The Real Housewives of Melbourne season 5
| Company type | Television season |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television |
| Founded | October 10, 2021 |
| Headquarters | Melbourne , Australia |
| Products | Reality television series |
| Parent | Matchbox Pictures / NBCUniversal International Studios / Foxtel |
The fifth and concluding season of the Australian reality television series The Real Housewives of Melbourne was broadcast on FOX Arena from 10 October through 12 December 2021. Set mainly in Melbourne, Victoria, this installment showcased Jackie Gillies, Janet Roach, Gamble Breaux, Anjali Rao, Cherry Dipietrantonio, Kyla Kirkpatrick, and Simone Elliott over a span of ten episodes. The executive production team featured Pip Rubira and Dan Munday, with Lisa Potasz serving as consulting Executive Producer for Matchbox Pictures, a division of NBCUniversal International Studios, collaborating with Foxtel.
Production and crew
In September 2019, Foxtel announced the renewal of The Real Housewives of Melbourne for its fifth season, initially targeting a 2020 premiere. Brian Walsh, Foxtel’s Executive Director, indicated that casting would undergo significant changes.
Originally planned to commence filming in July 2020, production was deferred until January 2021 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Foxtel and Matchbox Pictures emphasized the importance of health protocols throughout filming, which wrapped up by July 2021.
This season marked a first for the franchise by omitting an all-cast reunion episode.
Cast and synopsis
On 19 February 2020, Foxtel revealed the lineup for season five, confirming the return of Gamble Breaux, Gina Liano, Janet Roach, and Lydia Schiavello alongside new cast members Anjali Rao, Kyla Kirkpatrick, and Cherry Dipietrantonio. Departures included Sally Bloomfield, Jackie Gillies, and Venus Behbahani-Clark.
By April 2021, Foxtel reiterated the cast list featuring Roach and Breaux’s continuance along with Rao, Kirkpatrick, and Dipietrantonio. Jackie Gillies rejoined the ensemble accompanied by newcomer Simone Elliott. Subsequently, both Liano and Schiavello announced their exits.
Liano departed in September 2021 to concentrate on her legal career as a barrister, citing the impracticality of taking a six-month hiatus from practice. She disclosed that she had contemplated leaving after the first season but was encouraged to continue by Lisa Vanderpump from Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
Following episode seven, Rao exited the show after completing one season.
Taglines
- Janet: "I don't like trouble unless I've caused it."
- Jackie: "Watch out world because I'm shining brighter than ever."
- Cherry: "Life is a journey, not a competition."
- Kyla: "Diamonds aren't a girl's best friend, champagne is."
- Gamble: "I'm no fool, but I don't mind acting like one."
- Anjali: "Fake news I can handle, fake people? Not in this life."
- Simone: "Keep your standards high and your stilettos higher."
Episodes
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Title | Original air date | Overnight Australian viewers |
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Broadcast
The fifth season of The Real Housewives of Melbourne debuted on 10 October 2021, with new episodes airing every Sunday at 8:30pm AEST on FOX Arena. Viewers can also access episodes on demand through Foxtel Now and Binge. This season represents the first time the Foxtel Original series has been broadcast on FOX Arena following the channel's rebranding from Arena on 1 July 2020.
In November 2021, Brian Walsh, Foxtel's Executive Director of Television, highlighted that The Real Housewives of Melbourne ranked as the most-watched program on Binge for three weeks in a row, surpassing popular series such as The Walking Dead and Succession.
Awards
Season five earned a nomination for Best Reality Series at the eleventh annual Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards in October 2021.