insider told RadarOnline.com.
Instead of bringing on new cast members, the source said, “They’ve been hinting to him that they want LuAnn in and Aviva out.”
While no announcements have been made about a possible seventh season of RHONY, the insider added that "only money stands in the way" of the Countess' full-time return.
As RadarOnline.com previously reported, series veteran De Lesseps, 48, announced she would appear less-frequently this season after a nasty contract standoff.
- Leah McSweeney Calls Out 'RHONY' Alum Carole Radziwill Over 'Sex Child Trafficking Bestie Ghislaine' Maxwell
- 'RHONY' Star Carole Radziwill Defends Her Controversial Colton Underwood 'Bachelor' Comments After Collecting Major Backlash
- 'RHONY' Alum Carole Radziwill Trashes Colton Underwood And ABC After Ex-Bachelor Comes Out As Gay
“There’s a special place in my heart for the show. I just made the decision to step back, so I can spend more time doing my things with business and my family,” De Lesseps said. “I’m still very much a part of the show, but it’s not a full-time thing. It’s very engulfing when you’re on it. It takes up all of your mental and physical energy.”
All week, casting shakeup rumors have been swirling around the ratings-starved show.
This week, Drescher was forced to shoot down reports that she’d been fired from the show after the star was yanked from the opening credits. Reports suggested that the reality star mom had been “disciplined by producers with a forced three-episode hiatus.”
When pressed, Drescher insisted she’d be “back on in two weeks.”
“It’s not newsworthy,” she told RadarOnline.com.
Do you agree with Thomson and Radziwill’s proposed changes? How can Cohen save RHONY? Let us know in the comments!