Real Housewives' Stunning Transformations

The entire Real Housewives franchise is what TV dreams are made of — at least, for any fan of reality television. Each city has a cast full of amazing women, and the drama is deliciously appealing each week. Whether you are a fan of the series based in Beverly Hills, New York City, Atlanta, or anywhere else, you can appreciate how addicting the shows are. What's more, it doesn't seem as though the shows are going anywhere anytime soon, given as how the series have been massive hits. 

One of the best parts of the Real Housewives franchise is that so many of the women on the show end up being hugely popular and successful because of it. Women like Lisa Vanderpump and Bethenny Frankel have huge empires now, and seeing how much they've changed over the course of the shows and throughout their lives definitely keeps viewers coming back each season. Here are the stunning transformations of the Real Housewives.

One of the most impressive transformations in Real Housewives history is of none other than the one of Shannon Beador. Beador joined The Real Housewives of Orange County in Season 9 and is the mother to three daughters, Sophie, Adeline, and Stella. While Beador has captivated fans with her love of non-toxic living and her blunt honesty on the show, she has also gone through some pretty intense personal trials which caused her to gain 40 pounds in a short amount of time. Beador wrote in an Instagram post in 2017, "So let's just get to it. Yes, I have gained weight. A lot of weight. About 40 pounds to be exact." It was a tough time for the mother of three, and it was followed by her divorce from her husband of 17 years.

However, Beador later showed off her weight loss on The Real Housewives of Orange County, and she has never looked better. The entrepreneur also has her own line of healthy frozen meals and is thriving post-divorce.

Teddi Jo Mellencamp has had a huge transformation, and hers mainly took place before she joined the cast of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Mellencamp, who is a health and wellness coach who helps others meet their fitness goals, wasn't always as fit and healthy as she is now. Taking to Instagram in honor of her 38th birthday on July 1, 2019, Mellencamp shared before and after photos showcasing her weight loss. "Today I turn 38-years-old," she wrote on Instagram. "Photo on the left: my birthday during one of the many years I was truly struggling with taking care of myself when it came to health and fitness. I remember having to step on the scale at the doctor — and the tears when the doc said, 'Teddi, you're 5'3" and over 200lbs.'" In the "after" photo, Mellencamp looks slimmer, but she explained she was so happy to just be healthy more than anything. 

"I am grateful that at this age of 38 I now know that healthy living isn't a diet — it's a lifestyle," she wrote.

The southern ladies of The Real Housewives of Dallas certainly turn things up when it comes to drama, and, while they might say "bless your heart," they don't always mean it. After The Real Housewives of Dallas premiered in 2016, the show's cast of ladies deep in the heart of Texas won over the hearts of viewers everywhere. One such lady to do so was LeeAnne Locken. Locken is definitely one of the most dramatic cast members of RHOD, but her transformation over the course of the show has been nothing short of spectacular.

First, Locken's looks changed, with the former self-titled "carney kid" changing her hair color to a lighter shade in Season 4. "I just felt like it was very harsh and it was prohibitive,"  Locken told People. "Like, I couldn't be tan with dark hair, it didn't make sense. And I want to look soft for my wedding. I want to look angelic." And angelic she sure is, as Locken's entire attitude and anger issues have totally changed over the course of the show as well.

Kyle Richards is no stranger to being on camera. Not only is Richards one of the original cast members of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, but she was also a child actress when she was younger. Richards started acting at a young age and notably starred in the 1978 horror flick Halloween. Since then, Richards has, for the most part, left acting behind but still regularly appears on the small screen on RHOBH. Obviously, Richards has changed a lot since she was a kid, but Richards has also changed up her look during her time on the show and fans have been seriously loving it.

In September 2019, Richards also made a pretty major hair change when she got bangs. She is known for her stunning black hair, but she isn't afraid to change things up every now and then. Honestly, Richards can do no wrong with her beauty and style, and her transformation is proof.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' Kim Richards — like her sister Kyle — was a child star, and she appeared in Escape To Witch Mountain as well as other films and television shows. Richards was also an original cast member of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, although she has since been on and off the show over the years.

Richards has struggled with alcoholism, and she has sought professional help to stay sober. Of course, the way Richards looks now that she is in recovery has obviously changed, but a big part of Richards' transformation has been internal. In an interview with E! News, Richards described how good she felt while recovering and volunteering at Skydog Ranch, a nonprofit that helps "at-risk mustang horses in America." She shared, "My recovery has been amazing and I love how I feel," adding, "[Volunteering at Skydog] has been a huge part of it and has helped me a lot." She explained that it "keeps [her] grounded" and "at peace," noting, "It's been amazing for me and me coming here has really been a major part of keeping me sober."

If there is one cast member from the Real Housewives franchise who has truly found success, it's Bethenny Frankel. Frankel appeared on Season 1 of The Real Housewives of New York City and quickly became a fan favorite. Frankel's many successes, both on-screen and off, have made her a self-made woman and given her her own empire. Frankel started the brand Skinnygirl and continued to raised a daughter along the way. In short, Frankel is a total boss babe, and her transformation over the years shows that. 

Frankel has gone from a young woman out on her own to a household name over the course of her career. But it's not just Frankel's professional and personal lives that have been transformed over the years. Frankel has also evolved a lot with her style, hair, and makeup. Frankel is chic, sophisticated, and just plain gorgeous. 

As one of the most well-known cast members of the Real Housewives franchise, Luann De Lesseps is also the most noble one. As anyone who has watched De Lesseps on The Real Housewives of New York City knows, De Lesseps often-times will refer to herself as "The Countess." De Lesseps became a countess after her first marriage to Count Alexandre De Lesseps. Even after the two divorced and she remarried, De Lesseps continued to call herself a "Countess," and honestly, who could blame her? 

On RHONY, De Lesseps has had quite a few ups and downs. Most notably, she was arrested in Palm Beach, Fla. in December of 2017, as reported by People, and faced a year-long probation following the arrest. Since then, De Lesseps has remained committed to changing for the better, and her transformation is truly remarkable. 

While she will seemingly always be known her signature short and flippy hairstyle, De Lesseps has tried out other looks and she always looks good.

Every real housewife has their funny moments or signature quote, but no one comes close to Kelly Dodd in terms of being their most authentic, outlandish self, even in front of a camera. Dodd joined The Real Housewives of Orange County in Season 11, and, while she spent much of the start of her first season at the tail end of a rough marriage, Dodd has transformed in the years since.

Dodd has certainly always been gorgeous, but when fellow cast member Vicki Gunvalson started a rumor that she did cocaine at the Season 13 reunion, Dodd went through a hard time. However, she has come out of the drama looking fresh and with a newfound appreciation of her true friends. Not only has Dodd changed her life, but, looking back at her over the years, she's clearly transformed her looks. Still, it's obvious Dodd's hair has always been one of her best features.

During Season 14 of The Real Housewives of Orange County, Tamra Judge's tagline was, "These days, faith, family, and fitness are the only f's I give." As fans of RHOC know, Judge has been very focused on those three things for a while. In fact, in 2013, Judge and her husband, Eddie, opened up their own gym, CUT Fitness. Given as how Judge first appeared on RHOC in Season 3, she's been through a lot on the show. And while she has basically always been in great shape, she has worked on getting more and more fit since opening her gym.

In fact, in 2016, Judge entered a bikini bodybuilding contest, and spent much of her time preparing for the competition — which she won! Her journey to achieve her competition-ready body is seriously inspiring. Judge truly proves that age is just a number, and mothers of any age can be in the best shape of their lives.

The ultimate firecracker of all members of the Real Housewives franchise has to be Brandi Redmond from The Real Housewives of Dallas. Not only is Redmond a mother of three who, in 2018, adopted her third child, a son named Bruin, but she is also a former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader. Redmond cheered for the NFL team for five years, and, when she left in 2005, she told The Daily Dish that it was almost like the end of a relationship. "You become really, really close with a group of girls," she said. "When I wasn't a cheerleader anymore it felt like a break-up."

Before long, Redmond went from a cheerleader in the NFL to a Real Housewife. Her transformation hasn't just been all physical, though Redmond's appearance has changed a lot over the years. As fans know, Redmond has also become a mother and wife, two titles she clearly holds dearly. 

Kim Zolciak-Bierman is definitely one of the most well-known cast members of the Real Housewives franchise. Zolciak-Bierman is an original cast member of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, which she joined back in 2008. However, that show isn't Zolciak-Bierman's only claim to fame. While on RHOA, Zolciak-Bierman recorded her hit single "Don't Be Tardy to the Party," which found so much success that it eventually led to her own reality show, Don't Be Tardy... 

Zolciak-Bierman is a success in her own right, and she's also known for her looks. The mother of six regularly posts photos of herself in a bikini, and she's opened up about her essentially non-existent diet, saying, "I drink a glass of wine a day," according to Bravo. Zolciak-Bierman's transformation over the years is certainly impressive, but the reality star has admitted to getting plastic surgery and botox along the way. Still, she says she feels great, and that's all that matters.

For any Bravo fans, Ramona Singer is somewhat of a celebrity. The star of The Real Housewives of New York City is certainly a force to be reckoned with on the show. Singer is an original cast member of RHONY, and she knows a thing or two about dealing with difficult situations and drama. Singer is a mother to daughter Avery, and has founded and launched multiple brands, including Ramona Pinot Grigio and the Ageless by Ramona skincare line. Basically, Singer is a powerful, independent woman who doesn't need a man. 

However, she wasn't always like that. Singer was married to her husband, Mario, for over 20 years before the two filed for divorce, according to the New York Daily News. Their relationship was a lot like a rollercoaster following their initial split, but it definitely left Singer a changed woman after the two finalized their divorce in 2016. Since then, Singer has been focused on herself, and, while many people have speculated that Singer has undergone plastic surgery to achieve her youthful looks, she's claimed it's the result of nothing but skincare and botox.

Nene Leakes is another huge name to come from the Real Housewives franchise, and for good reason. The star proudly refers to herself as the "original housewife" of Atlanta. Since 2008, Leakes has been serving up realness on The Real Housewives of Atlanta, and it doesn't seem as though she has any plans to stop. Leakes' appearances on RHOA has been so well-received, in fact, that she hosted a stand-up comedy tour in 2019, capitalizing on her fame.

However, Leakes has also dealt with some difficult personal issues since appearing on RHOA. In 2018, it was revealed that Leakes' husband, Gregg, was diagnosed with cancer. In April 2019, Gregg finished his chemotherapy treatments, which Leakes happily documented on Instagram. Truly, Leakes has undergone quite a transformation during her time on RHOA. Her hair has always looked fierce, but there's no denying she has only gotten better with age. While she's forever been gorgeous and spunky, she's even more so now.

Lisa Vanderpump has launched a huge empire since appearing on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills from the get-go, and even has her own reality show, Vanderpump Rules, on Bravo. Vanderpump is as close to royalty as Bravo fans can get, with her many successful bars and restaurants and her passionate philanthropic outreach programs. Vanderpump is a one-in-a-million kind of woman.

Truly, Vanderpump has been through a lot during her time on RHOBH, and, while the show's ninth season was Vanderpump's last, there's no doubt that she has left a huge mark on the word of reality television. Vanderpump's signature sense of humor and big heart have made her the national treasure she is. And while she has always rocked a similar, coiffed hairstyle, she's made the look into something all her own since becoming a reality television star. That said, Vanderpump's transformation over the years has been nothing short of spectacular.