Gone are the days when Bravo was inundated with all things American Housewives, because now the network just started airing an entirely new international version of the show in America, meaning... We're going to Cheshire! The newest installment of the franchise has packed it's bags and headed north from Ladies of London, and landed in the land of a lot of "footballers" (soccer, for the Americans) and plenty of drama. The Real Housewives of Cheshire cast is full of vibrant and strong women, and often that means that personalities are going to clash and things are going to get ugly. YAY!
In the premiere episode, the women wasted no time getting into things at Dawn's gala. It was a classic Real Housewives scenario — someone asked about a free ticket, the other women couldn't believe she had the gall to ask — that I know is going to resonate throughout the season. And knowing that, I say: Bring. It. On.
Love them or hate them, it's going to be a season full of a lot of drama, a lot of sequins and color, and I'm already so addicted to it, when does Episode 2 air? Here's the roundup of the women that make up the cast of Real Housewives of Cheshire. Learn them. Memorize them. There will be a quiz by finale night.
Ampika Pickston
Ampika kicks off the cast with the first name you're going to have to work a little harder to memorize, but I promise it will be worth it. Ampika is recently divorced and is not letting it slow her down. She owns a salon, Opium, — which is full of crushed velvet, just like every other space on the show — and has a son named Jake.
Dawn Ward
Dawn is the decorator to the rich and famous in Cheshire, according to her and her friends (so I'll take her word for it!). She, like many of her costars, is married to a soccer player and businessman for many years, and has four daughters and a hell of a lot of horses (aka, a lot of mouths to feed). Dawn's charity ball is what instigated issues between Dawn and Magali and Magali and Leanne (more to come on that).
Tanya Bardsley
Tanya is the new girl in town, and according to her Bravo bio, a current life coach. She, too, is married to a soccer player and has said herself she is a kid at heart. She is good friends with Leanne, so don't worry about her getting thrown into the mix with no one to stand beside her.
Leanne Brown
Leanne is another Housewife on the show that is married to a soccer star, but she's much more than that. Leanne and her husband Wes have three daughters, who are actually the inspiration of Leanne's upcoming business venture, a children's fashion line. Leanne inserted herself into the Magali/Dawn drama, which tells me two things. One, Leanne is a loyal friend to Dawn, and two, I'm going to be getting frustrated with her throughout the season if she keeps doing that.
Lauren Simon
If you, too, believe that diamonds are a girl's best friend, then Lauren is your new favorite Housewife. Lauren is a self-proclaimed "domestic goddess" and she definitely loves the finer things in life, making her the perfect person I can vicariously live through this season.
Magali Gorré
Poor Magali. She just wanted to go to the ball without drama, but of course that didn't happen. This may be Cheshire, but it is Real Housewives, after all. Magali is originally from Holland, but she currently lives in Cheshire with her husband (and ex-soccer player) and three sons. Even though her husband was once on the field, she was the one writing about soccer for multiple media outlets, and now, she's currently writing her third book.
Images: Rachel Joseph/ITV Creative/Bravo (7)
