Melissa Gorga on Wife Swap, RHONJ Season 15, Teresa Reconciliation

Melissa Gorga is happy to be back on reality television with Wife Swap: The Real Housewives Edition, but she’s also more than ready for The Real Housewives of New Jersey to make its grand return.

“I’m excited to have a little catch up with everyone,” she tells The Hollywood Reporter of her Wife Swap episode, which aired Tuesday night on Bravo.

Wife Swap takes the longtime New Jersey housewife out of her comfort zone, all the way to Georgia where she swapped lives with Michelle Clark, whom Bravo had described as a “disorganized vegan and Double Dutch enthusiast.” While she had uncertainties about signing onto the Wife Swap-inspired show, Gorga says the opportunity ended up being a “beautiful learning experience” that taught her the importance of “quality time” with family.

It’s no secret that the Gorga family has spent a large majority of their lives onscreen thanks to Real Housewives of New Jersey. Melissa joined that reality show in 2011, where she has remained through the most recent and infamous 14th season that left its cast broken and disheveled. 

With over a year since the last episode of the New Jersey-based Real Housewives series having aired, Bravo has yet to share any official news on the fate of the franchise’s Jersey series. Tabloids suggest a cast shakeup is imminent, with alleged test-filming for season 15 underway. Melissa insists she has “no idea” what’s going on with RHONJ, though she’s certainly prepared for its homecoming.  

“The last two years was a nice little break,” she says. “But I’m ready to go back [to RHONJ] … I’m ready to go back to work whenever they want me.”

To commemorate Wife Swap, Melissa chats with THR below about the “bucket list” experience, while also sharing which fellow Real Housewives star she would like to exchange lives with, if she thinks BravoCon will deliver any RHONJ news and the state of a possible reconciliation between her husband Joe Gorga and her sister-in-law and co-star Teresa Giudice.

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You said you initially turned down the offer to take part in Wife Swap because you had hesitations about security. Were there any other hesitations you had about doing Wife Swap?

I had a lot of questions about where I was going to sleep. That was my biggest concern because, listen, it’s easy for the guys. They get to stay home with their own children in their own bed. Yes, they have a stranger moving into the house, but I legit was going somewhere where I had no idea where I was going. I had concerns over the sleeping conditions and, will I have to be in bed with someone else? Will I sleep in my own room? All of those things were my top questions, as you can expect.

What was it that swayed your decision to say yes? Was it that added level of security that Bravo promised?

Yes. I also thought about it for a minute like, When do you ever get the chance to be on a show that’s so iconic, that has been around for decades that I used to watch as a young girl, and then I actually get to do the swap? This is not something that happens every day. It’s one of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences. I was like, “I can’t say no to this, I think I’ll regret it.” And I’m so happy I did it. It was so wild, like a bucket list thing. I did that. It’s crazy.

When the format was first presented, were you surprised the show wasn’t formatted as Housewives swapping with other Housewives?

Yes. I thought we were going to swap into other Housewives’ lives, and I was already picking where I wanted to go. Hmm whose house do I want to be in? Whose husband seems the most fun? Then when I realized we were not swapping with other Housewives stars but with real housewives, I actually thought that made it even more intriguing. Because you already know where we’re entering if we go to the other Housewives. But when going to the unknown? That’s crazy. 

I love that you were thinking about which Housewives you would want to swap with. Who was at the top of your list?

From the people we had? Angie [Katsanevas from Salt Lake City], because I have never been to Utah. I can’t believe I’ve never been to Utah. I was like, “I want to see what it feels like to be in the mountains and in the cold. I don’t know what that’s like.”

Have you caught up with Angie or any of the other fellow Wife Swap cast members to compare experiences?

No, but I can’t wait to see them at BravoCon so we can. On social media, we go back and forth a little bit, but I’ve never discussed this with them since we filmed. I’m excited to talk to them about it, but I know what they felt. It’s a wild experience, and it’s emotional. That’s what’s unexpected — you don’t think you’re going to cry doing this, and I cried a lot. 

Which of your swapped wife, Michelle’s, rules was the hardest for you to adapt to?

The hardest rule was that they do not separate all day, every day. [Michelle and her husband Sean Clark] work together, they eat together — they spend zero time apart. That was the hardest thing for me to understand, because you need a minute to let your brain think and just let your own thoughts come to you. I really thought they needed a little separation, whether it be an hour or two during the day, just to get their own thoughts together. It was shocking how much time they spent together, because I thought I spent a lot of time with Joe, and I’m like, Okay, wow. They have us beat here majorly.

Phaedra Parks also made a brief cameo in your episode. When you reached out to her to ask her to meet up to film this segment, what was her response?

She was like, “Girl, I am coming, and I hope you’re eating some great Southern food!” And I was like, “No, I’m eating vegan, girlfriend. I’m not eating any Southern food at all, actually.” I love when [Phaedra] comes in. She’s always like a breath of fresh air. And little Phoenix [Michelle’s daughter] said she looked like Elsa, which she kind of did that day. She had the lashes on and long blonde hair. My episode in general is a very funny episode, I laughed a lot watching it.

I love your moments with the children. Would you say that was your favorite part of the experience?

One-hundred percent. I could not believe how much I fell in love with all three of them, especially the baby, little Maverick. Oh my God, what a doll. Phoenix, her mother wasn’t into glam as much, and I left her with my light up mirror. She’s very into glam. I did her makeup for her a couple times throughout filming. I really connected with all three kids individually. One was more amazing than the next. They really were.

Have you stayed in touch with Michelle and her family at all?

Yes. They are originally from Brooklyn, New York, so they all have family here, and they’re going to come out. We’re going to see them. I want to see the kids. I miss them so much. They’re very excited because they just moved into a new house, and I’m so happy for them. They were so excited to tell me. I can’t wait to send them a great housewarming gift. They are just [a] wonderful hard working family.

What is your biggest takeaway from the whole Wife Swap experience?

It’s all about quality time. I saw how much time this family spends together. Joe and I are just so busy in our everyday lives, and so are our kids with sports and college. But it’s about how, even if you get that hour together, how do you turn that into a great conversation? It’s about deeper conversations [rather] than just a quick little, “How was your day?” I learned that a lot from being with Sean; how he took every moment and turned it into this beautiful learning experience. I even now sometimes think to myself, How would Sean handle this? What would Sean say here? I did take a lot from him as a father with the amount of time and passion he puts into his conversations with his kids.

It’s been a little bit over a year since the last season of New Jersey came out, so this is like your mini homecoming to Bravo. Are you excited for this return?

Yes. And I think the fans are excited. I think the fans miss Jersey so much. They need a minute of Jersey, right? I can’t get over how excited everyone is, and I’m excited to have a little catch up with everyone, and show them [my life]. The kids grow so much each year, sometimes even when we film and then it airs six months later, they look so different. Imagine, it’s been a couple years. I feel like my kids are going to look so grown to everyone. I’m excited to be back and have a minute with everyone, because we missed it. 

Is there anyone you are particularly excited to cross paths with at BravoCon in November?

Oh my gosh, so many. I love so many of them. I’ve been on this show for so long that I’ve made so many relationships with so many of the girls. I’m excited to see everyone. There’s someone from every franchise that I get excited about. And then I’m sure we’ll have lots of dinners and meetups from everywhere: Salt Lake, Miami, Potomac, all of them.

Do you have a favorite modern Real Housewives franchise?

I’m watching Salt Lake right now, and I’m enjoying it. I do love how they can have such high drama, but also bring it back and be together as a cast, and be able to be on a stage together. I think that’s great. I do love Salt Lake.

Do you hope Bravo will give fans this long-awaited, concrete answer on what is going to happen with Real Housewives of New Jersey soon?

I feel like everyone’s gonna be so let down if BravoCon ends and there is no announcement about Jersey, right? Every single person I’ve talked to is like, “Is it happening at BravoCon?” Trust me, I wish I knew. I have no idea. But everyone is going to be waiting for some type of Jersey announcement. That’s what I feel like everybody wants at BravoCon.

Who from The Real Housewives of New Jersey would you say you keep in touch with the most?

I talk to all of the ladies, believe it or not. I talk to Dolores [Catania] a lot. I talk to Margaret [Josephs] a lot. Rachel [Fuda], Danielle [Cabral], I speak to all of them. I talk to Jen Fessler also, so all of them. Well, not all of them.

Which of them should partake in a potential second season of Wife Swap: Real Housewives Edition?

From my cast, I think Danielle would be great because her kids are so animated, and they would love to participate. Out of our cast, she would be great to go next.

In the press recently, Teresa Giudice has revealed she wants to reconcile with your husband, and Joe has revealed she has reached out via text. Has there been any movement in those relationships?

Listen, I’m always team family. We will see what happens. Obviously, there’s some conversations that probably need to be had, right? And it seems like everyone is on a path to possibly seeing some healing happening, which is a great thing. I feel like it’s time to set an example for all of our children that this is no way to live. So we’ll see what happens.

Has anyone reached out specifically to you about a potential reconciliation?

We’re all trying to do our best to figure this out right now. That’s as much as I’m going to say right now, just because it is a private matter. There are some conversations happening, but it is off camera. And some things that are so intense, I do feel like that, for once in our life, we’re getting a little bit of privacy. That’s an important piece of this; not letting this play out in front of everyone and really having a private and sincere moment. I feel like if we talk about it too much outside of the family then it will become a little less sincere. So we are all really putting our heads together for the love of family.

You’ve lived so much of your life on camera. Has it been nice for your family to get a break?

The last two years was a nice little break. I was able to really flourish with my businesses. Let’s Sprinkle has done so amazing, and it’s now our season. We’re going into the holidays; it’s sprinkle [cookie] season. I’ve kept really, really busy. We did the Weakest Link, Celebrity Family Feud with Sydney Sweeney as our opponent, so there’s been a lot of fun motion. I opened up another store during this time in New York. I’ve been really, really busy. I will say I appreciated the two years to be able to focus a little bit more on my projects and my businesses, but I’m ready to go back. I’m ready. I had a breather. I’m ready to go back to work whenever they want me.

Are there any other reality competition shows you would want to take part in the future?

I don’t know. I just turned down a couple. I actually turned down Special Forces. I was like, Oh my gosh, that is not for me. There was another one, too. I’m very picky when it comes to that. I’m still in shock I did Wife Swap, so baby steps.

[Writer’s Note: Melissa’s sister-in-law and niece, Teresa and Gia Giudice, were cast on Special Forces season four.]

What about The Traitors? That’s the one everybody is obsessed with right now.

It is, and that’s the big one. To be honest, I think about that too, and my kids are still at an age where I don’t know if I can go radio dead silent for three weeks in another country without knowing what’s going on in my household, and also with my businesses. That’s a really hard step for someone at the point of life that I’m in right now. I couldn’t even imagine not being able to pick up my phone for three weeks. I have anxiety just thinking about that. I would have to mentally get there before I’m ready for that one.

Maybe in a few years, a few seasons.

I think I just need another minute to think about that. But that one I love. It’s one of my favorite shows. I would love to do it if I can go home every night.

You mentioned your sprinkle cookie business. What else is coming from Melissa Gorga? 

I’m just going to keep trying to build and level up. I work on myself, personally, professionally, as a wife, as a mother, as a human. I always feel like there’s room to do better. I’m at that point in life where you can evaluate where you’ve been, and also see where you’re going. I’m always looking for ways to become a better person and learn from my mistakes. The sprinkle [cookie] company is really where I’m going next. It’s taking all of my time. We have ornaments coming out now for Christmas. We just released coffee, a Cup of Joe. There’s a lot of new stuff coming with Let’s Sprinkle. That’s keeping me very busy.

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New episodes of Wife Swap: The Real Housewives Edition release Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on Bravo, and stream Tuesdays on Peacock.