Real Housewives of Sydney stars Krissy Marsh and Nicole O’Neil on overcoming season one stigma

Returning to Real Housewives after a six-year hiatus, Krissy Marsh and Nicole O’Neil found they had to battle stigma from their own castmates.

It’s been more than six years since the first, infamous season of The Real Housewives of Sydney aired, burning out after just 12 episodes in a blaze of conflict and scandal.

For a while, it seemed like Sydney would be a “one and done” for the franchise. Audiences were too turned off by the toxic feuds that played out, on and off camera.

But now, the show returns to screens from Tuesday, given a reboot with a (mostly) new cast.

And the only two returning cast members, Krissy Marsh and Nicole O’Neil confessed to news.com.au recently that the season one stigma is real.

“They didn’t want our advice,” said Marsh of the five first-time Housewives joining them this season.

Returning Real Housewives Krissy Marsh … Picture: Max Mason-Hubers

… and Nicole O’Neil. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers

“They said ‘We don’t want to be like season one, we don’t want anything to do with the girls from season one, we don’t want it to be anything like that,’” she continued.

“It was almost like, ‘You two are tainted, we don’t want to be like season one’ … so let’s see who gets into season three,” she said with a wink. “We’ll see!”

Both acknowledged it had been a long journey to get to this point, with rumours of a second season spreading, then dissipating, many times in recent years.

“There was a few false starts along the way, but we’re very excited to be back for season two,” said O’Neil.

The new-look Real Housewives of Sydney. Picture: Hanna Lassen/BINGE

Marsh was less excited – at least initially.

“I said to Nicole, ‘I’m not doing it.’ My kids are older, I’ve got [husband] Johnny back from overseas now … my life was so full, I didn’t think I had any time to film,” said Marsh.

“It consumes a lot of our time. And you really have to drop off the grid – people think you’ve gone off to some rainforest retreat when really you’re having some back alley catfight.”

“Then I convinced her she needed to do it. We had so much fun filming season one – regardless of what came about at the end,” said O’Neil, no doubt referring to the first season’s jaw-dropping finale that saw several Housewives get into a physical altercation during a Pomeranian’s same-sex wedding (yes, you read that right).

L-R: Krissy Marsh, Sally Obermeder, Victoria Montano, Terry Biviano, Dr Kate Adams, Nicole O'Neil and Caroline Gaultier.

“I had to remind Krissy of how much fun we had during filming, and I think that’s what convinced her in the end. Life’s too short! Being one of seven women chosen to be a Real Housewife of Sydney? What an incredible opportunity! What an adventure!”

And Marsh vowed this season would be different, delving deeper into the women’s family lives and their actual, genuine friendships, rather than just conflict for the cameras.

Asked if they were prepared for The Real Housewives of Sydney to stick around a bit longer, second time around, O’Neil said they’d be taking the show “one season at a time.”

“All we know is we’re proud of our behaviour,” she said.

The Real Housewives of Sydney premieres Tuesday 10 October on Binge and Foxtel. We’ll recap all the wildest moments from episode one here on news.com.au on Tuesday.

Originally published as Real Housewives of Sydney stars Krissy Marsh and Nicole O’Neil on overcoming season one stigma