Kelly Dodd: 5 Things to Know About 'RHOC' 's Newest Housewife

The Real Housewives of Orange County returns Monday at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo.

Published on June 17, 2016 04:40 PM

The Real Housewives of Orange County has a new addition to the cast this season!

To help prepare you for Monday’s season 11 premiere, here are five things you need to know about the new Housewife, Kelly Dodd.

1. She was approached for the Bravo reality series previously.

“I was approached three years ago for the show,” Dodd told PEOPLE at the RHOC premiere party in Los Angeles on Thursday.

Ultimately, “it wasn t a good time,” admits Dodd. But now, she’s joining the show with friend and RHOC cast member Meghan King Edmonds.

“Meghan said last year was a blast. [She asked me]: ‘Why don’t you do it?’ ” explained Dodd. “And they approached me again, and I was like, ‘Let’s do it. What do I have to lose?’ ”

RELATED VIDEO: Does Heather Dubrow Think Vicki Gunvalson’s RHOC Friendships Can Be Saved?

2. Meghan told her to watch out for costar Vicki Gunvalson.

“I told her to watch out for Vicki,” Edmonds shared at the party. “And I told her, ‘Be honest. Be yourself. Give everybody a fair chance.’ ”

3. She’s steeled for drama.

Teased Dodd: “I’ve had a really, really, really rough season,” butting heads with “Shannon Beador big time. Heather [Dubrow] a little bit, and Tamra [Judge] a little bit,” she admitted.

And the ladies’ trip to Ireland “got pretty gnarly,” said Dodd, “It was a bunch of drama so things turned.”

4. Her husband is a toy executive.

“When they approached me again to do the show my family was like, ‘Oh my God. Do it! Do it! Let’s get all on board,’ ” said Dodd, who added that at first, her husband, Michael, was “kind of hesitant” when she decided to do the show.

However, her daughter said, ‘Oh mom! Do it!’ ”

5. She liked her first experience on reality television.

“It’s been so much fun. So exciting,” said Dodd. “It’s a world of something I never experienced and a great time really.”

The Real Housewives of Orange County returns Monday at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo.