It’s time to head back to Atlanta, Georgia, since Bravo has formally announced the cast for the long-awaited Season 16 of The Real Housewives of Atlanta. With multiple rumors of who would join the reality series and a big shake-up, fans have been talking about this season, and it hasn’t officially started filming. Since Kandi Burruss announced she was leaving, it left viewers wondering what would happen next for RHOA since it has been a franchise beloved by many people. Viewers were starting to get excited once it was announced Porsha Williams and Kenya Moore would be back for another season, but there were still some voids to fit into the cast.
Bravo officially announced on May 14 that besides Kenya and Porsha coming back, Drew Sidora and Cynthia Bailey were coming back for another season. The first is a full-time housewife, and the second is demoted to a friend of the role. Not only will there be a veteran feel to the season, but three new faces have been announced to join the cast, and a familiar face will round out the cast.
Meet the New Peaches For ‘RHOA’
To be a part of an iconic cast like The Real Housewives of Atlanta, production had to find women who were not scared of a new challenge and even had a chance to be in the show for a while. Brittany Eady, Kelli Ferrell, Angela Oakley, and longtime “friend of” now housewife Shamea Morton Mwangi have officially joined the cast for the upcoming season. These women must show they have what it takes to be in a show with solid personalities like Porsha and Kenya.
Brittany Eady is a podcast host, author and CEO of the brands Courageous Collection, she has one daughter and has been married for a year. With her building up her family, she can have a shoulder to lean on with Porsha and Kenya on motherhood and what it takes to be a great mother. Kelli Ferrell is a restaurant owner of Nana’s Kitchen and has been featured on the Food Network on Ultimate Thanksgiving Challenge, with Kandi not being on the show it has left an open spot for a new restauranteur in Atlanta.
Angela Oakley is a real estate agent in Atlanta, but she is also the wife of Chicago Bulls player Charles Oakley; she will bring her lavish lifestyle to RHOA. Rounding out the new cast of RHOA is longtime “friend of” Shamea Morton Mwangi, who has been on the show since Season 5 when she was introduced as Kandi Burruss’ friend, but it was her bond with Porsha Williams that made her even more likable and a fan-favorite. She joins Brandi Glanville, Sutton Stracke, Marlo Hampton, and Eva Marcille as the only “friends” to be upgraded as a full-time housewife.
Veterans Return to ‘RHOA’
After being on a hiatus and Bravo trying to figure out who would be a part of the new cast of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, the veteran joining Kenya Moore and Porsha Williams is Drew Sidora, returning for her third season. After leaving viewers shocked by the announcement of her divorce from Ralph Pittman, it will be interesting to see a new side of Drew and show how she navigates her divorce while living her newly single life and her rumored romance with Ty Young.
Besides Drew, this season will mark the return of Cynthia Bailey in a “friend of” role. She will bring an old-school vibe to the show since she has been beloved by viewers for many years and recently fixed her relationship with her “sister,” Kenya Moore. The Real Housewives of Atlanta will begin filming in May 2024, with a season premiering in 2025.
