Over the last 15 years, The Real Housewives have earned a reputation of being among the most dramatic reality shows on television. From throwing drinks to throwing shade, it's like a real-life soap opera, and the Real Housewives have made a lasting impression on pop culture.
But the true fans of The Real Housewives know that the magic of the series comes from the comedy. Humor balances the show, and it keeps fans coming back week after week. Every franchise has at least one extra-funny cast member that lightens the show and keeps audiences giggling more than the rest.
Atlanta - Nene Leakes
Nene Leakes might be one of the funniest women to ever grace reality television. She had a historic run on The Real Housewives of Atlanta for ten seasons. And during that time, everything that came out of her mouth instantly became a meme, a gif, and a catchphrase. Her reaction faces, her shade, her quick-wittedness are all unmatched.
Nene Leakes is so funny that she even leveraged her reality TV success into a standup comedy career. In 2016, she toured the United States with her one-woman show, "So Nasty, So Rude." She later hosted the "Ladies Night Out Comedy Tour," which featured A-list standup comedians like Loni Love and Adele Givens.
Orange County - Vicki Gunvalson
She's the "OG of the OC," and she's also the funniest. Vicki knows how to create great television moments, and that's not always about yelling and fighting. Although she was on The Real Housewives of Orange County for fourteen seasons, fans never knew what to expect from Vicki's mouth. And one of the funniest things about her is the way she delivered her lines. She could go from deadpan to deafening within the same sentence, and it made for some seriously hilarious TV.
Some of Vicki's best moments in the show were when she was her natural funny self. For example, there was when she surprised her daughter Briana with a Mercedes Benz, pulling up to the house with a big red bow on the car only to tell Briana that she's responsible for the monthly payments.
New Jersey - Teresa Giudice
Out of all of the Housewives franchises, New Jersey has had some of the most explosive drama. Family members have come to blows and cast members have gone to jail. The Real Housewives of New Jersey is gritty, and Teresa Giudice is at the center of it all. But despite all of the drama, she still manages to find a funny bone.
Sometimes, Teresa is trying to make the audience laugh. She's quick on her feet and always has the perfect comeback or the perfect dig at one of her fellow castmates. Other times, Teresa's funniness is unintentional. She frequently mispronounces words, like "ingredients," or she will hilariously misuse a phrase like when she shouts "I'm going to blow my casket."
Beverly Hills - Lisa Rinna
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills is campy, and Lisa Rinna plays right into it. She's larger than life, and she self-admittedly knows how to "own it," which makes for some hilarious moments. Fans love when she randomly does a high kick or when she starts busting her famous dance moves. Rinna doesn't take herself too seriously, and the audience always feels like they can laugh along with her. Who else could effortlessly pull off an endorsement of adult diapers?
Lisa Rinna is so funny that a contestant did a parody of her on RuPaul's Drag Race during the twelfth season. The contestant, named Jackie Cox, had RuPaul cracking up while recreating Rinna's iconic moments and catchphrases, highlighting just how much of a humorous character Rinna really is. When it aired, Rinna embraced the impression, showing that she genuinely has a good sense of humor.
New York City - Sonja Morgan
She's the "straw that stirs the drink," and she's the one that keeps fans laughing the most. Sonja Morgan is a funny lady, and she knows it. Think about in Season 12 when she was arguing with Luann about her guest spot in the cabaret show. Although Sonja was sobbing, she kept saying, "I'm a funny girl." And it's true. Over the years, Sonja has had some outrageous moments, but she always leaves the viewers at home laughing.
When Sonja sits in her confessional interviews, she makes excellent one-liners that help string the episode together. When things get tense within the group, Sonja's side commentary lightens the mood. From her "caburlesque" show to the time her tooth popped out from biting a guy's shirt off, Sonja is consistently amusing to watch.
Potomac - Gizelle Bryant
Gizelle Bryant is the resident comedian in Potomac. Every season, she guides the audience through the drama through her quippy confessional interviews. No matter what's going on in the group, fans can count on Gizelle to crack a joke about it.
But Gizelle doesn't only shine in her confessionals; she's had some hilarious moments in scenes with the cast. Remember the hashtag shirt she wore to Karen Huger's press conference? That's classic, Gizelle-style comedy.
Dallas - Kameron Westcott
Dallas is jam-packed with funny ladies, but Kameron Westcott is, by far, the funniest. Everything about her is comedy gold, from the way she talks to her over-the-top obsession with the color pink.
In her confessional interviews, Kameron is constantly cracking jokes about her co-stars. Her lines are always unpredictable, but they land every time. In Season 5, her funniest moment so far was during Tiffany Moon's Moroccan-themed birthday party. When snake charmers brought out a bunch of snakes for the women to hold, most of the Housewives shrieked in horror. But Kameron sat with one of the snakes, gently caressing it and saying, "You're a beautiful, supermodel snake." Fans never know what they're going to get from Kameron, and it's what makes her so humorous to watch.
Salt Lake City - Mary M. Cosby
There were plenty of dramatic moments in the first season of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, but throughout the inaugural season, it was Mary M. Cosby that kept fans giggling the most. Mary has an alluring kookiness about her, and because she's the first lady of her church, it was interestingly funny to see how she reacted to the drama of reality television. But in every episode, Mary revealed more and more about her life and personality, and with every layer revealed, there was something humorous.
In the first episode, fans learned about Mary's disdain for "hospital smell." Then it was her distaste for convenience stores. When the show revealed that Mary was a "high-end hoarder," things got even funnier. Mary brings a comedic element to the franchise in her own unique way.