Foxtel announces three new ladies joining Real Housewives of Melbourne for season five

The Real Housewives of Melbourne’s season five cast has been announced — and three new faces replace a few of the show’s stars.

UPDATE: This story has developed since original publication in February 2020. For the latest news head to news.com.au.

Raise a toast for the new housewives!

Foxtel has today announced businesswoman Kyla Kirkpatrick, yoga instructor Cherry Dipietrantonio and award-winning journalist Anjali Rao will be joining the Real Housewives Of Melbourne cast for season five.

The announcement comes after the departure of original Housewife Jackie Gillies and two newbies from season four: Sally Bloomfield and Venus Behbahani. Popular Housewives Lydia Schiavello, Janet Roach, Gina Liano and Gamble Breaux are set to return.

Real Housewives of Melbourne, which is the most watched reality show in Foxtel’s history after first launching on Arena in 2014, will begin filming next month and is set to air on Foxtel later this year with 10 hour-long episodes.

The Real Housewives of Melbourne, season five: Cherry Dipietrantonio, Janet Roach, Gina Liano, Lydia Schiavello, Gamble Breaux, Anjali Rao, Kyla Kirkpatrick. Picture: David Caird

MEET THE NEW HOUSEWIVES

Speculation that Melbourne socialite Kirkpatrick was a new addition to the cast has been circulating for weeks.

Kirkpatrick is also known as the ‘Champagne Dame’. As a previous ambassador for Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy empire, she currently runs a multifaceted business which involves events, masterclasses and tours celebrating – you guessed it – champers.

Kyla Kirkpatrick is known as the ‘Champagne Dame’. Picture: Supplied

In 2017 she launched Emperor Champagne, an online e-commerce store for devotees of luxury champagne.

Kirkpatrick and her partner, Kyri, have a six-year-old daughter together, and venture to Paris every winter to host luxury champagne-inspired tours.

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Dipietrantonio, who is passionate about health and nutrition, is originally from the UK, and met husband Andre in Bali when she was a teenager while travelling the world on a gap year.

They wed in Melbourne three years after meeting and now have three children together.

Multi-award winning TV anchor Rao spent six years hosting CNN’s weekday breakfast news and celebrity chat show, Talk Asia, presenting to 220 million viewers around the world.

She moved to Australia seven years ago and appears as a contributor on several TV and radio shows.

News. It's a serious business. @_SarahAbo #SBS pic.twitter.com/RJfLKIwiG4

— anjali rao (@anjrao) May 20, 2014

Rao is currently single and a divorcee with a 10-year-old son.

Respected journalist Anjali Rao has joined the cast. Picture: Jay Town

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE OTHERS?

While news of a cast shake-up is exciting for viewers, long-time fans of the show were saddened to hear fan favourite Gillies, 39, wouldn’t be returning.

In an interview with Stellar at the weekend, Gillies said she wanted to take a time out to start a family with her musician husband, Silverchair drummer Ben.

She also revealed she was on her fourth round of IVF, as she candidly discussed her struggle to fall pregnant.

Ben and Jackie Gillies. Picture: @bengillies888

“Ben and I really talked about it and we wanted to put everything on pause, including Housewives, to focus on starting a family,” she said. “I’m not getting any younger.”

Bloomfield confirmed on her Instagram page last week she wouldn’t be returning for the fifth season, and while she didn’t give a specific reason, it’s been widely reported the show’s unofficial poster girl Liano refused to sign on unless Bloomfield was booted.

Foxtel’s executive director Brian Walsh confirmed the rift in an interview last year.

“Where we left last season is that Gina said she would not come back to the show if Sally was on the series, and that has taken us some time to resolve how we move forward,” Mr Walsh said.

A pregnant Behbahani also confirmed the news on her Instagram page this week, citing family reasons.

“I’m hanging my heels and concentrating on my growing family and I can’t wait for my little boy to join our pack.”

Real Housewives of Melbourne’s new cast. Picture: David Caird