Foxtel announces the cast of The Real Housewives Of Melbourne season five

The Real Housewives of Melbourne returns for its fifth season with a new line-up of women to take to the screen.

Previously making the decision to leave the series, Jackie Gillies – one of Australia’s highest profile professional psychics and wife of Silverchair drummer Ben Gillies – is putting her stilettos back on and returning to the show. 

When production commences this week, Jackie will be reunited with returning Housewives Gamble Breaux – a singer songwriter who shares her Mornington Peninsula home with husband Dr Rick Wolfe, stepson Luke and six Pomeranians; and Janet Roach – co-founder of Raw Essentials Tea and The Roach Foundation (providing emotional and financial support to burns patients) and mother to two boys.

Foxtel also announced today new housewife Simone Elliott, a businesswoman who juggles a high-flying corporate job with raising two children and studying for her MBA. Simone will share the spotlight and screen this season with the three previously announced new Housewives: yoga teacher, qualified personal trainer and mother of three Cherry Dipietrantonio; self-made business woman, “Champagne Dame” Kyla Kirkpatrick; and multi award-winning news anchor and mother of one, Anjali Rao.

Original cast members Gina Liano and Lydia Schiavello have made the decision to leave the series.

Foxtel’s group general manager, LifeStyle, Wendy Moore said: “The Real Housewives of Melbourne has had our fans on the edge of their seat – desperate for its return. It’s quite simply the most popular reality program, loved by our audiences for the fun, outrageous and laugh-out-loud personalities.  We are thrilled with the new line-up of strong, successful women and can’t wait for viewers to get a window into their lives – it is sure to be, once again, compulsive viewing.”

Alastair McKinnon, Matchbox Pictures managing director, said: "The drama is back. The glamour is back. The long-awaited return of the Housewives promises to deliver all the extravagant fireworks audiences the world over have come to know and love. Melbourne, start your engines."

The Real Housewives of Melbourne is the first Australian installment of the reality franchise and provides an inside and exclusive look into the lifestyles of wealthy and extravagant women. 

The 10 x one-hour series is produced by Matchbox Pictures, part of NBCUniversal International Studios, a division of Universal Studio Group in conjunction with Foxtel.  Executive producers are Pip Rubira and Dan Munday along with consulting executive producer Lisa Potasz for Matchbox Pictures. The series will air on Fox Arena at a date to be announced. 

The first four seasons of The Real Housewives of Melbourne are currently available to watch on demand.