Andy Cohen can’t hide his excitement about Real Housewives of Atlanta alum Phaedra Parks returning to the show. Following Kenya Moore’s dismissal for inappropriate behavior, Andy couldn’t be happier to have Phaedra back.

After all the fighting and backbiting in recent years, Andy thinks RHOA Season 16 is going to be a refreshing change. He’s also hoping Phaedra’s return will bring new life to the show and boost ratings.

Phaedra originally joined the show in Season 3 but was fired following Season 9. The mom of two was caught spreading a nasty rumor about her then-costar Kandi Burruss and her husband Todd Tucker. But when the rumor was revealed to be an outright lie, Phaedra slunk away in the night with her tail between her legs.

Andy looks forward to an “incredible season”

Kenya wasn’t the only Atlanta Housewife to leave the show after Season 15. Peach-holders Marlo Hampton, Sanya Richards-Ross, and Shereé Whitfield also left. Additionally, after fourteen seasons, Kandi decided to leave to pursue her multiple other creative projects.

Phaedra’s not the only one making a big comeback to RHOA. Her buddy Porsha Williams is also returning, reuniting the duo’s on-screen friendship known as “Frick and Frack.”

What’s Phaedra been up to?

Since leaving RHOA, Phaedra’s kept herself busy. Despite the demands of her law firm and her multiple other businesses, she appeared in Real Housewives: Ultimate Girls Trip Season 2 and Married to Medicine Season 10. But it was her masterful gameplay on The Traitors Season 2 that put her back in the spotlight and almost won her the $200,000 grand prize.

Additionally, the University of Georgia Law School alum recently returned to deliver the 2024 commencement speech. She’s also the president of the Law School Alumni Council.

As far as dating goes, she’s not looking to get married again, especially following her messy divorce from ex-husband Apollo Nida. These days all of her attention is focused on her two sons with Apollo: 13-year-old Ayden and 10-year-old Dylan.

“I have two wonderful children,” she shared. “I don’t want to have any more children, I don’t want to have to give anybody any money in a divorce settlement, [and] I want to keep all my money for my kids.”

Real Housewives of Atlanta is now streaming on Peacock.