The Real Housewives of Melbourne
| Company type | Television series |
|---|---|
| Industry | Reality television |
| Founded | February 23, 2014 |
| Headquarters | Melbourne , Australia |
| Products | Reality television show |
| Parent | Matchbox Pictures |
The Real Housewives of Melbourne (RHOMelbourne) is an Australian reality television series that debuted on 23 February 2014 on Arena. As a segment of the global The Real Housewives franchise, the show chronicles the personal and social lives of women residing in Melbourne, Australia.
The initial ensemble consisted of Gina Liano, Jackie Gillies, Andrea Moss, Janet Roach, Chyka Keebaugh, and Lydia Schiavello. The current roster features Gillies, Roach, Gamble Breaux, Cherry Dipietrantonio, Kyla Kirkpatrick, and Simone Elliott. Moss departed after the inaugural season; Keebaugh exited following season three; while Liano and Schiavello left after season four. Breaux was introduced in season two, with Dipietrantonio, Kirkpatrick, and Elliott joining in season five. Additional significant cast members included Pettifleur Berenger (seasons 2–3), Susie McLean (season 3), Sally Bloomfield (season 4), Venus Behbahani-Clark (season 4), and Anjali Rao (season 5).
Produced by Matchbox Pictures, the program's popularity led to the expansion of the Real Housewives brand with spin-offs set in Sydney and Auckland, New Zealand.
Seasons 1–4
Initially announced by Matchbox Pictures under the working title The Real Housewives of Australia, the series was slated for a 2013 launch. On 28 July 2013, it was officially retitled The Real Housewives of Melbourne, featuring a cast of six women: Jackie Gillies, Chyka Keebaugh, Gina Liano, Andrea Moss, Janet Roach, and Lydia Schiavello. These cast members were chosen from a pool exceeding one hundred candidates after an eight-month selection process. Production commenced in July 2013, with the premiere airing on 23 February 2014, marking it as the second largest local series debut following SoHo's Wentworth.
Andrea Moss exited the show after its first season. On 8 May 2014, Foxtel announced renewal for a second season, highlighting strong viewership ratings and significant social media engagement as key reasons. Season two saw the addition of Gamble Breaux and Pettifleur Berenger and premiered on 22 February 2015. Manuela Pless-Bennett appeared in a recurring capacity as a close associate of Janet Roach, featuring in interviews and reunion episodes. Lisa Tonkin also made numerous guest appearances throughout seasons two and three.
The third season was greenlit with all previous housewives returning except Pless-Bennett; Susie McLean joined as a new cast member. This season premiered on 21 February 2016. Prior to the conclusion of season three, original housewife Chyka Keebaugh declared her departure on 8 May 2016.
On 11 May 2016, Lydia Schiavello confirmed plans for a fourth season but indicated potential delays due to production commitments for The Real Housewives of Sydney. In June 2016, Gina Liano acknowledged the postponement and mentioned that contract discussions with original cast members were yet to begin. Foxtel officially confirmed season four in December 2016, with filming commencing early in 2017. Pettifleur Berenger announced she would not be returning for this season on 29 April 2017. The fourth season's cast was unveiled on 17 May 2017, introducing Venus Behbahani-Clark and Sally Bloomfield while confirming the exits of Keebaugh, Berenger, and McLean; however, Keebaugh made a guest appearance in one episode.
Season 5–present
In September 2019, Foxtel revealed plans for a fifth season scheduled to debut in 2020, with Executive Brian Walsh announcing a notable reshuffling of the cast. By February 2020, Bloomfield, Gillies, and Behbahani-Clark had exited the series, while Schiavello confirmed her participation. The cast lineup unveiled on 19 February consisted of returning members Liano, Roach, Breaux, and Schiavello, alongside newcomers Anjali Rao, Kyla Kirkpatrick, and Cherry Dipietrantonio. Janet Roach explained that Gillies was originally intended to return but withdrew to focus on starting a family, which opened the door for Schiavello’s inclusion.
Production was briefly suspended in March 2020 owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, prioritizing health and safety for the cast and crew. Although filming was initially set to recommence in July 2020, Foxtel delayed it until January 2021. In April 2021, Foxtel reconfirmed the fifth season’s cast: Roach and Breaux returned with Rao, Kirkpatrick, Dipietrantonio, Gillies (who rejoined after her earlier departure), and new addition Simone Elliott. Liano and Schiavello departed from the show. The season officially launched on 10 October 2021.
Following episode seven, Rao exited the series after completing one season. Importantly, this fifth season marked the first time in the show’s history that no full-cast reunion was held.
In March 2025, Gillies appeared as a guest on the third season of The Real Housewives of Sydney.
Timeline of cast members
| Cast member | Seasons | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||||
| Jackie Gillies | colspan="5" Template:CMain | |||||||
| Chyka Keebaugh | colspan="3" Template:CMain | colspan="2" Template:CGuest | ||||||
| Gina Liano | colspan="4" Template:CMain | |||||||
| Andrea Moss | colspan="1" Template:CMain | |||||||
| Janet Roach | colspan="5" Template:CMain | |||||||
| Lydia Schiavello | colspan="4" Template:CMain | |||||||
| Pettifleur Berenger | colspan="2" Template:CMain | |||||||
| Gamble Breaux | colspan="4" Template:CMain | |||||||
| Susie McLean | colspan="1" Template:CGuest | colspan="1" Template:CMain | ||||||
| Sally Bloomfield | colspan="1" Template:CMain | |||||||
| Venus Behbahani-Clark | colspan="1" Template:CMain | |||||||
| Cherry Dipietrantonio | colspan="1" Template:CMain | |||||||
| Simone Elliott | colspan="1" Template:CMain | |||||||
| Kyla Kirkpatrick | colspan="1" Template:CMain | |||||||
| Anjali Rao | colspan="1" Template:CMain | |||||||
| Friends of the housewives | ||||||||
| Lisa Tonkin | colspan="1" Template:CGuest | colspan="1" Template:CRecurring | colspan="1" Template:CGuest | — | ||||
| Manuela Pless-Bennett | — | colspan="1" Template:CRecurring | — | |||||
International distribution
The series made its U.S. debut on 3 August 2014 via Bravo, the original broadcaster behind the The Real Housewives franchise. The second season launched on 5 March 2015, transitioning from Sunday daytime airings to prime-time slots—making it the first international installment of Real Housewives to achieve this scheduling shift. Season three was broadcast on Bravo during Friday prime time beginning 22 July 2016.
In the United Kingdom, the show premiered on ITVBe on 6 November 2014. Sweden’s TV3 started airing the initial season in January 2016. The Canadian channel Slice began screening the series in August 2016, while New Zealand’s Bravo introduced it on 25 October 2016.
On January 19, 2022, Discovery+ released the first four seasons in the United States, marking the official debut of season four in that territory, as it had not previously been available on Bravo.
Reception
The U.S. premiere episode garnered an audience of 414,000 viewers, representing a 39% increase in its timeslot compared to the prior month. The season two premiere, which aired during prime time for the first occasion, surpassed the initial season’s debut with a viewership of 534,000.
Awards and nominations
| Year | Category | Award | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 4th AACTA Awards | Best Editing In Television (Paula Zorgdrager, season 1, episode 1) | Template:Nom |
| ASTRA Awards | Most Outstanding Reality Program (season 1) | Template:Nom | |
| 5th AACTA Awards | Best Reality Television Series (season 2) | Template:Nom | |
| 2016 | Screen Producers Australia Awards | Reality Series Production (season 3) | Template:Nom |
| 2018 | 8th AACTA Awards | Best Reality Television Series (season 4) | Template:Nom |
| 2021 | 11th AACTA Awards | Best Reality Television Series (season 5) | Template:Nom |
Judge Gina
In September 2014, producer Matchbox Pictures explored expanding Real Housewives production to a second city such as Sydney or the Gold Coast. There was also consideration of launching a Judge Judy-inspired program starring Real Housewives cast member Gina Liano, with a pilot filmed in December of that year. By September 2015, Matchbox Productions was reportedly evaluating potential participants for a franchise based in Sydney or the Gold Coast. In February 2016, casting calls were extended to candidates in Brisbane.
Although a plan for a 40-episode series titled "Judge Gina," each episode lasting approximately 30 minutes, was announced in June 2017, it never proceeded to production. Subsequently, the concept was reimagined as a podcast launched through ARN Media's iHeartPodcast Network Australia in July 2023.
The Real Housewives of Brisbane
Casting for a Brisbane-centered The Real Housewives installment was revealed in June 2023; nevertheless, this project was later set aside as Matchbox Pictures opted to revive The Real Housewives of Sydney for a sophomore season.
Development of Australian Spin-Off
In May 2025, Matchbox Pictures revealed plans to create an Australian version of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip. This new series will showcase participants from both The Real Housewives of Melbourne and The Real Housewives of Sydney, thereby broadening the franchise's footprint within the Australian market.