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 The Real Housewives of Orange Country - pictured (l-r): Lynne Curtin, Alexis Bellino, Vicki Gunvalson, Gretchen Rossi and Tamra Barney. (Courtesy of Bravo) |
In recent years, we've seen folks becoming famous for doing pretty much nothing at all.
It's a craze that's seen the likes of Paris Hilton shoot to international super-stardom, Jon & Kate become the most talked about couple in the reality-TV circuit, and the pampered big-spenders on the Bravo series Real Housewives of Orange County getting so much ink that the show has been turned into a franchise, with real-life housewives ensembles since popping up in Atlanta, New Jersey and New York.
Of course, when a person voluntarily splashes their life on TV for everyone to see, it's a paparazzi's dream come true, particularly when rusty patches begin surfacing beneath the glossy, boob-tube gleam.
When Jon & Kate announced their separation, the tabloids went wilder than a gaggle of squealing teenage girls at a Jonas Brothers concert. After all, the universal appeal of celebrity breakups (even when it involves manufactured pseudo celebrities) is the kind of juicy stuff that sees gossipy rags flying off the shelves at the grocery store checkout counter.
So, this brings us to Tamra Barney, one of the shiny, silicone stars of the Real Housewives of Orange County.
Tamra is petite, blonde, big-bosomed, bubbly and bronzed — pretty much what you'd expect from a sunny OC resident who enjoys being followed around by a camera crew.
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The 42-year-old mother of four, who could single-handedly prove that 40-something is the new 30ish, has been at the centre of her fair share of flared-up drama, including frequent scraps with fellow housewife Gretchen Rossi, which seems to be ballooning bigger than a pair of double Ds during Season 5, airing in Canada on Jan. 9 on Slice.
Despite once having described herself as "the hottest housewife in Orange County" — a sentiment she insists was a joke — Tamra seems like one of the more down-to-earth stars of the housewife six pack.
"This year I think it's going to be a little bit different because a few of us have been really hit hard by the economy, me especially," Tamra admits from her home, which she shares with her husband Simon and their children.
"You will see the struggles that we have and the decisions we have to make, the stress between Simon and I, and the fighting that's going to go on between him and I due to all this extra tension and stress, so I think a lot of people are relating to that."
Casting a rather dark cloud over their sun-kissed locale is the decision to sell their home and downsize.
"In the past year, obviously things have drastically changed for a lot of people," Tamra says.
"What happened with us, we were both in sales-driven positions and we have the same bills, but we do not have the same income. A lot of those services that we had, those are the things you discontinue to save money."
The difference here, however, is that the squabbles a couple might typically have in private are no longer a private matter.
Soon, heads were butting: Tamra wanted to expose their money woes, Simon didn't.
"I always feel it's better to be honest with the show and the viewers because then they relate to you," Tamra explains. "The viewers know when you're lying, they know when you're making up a story."
Problems also arose during discussions about the fifth season. She wanted in, Simon didn't.
"We had a very, very, very tough summer," she admits.
"All season long, he has an attitude like he does not want to be there. He's kind of coming off a little bit rough this year. Normally he took a back seat and he was pretty quiet."
While filming is over, the airing of dirty laundry isn't.
And pow! Another round in the marital ring.
"It's extremely difficult and, obviously, at this point we're having to relive it," she admits.
"There was a lot of tension, a lot of fighting. We actually talked about divorce, and it's something actually we're still struggling through, and having to relive it doesn't help us out at all."
On a night when a romantic dinner was planned to celebrate Tamra's birthday, the couple got into a wicked brawl. In the entertainment biz, the show must go on, a particularly crucial fact within the unscripted nature of reality TV where it's the exposure of unexpected warts that makes for the best viewing.
"I haven't seen the footage yet, but I hear it's pretty shocking — and the camera does not lie," she observes.
"It's very hard to act like you're happy or act a certain way when it shows on your face."
But, even as the personal storm lingers, you can bet that the beauty — be it real or artificial — won't fade.
At least not in OC.
The housewives, who've been criticized for being extremely shallow, understand that even when real life gets ugly, looks matter.
"In Orange County, you know, everybody's hot," explains Tamra.
"I don't consider myself the hottest housewife by any means, but I guess it's pretty important. Maybe it's silly, probably it's really silly to a lot of people, but you're walking around town and you've got all of these beautiful women, it's intimidating sometimes, and it inspires you to want to look better."
If you watch
Real Housewives of Orange County, Season 5 begins Saturday at 9 pm ET/ 10pm PT on SLICE
Meet the other OC housewives:
Jeana Keough: An original cast member and former Playboy Playmate. She also appeared in the ZZ Top video, Legs. The 52-year-old is going through a divorce with former Major League baseball player Matt Keough and is struggling with significant changes to her lavish lifestyle.
Vicki Gunvalson: Another day oner, Vicki, 47, owns a successful life insurance business, has two children from a previous marriage, and is married to her second husband, Donn Gunvalson.
Gretchen Rossi: After losing her fiance Jeff to cancer, the 31-year-old is trying to pick up the pieces this season.
Lynne Curtin: The 51-year-old married mother of two teenage daughters launches her own jewelry line while husband Frank faces a major dip in the construction business due to the economy.
Alexis Bellino: She's the newest housewife. The 32-year-old is a stay-at-home mom to three kids and is married to wealthy entrepreneur Jim Bellino.
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