Real Housewives of New York City Season 7: Bethenny Frankel's Return to the Bravo Reality TV Show Brokered by Andy Cohen in Skinnygirl’s Kitchen

By Kara Michelle Oct 27, 2014 05:48 AM EDT

Real Housewives of New York City Season 7: Bethenny Frankel's Return to the Bravo Reality TV Show Brokered by Andy Cohen in Skinnygirl's Kitchen

"The thing transpired in her kitchen," said host and producer Andy Cohen during a segment in his Ask Andy TV show on Bravo. "I went over there to convince her to come back to the show. She had different ideas about things she wanted to do. I kind of said I don't think that those are good ideas. I have a good idea! I brought it up and she said OK I'm listening. I told her all my reasons. I could tell that she was seriously going to think about it. We had a very long talk about it. And then she said I'm in. We had a deal. This all happened in late-June, I think, or July. The idea that we've been able to keep it a secret for as long as we did, was great," said the Cohen.

Bravo just officially confirmed on Monday, October 20, that Bethenny Frankel will indeed be returning to the Real Housewives of New York City for Season 7. Frankel, an original member of the show who was a cast regular from Season 1 to Season 3, left the franchise after her televised cat-fight with then fellow New York City Housewives Jill Zarin and Kelly Bensimon, who have both also exited from the show. The 43-year-old Bethenny, aside from being a TV personality, is an author of five books and an entrepreneur famous for her Skinnygirl brand.

The Real Housewives of New York City Season 7, once it airs, will have host Andy Cohen back at the show's reigns as executive producer. Regarding Frankel's return, Cohen said, "Bethenny is one of the most popular Housewives in the history of the franchise, and I couldn't be more excited she is coming home to Bravo!"

Bethenny in her statement to the press said: "I'm genuinely excited, with a side of slightly nervous, for my return to The Real Housewives of New York City. Bravo has always been the place on television where I have the freedom to be unfiltered, honest and inappropriate, with an audience who has been with me from the beginning. I can't wait to see what this next chapter brings for all of us. Watch what happens!"

In a talk with US Weekly, Bethenny said her story lines this upcoming season may look different than it did when she was last seen in the reality TV series. Said she, "When I went onto Housewives when I was younger, I didn't have family, I didn't have a business, I didn't have partners. I think basically the important thing is how I'm just being honest about my perspective." However, she adds, "Ironically, I'm never a Housewife when I'm a housewife!"

Bethenny will be joining cast members Carole Radziwill, Heather Thomson, Kristen Taekman, LuAnn de Lesseps, Ramona Singer and Sonja Morgan according to Bravo.