Luan de Lesseps is finally taking the center apple on The Real Housewives of New York season 13. The Countess has been an integral part of RHONY since the franchise's inception, and she is finally taking the coveted centerstage position during the show's intro. As a veteran New York housewife that has provided several of the series' best moments, Luann has earned the main post she resides in for The Real Housewives of New York's 13th season.
The placement of the housewives following their intro taglines is one of the least subtle ways to indicate who is the principal protagonist of a Housewives season. Although the Bravo franchises never have a "main" housewife, the reality star that stands in the center spot inevitably becomes the face of the franchise for that season. This theory is evident in cases across the wide spectrum of Housewives franchises. All of the most memorable stars to come out of the Bravo series are featured in the middle of the group of housewives at the end of the intro. Whether The Real Housewives of Atlanta's Nene Leakes holding the center spot in every season that she starred in since season 5, or fan-favorite housewife Bethenny Frankel claiming the focal point of the intro following her season 7 return to RHONY, the housewife who stands center tends to be the most memorable housewife of the cast.
Luann de Lesseps has been a featured housewife on every season of The Real Housewives of New York except for 6, where she still managed to get involved in the drama and even showed up at the reunion. For RHONY's first season, did Luann receive the sought-after central spot of the show's intro. Since the first season, de Lesseps has been pushed to the background as fellow housewives Bethenny Frankel, Sonja Morgan, and even Jill Zarin took on the mantel of the paramount housewife. While all of these beloved Bravolebrities are deserving of the intro's most acclaimed position, Luann de Lesseps' contributions to The Real Housewives of New York have kept the show entertaining for over a decade. Whether she is acting like a star overcoming her demons or a self-centered villain, Luann has been an essential asset to RHONY.
Luann de Lesseps has delivered a range of unforgettable moments throughout her 13 seasons of appearing in New York. The Countess has been involved in the franchise's most sensation scandals, including her ill-fated marriage to the shady Tom D'Agostino, as well as her drunken attempt to flee cops in Palm Beach. Even though these show-stopping events made for great intro taglines like "The Most Interesting People Make The Best Headlines," Luann was only promoted to adjacent to Frankel's center spot. While Lesseps has had to play second-fiddle to housewives like Frankel, she never shied away from confronting the most prominent reality stars. Whether Luann is arguing with Bethenny about her cabaret show or commenting on Alex McCord's fashion taste with the unforgettable dig, "Darling, even Louis Vuitton makes mistakes," Lesseps has taken part in many of RHONY's most memorable conflicts.
Alas, apart from these contentious interactions, Luann has delivered a slew of terrific quotes that RHONY fans recall to this day, including "Be cool. Don't be all, like, uncool." Luann's return to the center apple after 12 seasons is long overdue. Whether the Countess is going toe-to-toe with fellow housewives or delivering some of Bravo's most quotable remarks, Luann de Lesseps is an unstoppable Housewives force. Luann's consistent performance on The Real Housewives of New York since the first season is what keeps the franchise reality TV gold.