New 'RHONY' Star Sai De Silva Calls Season 14 'a Nice Fresh Start' 

One of the newest Real Housewives of New York City tells PEOPLE she "absolutely" loves costar Jenna Lyons and is ready for some drama: "I can go toe to toe"

Sai De Silva . Photo: Udo Salters/Patrick McMullan via Getty

New Real Housewives of New York City cast member Sai De Silva is ready to make must-see TV.

De Silva spoke exclusively to PEOPLE at Monday's 16th Annual Golden Heart Awards about joining the cast for the upcoming season 14 of RHONY, calling the upcoming season "a nice fresh start."

In March, Andy Cohen confirmed to Variety that Bravo is "rebooting and recasting" the series for the upcoming 14th season with hopes of securing a more diverse group of women for the show.

"You know that we're at a crossroads for RHONY," Cohen, 54, told Variety at the time. "We've spent a lot of time figuring out where to go. And the plan that we've come up with, I think, is a real gift to the fans."

"This is a major casting search. We're going to be casting all over Manhattan and the boroughs," Cohen said.

Charles Sykes/Bravo via Getty

The brand-new cast of The Real Housewives of New York City season 14 was announced during a taping of Watch What Happens Live at BravoCon 2022 on Sunday.

De Silva is joined by new Housewives Jenna Lyons, Jessel Taank, Ubah Hassan, Lizzy Savetsky and Erin Dana Lichy.

De Silva is excited to show a different side of New York City to viewers and to showcase the diversity she brings to the show.

"I would like to really show what New York is all about and what it really portrays," the social media influencer said. "The old New York [cast] had a lot of sense of humor. Everybody was super funny, and I love that and I want to bring that in."

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She also told PEOPLE she's not a pushover. "I think people sometimes forget that I am originally from Brooklyn and I do have another edge to me, that people might not see on social media," De Silva said. "So standing up for myself is something that I like. I can go toe to toe, but for the most part, I'm always here to spread some positivity and uplift other women."

The new reality star commended the show's inclusive new cast, with Lyons as New York's first openly gay Housewife. "I think this is what we represent," De Silva said. "We represent equality for all. It shouldn't matter what your sexuality is at the end of the day."

De Silva noted, "The first Indian woman, the first Puerto Rican woman … this is what New York represents."

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When asked about her new costars, De Silva gushed about the cast. "You know what, all the girls are amazing," she said. "I absolutely love Jenna. I adore her. I love Brynn. I feel like she is a newbie in town. Very sweet. I think the cast is amazing. I think they did a really great job."